Thousand Year Blood Prophecies
by Mr History 94
Summary: This is a fanfic based upon the last arc of Bleach, taking place after Ichigo was sent to the Soul Society by Urahara. It will have both canon and non-canon elements. The Wandenreich was not the only empire to emerge out from hiding. This story takes us to a time when the Soul Society was forced to contend with three empires, while dealing with their own depression and downfall.
1. Now You Remember Me?

**Author's note: While I love Bleach, I was hoping that Kubo could've done something more in this arc. While some of this will remain loyal to the canon part, the rest of the plotlines will be original, based upon an idea I had. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

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 **Chapter 1: Now You Remember Me?**

 _In the endless deserts of Hueco Mundo_

Shock, fear, unpredictability. Those were only three of the many thoughts that stumbled upon Kisuke Urahara when he felt a Zanpakutou pointed at his shoulder. The usually laid-back Shinigami had been rendered immobile, thanks to the tricks of the Sternritter: Quilge Opie. He had been a fool to underestimate the Quincy's durability, as he had even managed to survive Urahara's own beam. With Ichigo Kurosaki now headed for the Soul Society to help its desperate people and Yasutora Sado and Orihime Inoue also badly injured by Quilge's destructive strength, all hope seemed lost, and Urahara believed that he would require the help of his Bankai, something he even reluctantly wanted. That was until "he" showed up. He had managed to easily wipe out Quilge with his own Cero.

"Hey, Shinigami" the rowdy voice came from none other than the former Sexta Espada himself: Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. The blue-haired Arrancar, still retaining his white jacket from his days as an Espada and wearing some fancy black pants, fixed a smug smile while seeing his prey at his mercy. "The Spiritual Pressure I just sensed seemed very familiar to me. I know it as it is" he said and suddenly glanced over to Chad and Orihime, the two being too battered and bruised to even react to Grimmjow's presence. "And I see that some Humans have entered Hueco Mundo, including the dumb bitch that Aizen was so desperate to have" he remarked.

Urahara felt ashamed of himself by being in this position. One of the reason, as the fact that he was now at the mercy of Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, a hothead he would not mind teaching a lesson or two. "This is bad! I don't know how long this paralysis will last, but I can't let him do whatever he pleases" the blonde-haired man noted in his thoughts. "But there is also more pressing matters. How was that Quincy able to trap Ichigo inside the Garganta? Obviously the enemy really IS wary of him" he added while feeling stressed out about Ichigo's current situation.

"Enough chit-chat! I want answers!" Grimmjow said and tightened the grip around his Zanpakutou. "Where is he!? Where the hell is Ichigo Kurosaki!?" he demanded impatiently.

Urahara did not open his mouth to answer and he proceeded to only sit in silence and only stare towards the distance. This only irritated the Arrancar further.

"You think I'm retarded!? I know you can speak!" Grimmjow spoke up loudly. "So quit screwing around and answer my goddamn question!" he added.

"I don't know" was all that Urahara could muster. Slowly, the blonde-haired man began turning around to look Grimmjow in the eye. "I am sorry to disappoint you, but I have no idea where Ichigo is" he said

Being spoken to like that really made Grimmjow feel offended and he felt like talking was no longer an option. Forming a psychotic grin, he lifted his Zanpakutou in the air. It was apparent that he was intending on killing Urahara.

"Heh, if you don't tell me about Ichigo's location, I might as well force him to come to me!" he exclaimed with delight. "I will make Ichigo search for me by killing everyone of you! That oughta bring that bastard straight to me!" he said and was about deliver the blow.

Urahara's eyes was filled with shock, wondering if this was really what his ends would be like, dying at the hands of a hotheaded Arrancar while being paralyzed. The thought of humiliation only made this situation worse.

"STAY YOUR HAND, GRIMMJOW JAEGERJAQUEZ!" by hearing this, the blue-haired Arrancar immediately stopped what he was doing.

Urahara paused by hearing this voice. Somehow, he recognized it from before. He could hear steps coming to him by and all of a sudden, three beings appeared before the Shnigami, having apparently used Sonido. When seeing them, Urahara's eyes immediately widened and his irises was solely fixed upon the three strangers.

Grimmjow reluctantly pulled back his Zanpakutou and grumbled angrily. "Tch, I was wondering when you would show up!" he sarcastically remarked.

Standing before the Shinigami sitting on his knees were three Arrancars. They each had different appearances and outfits. They wore white clothes underneath red-colored capes. It was almost as if they were of royal blood.

The tall black-skinned Arrancar with dreadlocks and spikey horns sticking out from his hair faced Urahara with a stern glance. "It has been a long time hasn't it…Kisuke Urahara" he told him without any emotion. "I believe you would do well not to forget us" he added.

Urahara slowly opened his mouth to speak. "Xerrxes Rureaux…Diablo Gallante…and Oggrom Dorian" he uttered out their names. "How…...how are you all…." The young man had difficulties in saying anything.

The red-skinned Arrancar with the eyepatch on his right eye, devilish horns and a cloth covering his mouth while hanging right underneath his nose only scoffed at him. "Heh, you still remember our names…even after all those ages" he remarked and his smug smile could be seen beneath the cloth he was wearing. "I am proud of you, boy" he added.

"I've heard enough!" The muscular Arracnar with light brown skin, long, black hair tied into a ponytail, black marking on his chin and barbarous appearance only grunted by hearing this. He then began narrow his ferocious eyes on the Shinigami. "Did you think he wouldn't know, Shinigami?" he asked lowly and sternly at the same time. "Did you honestly think that he would forget about the debt you and your mentor owned him!? You thought that you could run away from it by allowing Sosuke Aizen and his pets take hold on Hueco Mundo and hide behind him from your debt!" he went on explaining as Urahara sat and listened.

"Futhermore, you allowed Aizen to gain possession of the Hogyoku. Maybe there was some intentions in doing that" Xerrxes noted sternly.

Hearing this made Urahara grit his teeth in frustration. "You're wrong! I never intended for Aizen to gain possession of the Hogyoku!" he claimed while the three Arrancars only stared at him blankly. "All those ages, me and my pals spent ages in exile so that neither him nor even the Court Guard could get their hands on it! That is the sole reason why me, Yoruichi and Tessai chose that lifestyle!"

So far, Chad and Orihime had only laid on the sand, not even moving an inch of their body. If they even tried running away, they knew that these unfamiliar Arrancars would comer after them and finish them off in an instant.

"Chad…what are they talking about?" Orihime asked her tall friend, who was trying his best to recover from his injuries.

"I don't know…but it seems to me…...that Urahara has a connection to those Arrancars" Chad replied. However, the tall man was actually felling very insecure about himself. It was about the Spiritual Pressure he could feel from those Arrancars. "This is not making any sense. This Grimmjow used to be an Espada, so his Spiritual Pressure is on the same level as a captain of the Court Guard. However, when those Arrancars suddenly arrived, everything changed. Their Spiritual Pressure dwarfs Grimmjow's!" he noted in his head uneasily.

But Orihime had different thoughts, even though they were similar to Chad's. "This immense power…...I have felt it before…...during my time in Las Noches. But where?" she wondered as she struggled to recall. Eventually, her eyes snapped when she was reminded of a certain individual, the one who was responsible for her captivity: the former Cuatro Espada: Ulquiorra Cifer. Thinking about this made her stuck in her thoughts.

"Humans, in Hueco Mundo? Now this is a rare sight" both Chad and Orihime snapped and turned around to see something that made them even more paranoid: more unfamiliar Arrancars, wearing the same capes as those before Urahara wore. An elderly lady with a necklace as her Hollow-shell was standing in the middle and she faced the two with a curious glance. "Hmmm, they seem very…...feeble to me" she added while describing them.

But she was not alone. Other than her compatriots, a horde of Arrancars in armor stood behind, with some already riding on some Hollow-wolves. They carried spears and shield, which could perhaps be their Zanpakutou or whatever weapons they carried. What was noticeable was the symbol stand on those shields, as well as the medallions that was keeping their capes together. It was a symbol of omega. That female Arrancar as well as those standing before Urahara were carrying that symbol with them.

Urahara had taken notice of the horde of Arrancars arriving, but as he got a glimpse of heir shields, his eyes widened. Apparently, he recognized that symbol. "No…...its' them…they are…" the Shinigami was lost in thoughts.

Chad and Orihime only backed further way by seeing the elderly lady and her company of soldiers. However, she seemed very mild-mannered compared to her compatriots. "Have no fear, young ones. I have no intention of harming you, nor do these Hoplitas" she told them, but suddenly began facing Urahara. "However, we would really like to have a word with your cunning friend on the hill" she added sternly and used her Sonido to vanish from the two friends' eyes.

Urahara recognized this woman. "Annabelle Luisenbarn, as well as the Hoplitas" he uttered out lowly. "I had hoped to never see anyone of you again" he added.

The Arrancar only stared at him with a frown formed with her lips. "Now that just a rude thing to say, little mansion boy. You should be thankful that Grimmjow were nearby to save your life from that wretched Quincy" she reminded him.

As much as the blonde-haired man wanted to dispute her claim, he felt like not having enough strong, considering that he was still being paralyzed. But even if he was not, fighting against these Arrancars was something he would've least do.

Grimmjow had so far, only stood and watched this interrogation from the sidelines. He grew bored and impatient while facing the three Arrancars. "Hey, why the hell are we even standing here, anyway? Can't we just drag his ass back to HQ?" he asked while sounding demanding.

The three Arrancars gave him a disapproving stare, while Annabelle only stared at him with a raised eyebrow. "You do not have the authority to make such commands yet, Esclavo!" Xerrxes pointed out sternly. "Remember, you are still a Legionario and one rank below us!" he added with an explanation.

"You better take back what you just said!" Grimmjow demanded and reached for his Zanpakutou. "In just a few minutes, I will become a Dechado!" he added with anger in his voice.

"Enough from you, Grimmjow. Do not forget the reason you were sent along with us" Annabelle reminded him. By hearing this, the blue-haired Arrancar removed his hand from the tip of his Zanpakutou.

Urahara's eyes widened by what he had heard from their slight altercation. He specifically faced Xerrxes. "HQ…...is it true that it still ex..." Urahara was interrupted by Gallante putting his Zanpakutou near his throat. It was formed like a deadly scythe. This only made the Shinigami cease his words.

"You do not get to ask the questions, Urahara. We will do that" the red-skinned Arrancar told him warily. "Now moving on, you might be wondering if we are aware of the current situation in the Soul Society. And yes, we do know of the Wandenreich's invasion as well as their assassination of the lieutenant of Squad 1: Chojiro Sasakibe" he revealed.

Urahara only nodded his head in return. "I see" he noted lowly. He then formed a slight smile with his lips. "Then I guess you and the rest will head over there to battle the Quincies, as well as aiding the Soul Society" he remarked.

Oggrom narrowed his eyes at the laid-back Shinigami. "Aid the Soul Society?" he asked with distaste. "Have you really become so ignorant these ages that have passed!? The Imperio de Hierro have no interest in wasting their men and women for the sake of the Sereitei!" he said while crossing his arms.

"But you do know what will happen now, won't you!?" Urahara suddenly asked loudly. "You all know what nefarious ends this Wandenreich might have in store for not just the Soul Society, but Hueco Mundo as well" he pointed out.

Gallante nodded his head in return. "You are correct, we do loathe it's emperor: Yhwach, especially for what he has done to Hueco Mundo both the past and present. "However, we also loath Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamato and his past atrocities. We paragons know very well that neither man is worth supporting, especially for what they did to our beautiful home generations ago" he added with a hint of bitterness in his voice.

Hearing this caused Urahara to backpedal on saying such words. However, he could feel the paralysis fading away. Seeing this as an opportunity to grab both Orihime and Chad to escape from Hueco Mundo, Urahara was about to use his Zanpakutou to fend off his interrogators and then use his Shunpo to vanish, once he had both Humans in his hands. But all that stopped once he could see Annabelle slam her staff before him. That staff was technically her Zanpakurou.

"I would not do something as reckless as that if I were you, young man" Annabelle warned her lightly. "Now that you know of our continued existence, it is pointless for you to even try hiding from us. We know all about you" she explained further.

The cunning Shinigami angrily gritted his teeth by seeing her doing that. "And why would I fear you!?" he asked as if he wanted an answer.

Annabelle only formed a smug look on her face. "Hmmm, you will see" she said and suddenly turned her attention to a line that was beginning to form right before the soldiers.

"Chad….is that a…" Orihime asked slowly.

"Yeah…it's a Garganta" Chad answered before seeing it opening itself. "Where is it coming from? The World of the Living? The Soul Society?" he wondered about who had opened it.

As it became bigger Orihime was filled with both surprise and joy by seeing Yoruichi Shihoin, Tessai Tsukabishi, Ururu Tsmugiya and Jinta Hanakari standing in it. While she was happy to see them, she noticed that they weren't so pleased with the way they were standing. In fact, as they stepped out of the Garganta, they fell on their stomachs, showing everyone that they were tied to their hands and feet.

"Oh no! Yoruichi and the others are…." Orihime was filled with disbelief over seeing this.

"They're captured! But how!?" Chad exclaimed in shock.

Out from the Garganta, three Arrancars stepped out. Chad immediately recognized the one in the middle, who had orange afro hair and seemed like a disco dancer. As their eyes met, the Arrancar only smiled smugly and even made a gesture to him by forming his fingers into a pistol.

"You are…." Chad spoke up, recalling the fight they had last time in Las Noches two years ago

"I'm glad that we could meet once again, Yasutora Sado" he said and crossed his arms with a smug look on his face. "I take it you still remember our glorious fight back at Las Noches, eh? Well, I'm no longer a Privaron Espada, or even a number for that matter! I'm Gantenbainne Mosqueda, proud member of the Legionarios in the Imperio de Hierro" he exclaimed with confidence.

Chad had started to find calm within himself, but there was something he thought was odd about Gantenbainne. "It's odd…his Spiritual Pressure…is stronger than from the last time I fought him" he noted in his thoughts. "However, those other Arrancars are more powerful than he is. I can feel it" he added while observing the other two Arrancars, who wore capes similar to Xerrxes and the others.

The one on the left, who had the head of a wolf as his Hollow-shell and had white markings running across his cheekbones, as well has long black hair and facial hair. He looked over to Gantenbainne. "Do you recognize that Human" he asked him and the orange-haired Arrancar nodded his head in return. The strange Arrancar began crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes. "Somehow, I don't think neither of them are ordinary Humans" he noted lowly.

Xerrxes had seen the Shnigami's reaction and he mused about it. "When we heard that you had decided to visit Hueco Mundo, we saw this as a perfect opportunity to sneak into the Human World and apprehend the rest of your gang" he revealed. "In fact, we had all predicted that Quincy activity in Hueco Mundo would've attracted your attention" he added smugly.

Urahara had so far been shocked and angered by seeing his friends being tied up and brought to this place like this. He angrily faced the paragons. "You assholes! What the hell have you done to do them!?" he angrily demanded an answer. "You leave them out of this! They have nothing to do with…" Urahara was kicked by Oggrom, his iron boot sending the Shinigami down to Chad and Orihime's location. The blonde-haired man winced in pain.

"Urahara!" Orihime exclaimed with worry as she sat by his side, and tried to help him getting up on his feet. "Are you alright?" she asked with concern.

The laid-back Shinigami only fixed a cocky grin at her in return. "Sure I am…...never felt.…...ARGH!" he felt the pain's aftereffect in his stomach.

The Arrancar with white, shoulder-length hair and dressed in silver armor in addition to his cape helped Yoruichi back on her feet, although she was reluctant to be helped.

"Tch, I can do this myself, you know!" the purple-haired woman said to him. But as she got a glimpse of the other Arrancars, she snapped in shock an in surprise. "Xerrxes…...Annabelle…and even Gallante" she uttered out words before forming a slight smirk with her mouth. "So it turns out you're all back again!" she said with a dangerous voice, and it sounded wary.

The white-haired Arrancar only raised an eyebrow at her. "Is that all you have to say?" he asked while not getting her. He then proceeded to face his comrades. "Anyway, as he requested, we captured Yoruichi Shihoin, Tessai Tsukabishi and two peculiar children who rudely attacked us" he told them with a nod.

Jinta glared at him angrily. "We're not children, you arrogant bastard! And you approached our shop uninvited!" the red-haired teenage boy spat out. "When I'm through with this, I'm gonna whoop your ass until it…" Jinta was interrupted by the Arrancar drawing his two-handed sword, and made sure that the it's tip was almost on Jinta's lips. The young boy freaked out.

"Mind your lounge, or I shall cut it off personally" the Arrancar told him without remorse. "And besides, I am no bastard. I am Luddenwig Van Gogh, proud member of the Imperio de Hierro's Dechados" he introduced himself before putting his Zanpakutou away.

Jinta sighed in relief, only for Tessai to slam his head with his own. The young teenager got an ugly mark as a result. "Ouch…what was that for?" he wondered in annoyance while eyeing the man in glasses.

Tessai sighed in annoyance, never replying to Jinta. "Repulsive idiot" he lowly muttered, and Jinat only twitched in anger by hearing this.

The Arrancar with the wolfhead as his Hollow-shell faced Urahara sternly while crossing his arms. "You thought we would underestimate you? Not a chance" he told the blonde-haired man.

"Durran Lupinus" Urahara noted sternly while calling out the Arrancar's name. "What made you commit something as cowardly as to take my friends as hostages?" he asked while wanting to know an answer.

The one called Durran only narrowed his eyes. "They are not hostages…only bargaining chips" he said but began facing both Yoruichi and Tessai. "Besides, both these two are you accomplices, which makes them just as guilty as you are" he added.

"Guilty? For what!?" Yoruichi asked him angrily. "Remember, we were not the ones who destroyed your civilization, let alone allowed Aizen to do as he pleased in both Hueco Mundo and the Soul Society!" she hit back at him.

Durran only smirked by seeing her reaction. "Is that so?" he asked while facing her with a raised eyebrow. "Our "spy" disagreed to what you are just claiming" he said in return.

Urahara's eyes widened with surprise by what Durran just said. "A spy…." The blonde-haired man was filled with confusion, but also shock at the same time. He faced the wolf-like Arrancar. "Did you have spy placed in Las Noches!?" he demanded an answer.

Luddenwig faced him with a stern glance. "We have no obligation in answering you, Shinigami. Such information and answers are only shared amongst us paragons" he said in return.

But while they were having this gathering, a large shadow appeared over them. Urahara and his gang and friends immediately recognized the giant creature as Ayon. As he was standing above them and growled like a ferocious beast.

"I see" Urahara noted in his head. "Now that the Quincy is dead, that giant Hollow must be free of the absorption" he added and decided to look if there were any perpetrator. He could eventually spot the members of the Tres Bestias: Emilou Apacci, Franceska Mila Rose and Cyan Sung-Sun stand not far away from this location.

The Dechados had taken notice of the giant beast approaching and they didn't seem necessarily concerned or intimidated. In fact, Oggrom was now charging towards it, his axe-like Zanpakutou held tightly in his hands. The Hollow was larger than him, but Oggrom stubbornly ran towards it. Ayon opened its terrible mouth, yet the muscular Arrancar did not back down.

"STAY DEAD, MONGREL!" Oggrom yelled and jumped towards Ayon's chest. With the tip of his axe aimed at it, Oggrom made long cuts with it, but he was not finished. Using his right arm, he punched a hole in Ayon's chest, much to the giant monster's agony. Then, he actually went through the opening, proceeding to tear Ayon apart from the insides.

Ayon stood in silence for a couple of minutes, before his limbs, tail and head began crumbling apart one by one. Oggrom was using his Zanpakutou to cut the Hollow into many pieces. He emerged through the giant's back, with Ayon falling down to his death.

The muscular Arrancar put his Zanpakutou back and only looked at the remains of Ayon with utter disappointment. "Heh, what a pathetic excuse for a Hollow" he remarked with disgust and even spit at the remains.

The Tres Bestias could not believe how Oggrom had so easily defeated their combined creation.

"Shit! Ayon's completely toasted!" Apacci cursed after seeing the results.

Mila Rose approached to her. "I told you this was a bad idea, didn't I!?" she scolded her, but Apacci got up to her face.

"You were the one who suggested it, numbskull!" the blue-haired Arrancar said in return.

Mila Rose twitched in anger over hearing this insult. "Say that again and I will whoop your fat ass until it bleeds!" she warned her.

But as Apacci and Mila Rose got into an argument, Sung-Sun decided to intervene. "We cannot stay here any longer" she said and both women focused their eyes on her. "We better flee before they take notice of us…." It was too late for them, as Xerrxes, Annabelle and Luddenwig appeared before them using Sonido. Their Sonido were incredibly fast, even to the Tres Bestias' standards.

"Just as I suspected" Xerrxes remarked while facing them with disapproval. "More ignorant Esclavos skulking around the ruins of their former slave pens" he added.

Apacci gritted her teeth in anger. "What did you just call us!?" she asked threateningly only to be restrained by Sung-Sun.

Annabelle chuckled by seeing her reaction. "Why, you were off course slaves in Las Noches, slaves to a Shinigami" she pointed out to her.

Being told this actually made Apacci calm down, and she looked to the ground in shame. But Mila Rose stepped before her to face the paragons. "We were never slaves to Aizen!" she spat with defiance. "That selfish bastard was never our master! The only master we ever had was Lady Harribel!" she spoke up.

"Ah yes, that beautiful but stubborn wench" Luddenwig suddenly spoke up, triggering the anger of both Mila Rose and Apacci. The white-haired Arrancar only viewed them with displeasure. "A shame that she rejected our invitation to join us. Instead, she faced the Wandenreich and lost miserably. You Esclavos are all a disgrace to our people's legacy" he remarked.

Sung-Sun stepped forward. "But where were you when Barragan ruled Hueco Mundo? Where were you when Aizen ruled Hueco Mundo? Where were you all this time?" she asked as if she wanted an answer. "I take it you could perhaps answer us, Annabelle Luisenbarn, considering that you were Barragan's elder…" before she could say anything more, she paused by feeling something small but deadly passing by her cheek. While it didn't hit it, it actually made a cut on her cheek, with blood running through it. The long-haired Arrancar paused and looked at what Annabelle did.

Apparently, the elderly woman had fired a Bala, and it narrowly missed Sung-Sun's right cheek. She blew off the smoke from her wrinkly finger. Annabelle faced the snake-like Arrancar with a serious expression on her face. "Watch your tongue, Shinigami appeaser! The fact that you dare mention him to my face only demonstrates the kind of traitors to our people you have become. The old one himself is disappointed" she remarked while commenting Sung-Sun's words.

Apacci sprung before her comrades and faced the stronger Arrancars with an accusing finger. "To hell with your empire and master! We only serve Lady Harribel!" she spat out.

The three Arrancars did not like the tone she was giving them and then took off. However, Luddenwig stopped and looked over his shoulder to take a glance at them. "I knew it was a mistake to extend an invitation to you and your mistress!" he said before facing forward. "Grimmjow, Gantenbainne, you may do with them as you please" he said as Grimmjow and Gantenbainne had just approached the area.

"With pleasure" Grimmjow exclaimed with his grin and cracked his knuckles, slowly beginning his walk toward the Tres Bestias.

"So you're their pet now, Grimmjow?" Sung-Sun asked. "I expected no less from the former Sexta Espada" she added with a hint of disgust.

Grimmjow stopped and only raised an eyebrow at her. "You still believe in those numbers!?" he asked loudly and then turned around to show them the place where the number 6 tattoo was standing on. But instead of a tattoo of the number, it showed them the omega symbol. The three Arrancar women widened in shock.

"No…don't tell me that…." Mila Rose uttered out words lowly.

Gantenbainne stepped besides Grimmjow and opened his shirt, revealing them the same symbol on his chest. "I too have been granted this gift since my induction as a Legionario" the orange-haired Arrancar said. "With this, we are stronger than a Privaron Espada and an Espada combined. However, "he" is still stronger than all of us" he added.

Back at Urahara's outpost, the Shinigami and his friends were still surrounded by the Dechados. But the blonde-haired man approached Gallante and Durran and faced them with seriousness.

"Okay, because of the situation we are in, I will agree to whatever you request" Urahara said while adjusting his hat. "But know this, I'm only doing this for the sake of saving our world. I'm not joining the Imperio de Hierro" he reminded them.

All the Dechados smiled with satisfaction of his answer. "You made the right decision, Kisuke Urahara. Your mentor would have been proud of you" Gallante remarked. "But before we can officially begin, we will have to dispose of the Quincies who are still roaming Hueco Mundo like vermin searching for food, then we may take you to him" he went on explaining.

Urahara nodded in return. "But I will require the assistance of someone living in the Human World. At the same time, I must also do something for the Soul Society" he said.

"That will have to wait" Luddenwig suddenly spoke up. "Once we are done here and have returned home, you may begin with your research to help your allies in the Court Guard Squads. But however, you will be researching under the supervision of us. We have zero interest in the affairs of the Soul Society" he added sternly.

Urahara nodded once more, before heading towards his friends. But she was met with an angry expression from Yoruichi, and she seemed pissed. "Just what the hell are you doing now, Kisuke!?" the purple-haired woman asked lowly and angrily. "You're not thinking about helping them are you!?" she added with stress.

"We are at a great dilemma here, Yoruichi" Urahara answered in return. "Because of this, we are unable to visit the Soul Society. We must trust that Ichigo got there in time to battle the enemy. And besides, we will contact Shinji and see what the current situation is" he assured her while putting a hand on her left shoulder.

Thinking about this, she reluctantly agreed with a slight nod. "But boss, what did you mean about someone in the Human World? You already sent Ichigo to the Soul Society didn't you?" he asked while adjusting his glasses.

"It's a bit complicated to explain this, Tessai. But it has something to do with fixing the distortions between the realms" he explained shortly. "I will fill you in later. You, Jinta and Ururu could perhaps do this request for me. The Dechados know that you three are less than a threat to them anyways" he added with a suggestion.

Ururu saluted in return. "Your wish is my command, sir" she said, yet sounding so awkward, even as a teenager.

Jinta only huffed while crossing his arms. "Whatever you say, douchebag" he muttered lowly, only for Tessai to slam him once again with this head, much to his agony.

Urahara then went on facing Chad and Orihime. He fixed a reassuring smile while facing them, surprising them. "You two will just stay with me. And let me assure you, these Arrancars are more honorable than those serving under Aizen" he told them who listened closely.

"Yeah right! Taking hostages sure is honorable!" Jinta remarked with sarcasm, but this time, Ururu delivered her left foot at his right cheek. "Ouch…...just knock it off already!" he said as he was getting tired of being the punching bag

But Urahara and the others ignored the teenage boy and resumed their conversation. "Just trust me on this one, you two. As long as you're with me, you'll be safe in Hueco Mundo. But be sure not to provoke the paragons. While they are more far less impatient than the Espadas, they know how to make you look like an accident" he warned them sternly.

Having just witnessed Oggrom making Ayon a giant pile of ash, Chad and Orihime only nodded in return, realizing that he was right. Hopefully, they would stay safe in Hueco Mundo, considering that the Soul Society was currently in chaos. However, they both hoped that Ichigo was doing okay. But they knew better than to doubt his determination as it had saved their hot-headed friend various times.

 _To be continued….._

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 **Author's note: That was the first chapter of my splendid fanfiction about Bleach. Like Kubo did with his chapters, I won't spoil what happens next. And remember that this is only fictional. Now let's take a look at the new terms we got introduced to.**

 **Imperio de Hierro - Spanish for "Iron Empire": A new power has arisen amidst the desolated wastes of Hueco Mundo. But who is this empire? Wasn't Tier Harribel the ruler of the realm of Hollows after Aizen's defeat?**

 **Dechados – Spanish for "Paragons": These unfamiliar Arrancars possesses a different level than that of the Espadas under Aizen. But where are their origins? Somehow, they don't seem to have their origins in Aizen's army.**

 **Legionarios – Spanish for "Legionnaires": These Arrancars seems to be one rank lower than the Dechados in their hierarchy, yet possesses enormous amounts of Spiritual Pressure. In fact, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and Gantenbainne Mosqueda seems to have joined it, earning them powers beyond those of Espadas or Privaron Espadas.**

 **Esclavo – Spanish for "Slave": Many members of the Imperio de Hierro are noted to have a low opinion on Arrancars who served under Aizen. Because of this, they are referred to as Esclavos and are usually looked down upon. Even Grimmjow is referred to as such, although by joining the Legionarios, he has built a reputation for himself, as well as gaining the favour of some paragons.**


	2. Cheaters Never Win

**Author's note: While I love Bleach, I was hoping that Kubo could've done something more in this arc. While some of this will remain loyal to the canon part, the rest of the plotlines will be original, based upon an idea I had. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Cheaters Never Win**

 _In the endless deserts of Hueco Mundo_

Leaving Diablo Gallante, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and Gantenbainne Mosqueda in charge of making sure that Kisuke Urahara and his gang did their end of the bargain, the Dechados were off to hunt down the remaining Quincies still lurking around the ruins of Hueco Mundo. With the leader of the Jagdarmee dead, they were leaderless and spread themselves across the desolate wastes. This only made this easier for them to track down.

But they also had plans to save those Arrancars the Jagdarmee were trying to saved, they would be given an ultimatum: swear loyalty to the Imperio de Hierro or die in vain. The paragons were known for their intolerance towards Arrancars who once served Sosuke Aizen, and they had no qualms with killing them, unless they could be of service to the Imperio de Hierro.

Urahara had set up a tent under the watchful eyes of the Legionarios and a pack of Hoplitas. The soldiers made sure that all directions around the tent were secured, as none were let in or out.

But amidst this situation, Urahara along with his best pals: Yoruichi Shihoin and Tessai Tsukabishi were having a discussion on what to do next in the tent. The laid-back Shinigami was had also placed his computer inside the tent and was now activating it.

"The first thing we should do is to find a way to contact the Court Guards from here. With the enemy's invasion of the Sereitei, there is no doubt that they have infiltrated the Department of Research and Development, leaving the Court Guards cut off from communication" Urahara explained while searching on his computer. "Luckily I have just the right instrument for the job, but it's stuck back in the shop in Karakura Town" he revealed to them smugly.

Yoruichi smiled lightly by hearing this. "Glad to know that you have a backup plan, Kisuke" she remarked.

"But about your idea" Tessai suddenly spoke up sternly. "Are you sure their abilities will prove beneficial?" he asked his long-time friend.

"They sure will, Tessai" Urahara assured him with a smug grin. "But listen, we will need to send someone back to the Human World and do three things. And whoever we are sending back must do the following things:

They must find the key to help us communicate from here to the Soul Society, which can be found in my shop.

Enlist the aid of my important associates?

Seek out current information about the Soul Society's condition from the Vizards.

That will be the only things they have to do" Urahara explained while showing them a list with the three objectives written on it.

Both Yoruichi and Tessai only sweated by seeing this list, but they accepted what was written on it, regardless. But they could see their friend holding a medallion in his hand. It was the medallion that Quilge Opie attempted to steal Ichigo's Bankai with.

"You already know that these Sternritters are somehow able to steal a Shinigami's Bankai. However, Ichigo is the only exception" Urahara told them while holding the medallion with the cross symbol on it. "I will have to examine it later. I've already got my hands full with the paragons and their vendetta" he added with his intentions.

Outside the tent, Yasutora Sado and Orihime Inoue were sitting close to the entrance alongside Jinta Hanakari and Ururu Tsmugiya under the watchful eyes of the Hoplitas. But Grimmjow was also nearby, leaning against a tree feeling bored. Gantenbainne was pacing around the area, making sure there were no one sneaking around. For some reason, the four felt as if they had been captured and were now held prisoners in a military boot camp. Hollow-wolves also patrolled.

"It's too quiet in here, I wonder how long we'll be stuck in Hueco Mundo" Chad wondered in his head while looking around. "But even if we do get back to the Human World, nothing will feel safe. With both the Wandenreich and the Imperio de Hierro now on the move, the Soul Society might face its biggest challenge since the Winer War" he added to his thoughts.

"Hey! Stop that kid!" the four Humans were interrupted by one of the Hoplitas shouting something towards a young girl with sea green hair and dressed in green cloth running towards them with some of the Hoplitas in tow.

Orihime and Chad immediately recognized her. "Nel! Where have you been?" Orihime wondered as she leaned down to hold her.

The small Arrancar faced them with her cute eyes. "You were separated from Nel when that mean Quincy attacked us" she answered sweetly. "But luckily, Nel found you with the help of her brothers" she added and suddenly looked back to see two clumsy Arrancars who looked like Adhujas-class Hollows. They were Nel's best friends: Pesche Guatiche and Dondochakka Bistanne.

Pesche, the one with the scarf under his left eye and blonde hair on the back of his head waved his hand at the four in a goofy way, expressing his cheerful mood. "Howdy, kids! So this is where you are hanging out, huh?" he asked. "Me and Nel here managed to bust out Dondochakka, but those mean Quincies noticed us and tried to hunt us down! Fortunately, we managed to lose those pricks! Showed them!" he added with confidence in his voice.

"Being captured was horrible!" Dondochakka, the one with the large mask and yellow bodysuit with spots said while breaking out into tears. "They tortured me in various ways but the most must awful of them all was when they tried to stick canes into my butt!" he explained while crying hysterically, although some around him were disgusted by hearing what he just told them.

While Orihime only chuckled nervously, Chad, Jinta and Ururu only dropped a sweat by seeing how babyish and goofy Nel and her friend were acting. "Those three doofuses are Arrancars?" Jinta asked while not believing what he was seeing.

"They sure seem weird" Ururu remarked, the expression on her face still the same as usual.

The four Humand and the Hoplitas were not the only ones to notice Nel and her so-called brothers' arrival. The moment Grimmjow witnessed the scene, he landed his face in a hand palm, groaning with irritation.

"You gotta be shitting me!" Grimmjow exclaimed. "How the hell are you three even alive!?" he asked out loud as he walked towards them.

Ganteinbainne had also taken notice and he was filled with surprise. "The former Tres Espada: Nelliel Tu Odelschwank as well as her Fracciòn. Why am I not surprised" the afro-haired Arrancar noted while seeing the scene.

Hoplitas began surrounding the group of four and aimed their spears at Nel and her group. They all got cautious, wondering why they were doing this. Eventually Grimmjow and Gantenbainne stepped into the ring and stood before the group of four.

"Why are you doing this to us!?" Orihime demanded an answer but none of them replied. Gantenbainne stepped forward, as did a couple of Hoplitas.

"Nelliel Tu Odelschwank, Pesche Guatiche and Dondochakka Bistanne. Quite a surprise that you managed to avoid being caught by the invaders" Gantenbainne remarked while facing them.

Nel suddenly pointed her tiny finger at them. "Nel know you two! You were former servants of Lord Aizen" she exclaimed.

Grimmjow felt anger boil inside of him by hearing the child saying that to his face. "What did you just say?" Grimmjow said lowly and threateningly. "Did you just call me a servant, you little brat!?" he angrily asked Nel, who hid behind Orihime.

"That was not a nice thing to say!" Orihime surprisingly said to the blue-haired Arrancar. "You should apologize to Nel!" she told him.

"Why!? As far as I know, she and her Fracciòn were just as much of servants to Aizen as we were!" he hit back.

Gantenbainne stepped forward and pushed Grimmjow gently aside. "As much as I hate to agree with him, Grimmjow speaks the truth" the afro-haired Arrancar told Orihime and then looked at the young child. "But nevertheless, you and your Fracciòn are not welcome here. Therefore, I must ask you three to leave this camp" he added while facing Nel.

The little child ran towards the Legionario. "But you can't throw Nel and her brothers out in the desert, those mean Quincies are still out there!" she expressed her defiance and faced Orihime and Chad. "And by the way, have any of you seen Itsygo?" she asked them.

"Did she just say…carrot top's name?" Jinta asked and began laughing his ass off. "Hah, Itsygo! Woah, knew that the carrot top had fans amongst the babies!" he added while continuing laughing.

"Just what is all this noise about!?" all the Hoplitas saluted and made two lines for Gallante as he approached the group of four and Nel's team. Both Grimmjow and Gantenbainne only stood on the sidelines, pretending that they were not interested. The red-skinned Arrancar scanned his eyes and spotted Nel and her Fracciòn trying to hide. His only eye widened in surprise. "I see, more Esclavos. But these seem different" he remarked.

Suddenly, one of the Hoplitas stepped beside Gallante and spoke up. "Lord Grimmjow and Lord Gantenbainne said she was a former Espada in Aizen's Army: Nelliel Tu Odelschwank" he confirmed.

"I see, how interesting" he remarked and suddenly decided to observe Nel, who had come out of hiding. The young child slowly approached the Dechado, who was now sitting squat. He even reached out a hand to her, which surprised everyone standing around them. "Come child, I will not harm you" he said and Nel slowly approached the caped paragon with only one eye. She even grabbed hold of his hand

"Nel thinks you are a gentle Arrancar" she suddenly said. "You wanna be Nel's friend?" she asked out in the open, causing many Hoplitas to even drop their jaws.

Gallante chuckled lightly by hearing this and he carried the little girl on his shoulder and spoke to her in a surprisingly gentle voice. While Nel was surprised, she did like being carried. "How about you and me go for a little walk? Maybe then I will become your friend" he suggested and Nel cheered happily in return.

Both Pesche and Dondochakka were concerned for their sister's well-being, but she waved at them in a cheerful mood. "Don't worry! Nel will come back, just let us have fun first!" she said as she and Gallante walked towards the nearby dunes.

"Damn…when was the last time I saw Gallante act so…...normal!?" Gantenbainne wondered as he watched them go.

"Tch, as if I give a rat's ass!" Grimmjow remarked impatiently.

"So I see that Gallante has taken Nel with her" the voice came from Urahara, who was watching the scene by the entrance to his tent. He was accompanied by Tessai and Yoruichi. "Oh, and Pesche and Dondochakka are here a well, excellent" he remarked while seeing the two goofy Arrancars.

Gantenbainne faced him with his arms crossed. "Just what do you want now, Shinigami?" he asked him. "We already allowed you to build a mini-lab here, you won't be getting any more requests fulfilled" he added strictly.

Urahara only moped by seeing his reaction. "Not even those that would be beneficial to the Imperio de Hierro?" he asked, earning him all Arrancars' attention. "Come on, you remember hearing me saying that I needed something back in the World of the Living, yes? I need someone to bring them over here to Hueco Mundo" he went on explaining.

"Just get to the point!" Grimmjow snapped. "Whatever it is, I sure as hell won't be doing any dirty works for you" he added.

"Relax, I never said that any of you would have to do it" Urahara assured him. "I'm planning on sending Tessai, Jinta and Ururu back to the World of the Living to bring me the stuff, as well as the people I need. But I was hoping that at least one of you Arrancars could accompany them. You know, making sure that they're safe from any harm" he said while trying to be nicely.

Jinta fixed an angered look upon his boss. "Hey, we don't need someone babysitting us!" he said, only to be banged on his head by Tessai. "Ouch….I ALREADY HAVE THREE BUMBS IN MY HEAD, SO JUST STOP IT FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!" he angrily attacked Tessai, who only lifted the boy by his head.

"Anyways, which one of you intelligent Arrancars would like to accompany them?" Urahara asked, but could see that both Grimmjow and Gantenbainne seemed uninterested, as were most Hoplitas. "Come on, you are the only ones I have left! Don't be so dicky!" he said while feeling downed.

Suddenly, both Legionarios came up with a solution and they felt that it would be just right. To everyone's surprise, they pointed their fingers at Pesche and Dondochakka, who was already confused by what was going on. Eventually some Hoplitas even began pointing their fingers at the two goofballs.

"Ummmm why are everyone looking at us like that?" Pesche asked as he was feeling somewhat uncomfortable with all those stares.

"Hey you two! You do wanna getimmunity from the Imperio de Hierro, right?" Grimmjow asked them cunningly. Not knowing how to answer, the two Arrancars only nodded their heads. "Well, here's your chance to earn it! Accompany them to whatever the hell it is and come back alive! Then you are spared from us. You might as well be welcomed as new citizens of the empire" he said to them, trying to encourage them at the same time.

Chad and Orihime only watched this dumbfounded. "Why in the world would they leave this to Pesche and Dondochakka?" Orihime wondered.

But Pesche suddenly stood right up and saluted in return. "Aye, aye, sir! We will help these people across the border and give them freedom!" he said ridiculously.

Urahara smiled with satisfaction. "Excellent! I admire your enthusiasm!" the laid-back Shinigami said by seeing this and then faced the two Legionarios. "One of you will have to open a Garganta" he told them

Gantenbainne nodded and then used Descorrer to open a Garganta while Tessai and his team made preparations for the departure. And Pesche and Dondochakka drew out their Zanpakutous to get ready for the journey.

As the Garganta grew large enough to take them in, the Tessai, the two teenagers and the two Arrancars stepped into it. "Now remember, your orders are to get whatever Urahara wants and bring it back here, safe and sound!" Gantenbainne told them strictly. "Don't let the Quincies know you're there, they might even have eyes and ears throughout the Human World as we speak!" he added.

Urahara also wanted to say something before they left. "You heard what he said. Take care and make sure that you have those two with you! I've even called them to let them know of you coming" he said and waved his hand at the group. The Garganta closed and the two Legionarios wanted to know more from Urahara.

"You can quit dicking with us! We know that you plan on recruiting Shinigamis!" Grimmjow said.

"I would not be so sure on that, Grimmjow" Urahara said. "When I told your superiors of the people that would assist me, they were more than happy to comply with it, considering that they have Hollow-inspired powers locked within them" he revealed causing both Legionarios to be surprised.

* * *

 _The town of Karakura, Japan_

While battle and conflicts took hold on Hueco Mundo and the Soul Society, the Human World was unusually free from such. But what had changed was the fact that many Hollows had been completely erased instead of purified. The Quincies showed no mercy towards the lost souls, but the question was if the Shinigami felt something similar as well. Nevertheless, breaking the cycle would only lead to the destruction of all worlds, including the Human World.

Standing not far from the alley where Urahara's shop was located at were two former members of the organization called Xcution. They were the Fullbringers: Yukio Hans Voralberna and Riruka Dokugamine. Ever since the death of Kugo Ginjo, the former leader of Xcution, the two had gone separate ways.

But both were surprised to receive a message from Urahara, as they had previously decided to sever any contact with the former Shinigami Captain, as well as Ichigo and his friends. They had only agreed to show up, due to their shared common enemy in the Wandenreich and its merciless leader: Yhwach.

"Come on, where is that cocky son of a bitch!?" Riruka asked angrily as she slammed her feet on the sidewalk. "We didn't come all this way from Naruki just to watch an empty shack!" she added while crossing her arms.

"Apparently, you misunderstand" Yukio said as he took his face away from his PSP to look at Riruka. "He said to us that he would send someone to pick us up in his stead. It sounds like he was in a hurry, considering that he's in Hueco Mundo" he added while pointing it out.

Hearing this only made Riruka huff in a girly manner. "Whatever" she simply said. Yukio then resumed to playing his PSP, knowing how hopeless it was to talk sense into Riruka, unless you were either Ichigo or Orihime.

But they both snapped in surprise by hearing a screams coming from the alley and they knew it was by Urahara's shop. Both Fullbringers ran to the place, only to find Tessai and his team being stuck under Dondochakka's enormous form, especially his butt.

"Argh…I think I just broke my back" Jinta said while feeling the pain.

"Dondochakka, you idiot! Why did you push us out of the Garganta when it is clear that we are high above ground!?" Pesche asked while struggling against his friend's giant butt.

"But it wasn't my fault, Pesche!" Dondochakka claimed. "That shiny ball in the sky was so pretty and I just had to touch it!" he went on, continuing to wiggle his butt.

"Hgnnn…get off!" Ururu said while slowly wincing in pain.

But Dondochakka accidentally managed to land his butt cheeks on Pesche's horns and he rose up and screamed in pain and run against the door to Urahara's shop. Given how hard the door really was, he crashed and eventually landed on the ground, rubbing his sore face.

Tessai quickly got up on his feet and brushed off the dust on his clothes and apron. He then looked around cunningly to see if there were anybody watching them. "Hmmm…...the coast seems clear. And I see no spies along the streets" he noted.

"Umm…excuse me" Riruka was asking Tessai, who immediately hushed her in return, even going as far as to shut her mouth with his hand "Wads de big idea, affhole!?" Riruka sked while being muffled by Tessai's hand.

"Quiet, girl! The enemy has eyes and ears even in Karakura Town!" Tessai told her lowly, but the young girl was not getting him. But he eventually let go of her and walked went over to Jinta and Ururu who had just recovered from the fall. "Alright, children! You know the plan. We shall split up here!" he suggested to the teenagers.

Ururu nodded her head in understanding. "But where will you be going, sir?" she asked him.

Tessai showed them a notepad and a pen. "Because of the invasion, we are unable to get information from the Soul Society's Department of Research and Development. And because of the circumstances, the only ones who can give us information are the Vizards" he told them and then proceeded to run through the alleyways. "Remember to pick the device lying on the boss' counter!" he shouted as he ran.

"Tch, butthole" Jinta muttered lowly, but then faced his partner. "Anyway, let's head inside and see what kind of junk the boss wants us to find" he suggested and Ururu followed him.

As the door opened, both Peshce and Dondochakka was filled with curiosity over seeing so many things inside the shop, considering that they never had those back in Hueco Mundo.

"Hey Pesche, this tastes yummy!" Dondochakka said while he ate a chocolate bar.

But the teenagers ignored the two Arrancars's antics and headed to the counter, where they could not believe what they were seeing.

"Are you freaking kidding me!?" Jinta asked in anger as he and Ururu saw Kon lying asleep on the counter. "Did the boss seriously put his communication device inside him!?" he added with another loud question. But it was loud enough for the Mod Soul inside a lion plush to wake up and faced the two angrily.

"What's the big idea, waking me up!? Can't ya see that I'm asleep!?" Kon asked angrily towards them.

"Holy crap! Did that thing just talk?" Pesche asked as he and Dondochakka stood behind the two teenagers. As they both stood there, Kon screamed in fear by seeing them.

"AAAAARGGHHHHHH! HOLLOWS!" Kon screamed before being punched by Jinta and Ururu out of irritation. This sent the Mod Soul flying against the wall and he landed on the floor with. The lion plush toy groaned while looking up at the teenagers. "I just hate you guys so much right now…." Kon told them.

Ururu bowed her head in in an apologetic manner. "We are sorry to wake you up, but the boss has requested that you come with us to Hueco Mundo. He says that he has a job for you" she told Kon.

Kon got up on his tiny feet and crossed his arms stubbornly. "Why do I always get to be his punching bag? You can tell your "boss" to go suck a dick! I ain't joining this circus! Not after what he did to me!" he expressed his opposition and looked away.

Jinta grinned cockily as he figured out a perfect way to lure Kon with them. "Well that's too bad. Orihime is feeling quite lonely in Hueco Mundo" he said smugly.

Kon immediately snapped and he slowly looked around to face the two teenagers with a curious look. "You're not joking, are ya?" he asked while wanting an answer. But he could see them walk out towards the main entrance.

"But if you don't wanna accompany us to Hueco Mundo, then I guess we just have to leave you here all by yourself" Jinta said and was about the close to the door, until Kon ran quickly to him and climbed.

"Wait! I was just kidding! I'll tag along!" Kon insisted while hanging on his arm, much to the red-haired boy's annoyance.

Riruka and Yukio had waited for them to be go to Hueco Mundo, and they were getting tired of waiting, especially Riruka. They could see Ururu, Jinta, Pesche and Dondochakka come out of the shop and they felt like the wait was over. The magenta-haired girl took a few steps forward.

"Are we gonna go or what!?" she asked them. "And how come you have two Hollows accompany you?" she then asked, almost completely forgetting why Pesche and Dondochakka were following them.

"Hey! We have names, ya know!" Pesche asked angrily, although the girl didn't seem to care.

Ururu faced the two Fullbringers. "I knew that the boss wanted us to bring us some valuable associates of his. But I never knew it would be Fullbringers" she noted while Kon was hanging on her shoulder.

"Uhhhh what's a Fullbringer?" Dondochakka asked her, although no one seemed interested in answering the bloated Arrancar.

Yukio stopped playing his PSP and began carrying his suitcase, taking few steps forwards as well. "It does not matter who we are. We didn't come all this way from Naruki City for nothing" the blonde-haired boy said to Jinta and Ururu. "We know why Urahara needs our assistance. But know this: why are only agreeing to this because of self-preservation. We Fullbringers still have resentment towards the Soul Society and their leadership" he suddenly reminded them.

"But we don't have any affiliations towards them either, even though our employers are from that place" Ururu assured them. "But we only agree to help as long as they hire us" she insisted to them.

There was awkward between the timid girl and those around her, and no one had even said anything in response. While silence was present, Pesche interrupted everyone while waving his hands in the air. "Alright, kids! We all did a wonderful job! Now let's get back to Hueco Mundo!" he declared with a confidential pose.

"We can't do that, yet!" Jinta said in return. "We still have to wait for Tessai, wherever the hell he is" he pointed out.

"Ooooh right! We must wait for Tessai. But where could he have run off to?" Dondochakka asked while scratching his head.

* * *

 _Inside a giant warehouse, Karakura Town_

This giant and abandoned warehouse was still the home of the infamous Vizards, Shinigamis who had obtained Hollow-powers. They played a key role in the Winter War against Aizen. Following his defeat three members of the Vizards: Shinji Hirako, Kensei Mugurama and Rojuro "Rose" Otoribashi were invited by the 13 Court Guard Squads to take their former place as captains of Squads 5, 3 and 9 respectively.

With Shinji returning to the Court Guard, Hiyori Sarugaki had been considered the de facto leader of the Vizards. Despite her stubbornness and sometimes terrible temper, Hiyori did a good job in holding the group together, even though she could be bitchy at times.

Right now, the Vizards were having a visitor: Tessai Tsukabishi. Hiyori seemed very disinterested in hearing him, as she was already having a can of beer to drink.

"Now what's the big idea of busting into our hangout uninvited? How in the hell did you even managed to pass through our force field!?" she asked impatiently and looked at Hachigen Ushoda with angry eyes. "Damn it, Hachi! I told you to use a better Kido-spell!" she snapped at the big, rounded, man.

"It could not be helped, Hiyori. Captain Tsukabishi's knowledge in dispelling Kido surpasses that of my own" he answered and nodded his head in respect to Tessai. "I am glad to see you once again, captain" he addressed his former superior with respect.

The man with glasses only fixed a slight smirk underneath his mustache while facing Hiyori. "It seems to me that you underestimate the former Captain of the Kido Corp" Tessai remarked. "Have you gotten more reckless than before, former Lieutenant of Squad 12?" he then asked her.

The young woman only shrugged her shoulders in return. "Tch, Squad 12 isn't the same what it used to be, all thanks to that jackass Kisuke and that pedophile partner of his" she said while referring to Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the current Captain of Squad 12.

"Let's get to more pressing matters, shall we?" Lisa Yadomaru suggested while adjusting her glasses. She then faced Tessai. "I take it that Kisuke accompanied Ichigo and his friends to Hueco Mundo, yes? Well, what did they find?" she asked him.

"Quincies" Tessai revealed grimly, causing all Vizards to stare at him in surprise. "Yes, we had always been curious about why so many Hollows had disappeared and it turns out that the Quincies were exterminating Hollows in Hueco Mundo. Even now, their so-called Wandenreich have now conquered it, leading to Arrancars becoming either subjugated or killed" he revealed to them.

"No way" Lisa remarked. "First the declaration of war and now this? Just what are their arms?" she wondered.

"Maybe the Quincies seek vengeance against the Soul Society for what it did to them eons ago. I mean, we Shinigamis basically massacred them, so why not seeking retaliation?" Rabu "Love" Arikawa suggested while poking his ear. Most of his fellow Vizards didn't take him seriously.

Hiyori only glanced at Love with dispassion in her face. "You're such a bonehead, Love" she muttered in response.

"That may only be one of the many reasons for the Quincies to invade the Sereitei" Tessai suddenly spoke up. "We all know the story between Shinigami and Quincy and how the latter group was a danger to the balance of this world. But one must never forget that there exist a…."prequel" to that story" the tanned-skinned man added to his explanation.

"A prequel? What kind of bullshit are you spewing on, Tessai?" Hiyori asked, as she did not get the meaning of his words.

Hachi only felt uneasy by hearing what his former superior said. "From the way you speak of this. Ichigo and his group found more than Quincies in Hueco Mundo, didn't they" he asked Tessai.

The former esteemed Captain of the Kido Corps adjusted his glasses before continuing. "Ichigo did not, but Kisuke and the others did" he said grimly. "After he had sent off Ichigo to the Soul Society, he and the rest stumbled upon a new sets of enemies. One of them was an Arrancar in service of Aizen. But the other Arracnars were…" Tessai gulped while he was sweating. "Dechados…." He revealed grimly.

Once again, all the Vizards snapped by hearing this revelation. Yes, some of them knew what he was talking about.

"No.…are you meaning to say that…they have returned….or more importantly….has he returned!?" Hachi asked while feeling uneasy.

"We cannot say for sure! But all that I can confirm is that the Dechados have indeed returned after they were thought to be extinct in the terrible "War of the Three Souls". But we were wrong!" he answered his former lieutenant. "But Kisuke, Yoruichi and me were all brought to them, and forced to work under them, to repay the debt Kisuke and our mentor owned them" Tessai went on.

The mood changed as Hiyori suddenly drew her Zanpakutou and aimed it at Tessai with frustration. Her compatriots were completely taken surprise by seeing her behavior, expect for Tessai, that is.

"Hiyrori, what the hell!?" Love asked as he could not believe what he saw.

"Lay down your Zanpakurou at once!" Hachi encouraged her, but the young woman ignored him.

"You son of a bitch!" Hiyori cursed underneath her breath while facing Tessai. "Did you three just sell us to those bastards!" she angrily demanded an answer.

The tall man with glasses never responded, only kept watching her losing control. Being given this glance only made the young woman angrier by the minute.

"Answer my damn question, cocksucker!" Hiyori angrily said, now being restrained by both Love and Hachi

Feeling he could no longer be silent, Tessai spoke up, gaining everyone's attention. "We have not dragged anyone of you into out dilemma yet. I only came here to ask you for information about the current situation of the Soul Society. As of now, we are unable to make communications with the Sereitei" he told the Vizards. "But right now, the 13 Court Guard Squads must take great caution. If they are somehow able to repel the Quincy invasion, then they must stand ready. They need to know that the Imperio de Hierro has returned!" he added to his explanation.

Suddenly, the laptop belonging to Lisa suddenly beeped and the four-eyed woman immediately headed towards it and opened to check out her e-mail. She was surprised by seeing who had sent it. "It's from Shinji!" she told everyone and they focused their attention on Lisa as she read through the massage. After 20 seconds, Lisa's eyes were filled with shock and her mouth opened with uncertainty. "No…NO WAY!" she exclaimed while nearly dropping her laptop.

"Why're you so stressed out, Lisa?" Love asked with a raised eyebrow.

The four-eyed woman faced her comrades while sweating. "I have both good and bad news" she revealed while trying to compose herself. "The good news is that the invasion was repelled, alt thanks to Ichigo's intervention. Thus, the Soul Society was not fully destroyed" she told them before moving on to the bad news. "But the bad news is that the invasion left heavy casualties for the Court Guard. Many Shinigami perished in the battle. However, that is not the most shocking part" she told them before gulping. "The Head-Captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads, as well as the Captain of Squad 1: Genryuusai Shigekuni Yamamoto….is dead" she revealed, causing the entire mood to change.

It was true. The stalwart commander of the Soul Society's military force…was now dead.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Author's note: Great chapter, huh? I may plan on showing you how the Soul Society is dealing with this loss, although most of it will remain loyal to the canon story. However, I am open to make some changes to certain elements within this story. And by the way, here's one more term that I forgot to introduce you:**

 **Hoplitas – Spanish for "Hoplites": These are the infantrymen of the Imperio de Hierro, quite different from Aizen's Exequias. Who their commander is remains to be seen.**


	3. The Divine Council

**Author's note: While I love Bleach, I was hoping that Kubo could've done something more in this arc. While some of this will remain loyal to the canon part, the rest of the plotlines will be original, based upon an idea I had. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: The Divine Council**

 _At Kisuke Urahara's camp, Hueco Mundo_

The team that Kisuke Urahara had sent back to the World of the Living had returned, successful with their mission. The laid-back Shinigami were happy to see both the Fullbringers and Kon again, although they didn't necessarily feel the same way in return. In fact, the moment he entered Hueco Mundo, Kon immediately searched for Orihime's whereabouts.

But Tessai Tsukabishi had to have a world alone with Urahara, alongside Yoruichi Shihohin. Both of then knew that Tessai had managed to gain information from the Vizards.

"Tell me this isn't happening!" Yoruichi snapped in surprise by hearing what her long-life friend had told them. "Is Head-Captain Yamamoto dead?" she wondered with widened eyes.

All that Tessai could do was to nod his head silently. "I am afraid it is true. I read the message from Captain Hirako, and from what it said, the enemy's leader stole Yamamoto's Bankai, thus rendering him almost powerless" he said lowly while adjusting his glasses. "It is just as we feared. This Yhwach is more powerful than what we first expected" he added to his answer.

Urahara had so far only listened to reflect on those words. "So the Quincies pulled back after Ichigo had arrived, moments after their leader killed Yamamoto" he thought, but suddenly recalled something that Tessai had told he had read in the massage. Thinking about this made Urahara widen in realization. "Yhwach was below Squad 1's barracks where…..Aizen is held captive….." he began thinking. "But why would he visit him!? Could it be that.….Yhwach knows about "his" return?" he then wondered.

"Kisuke" Yoruichi's voice interrupted the blonde-haired man in his thoughts. The purple-haired woman faced him seriously. "As wrong as it might sound, it would be best if we let the Court Guard know of the Imperio de Hierro's return" she suggested to him, while Urahara listened closely.

"But wouldn't that leave us in trouble with the Dechados?" Tessai asked as he didn't quite get what they were saying.

Yoruichi faced him. "They have no control over who we share information to!" she insisted with defiance. "And besides, they were agreeable to us helping them, though under their supervision of course" the black-skinned woman recalled what they were told.

Urahara decided to think for a moment before speaking his mind on the matter. "Yoruichi has a point" he told Tessai, before fixing his eyes upon the medallion that once belonged to one of the Sternritters. "Furthermore, I doubt that the Sereitei don't have much time to figure out how to retrieve the stolen Bankais. Therefore, I will be the one doing it for them. And besides, I guess it's time that I made contact with the Soul Society" he told them and suddenly motioned for Kon to stand on a platform located besides Urahara's computer.

The Mod Soul in a lion plush only crossed his tiny arms while facing the blonde-haired man with irritation. "This is the last time, I do any favor of you!" he said while looking away.

Yoruichi only moped by seeing his behavior. "Quit being so downed, Kon. How long does it take for you to realize that Orihime is not interested in you?" she asked him.

Kon only snapped in anger by seeing this. "You shut your mouth, Catwoman! Orihime is way hotter compared to a nasty amazon like you!" the Mod Soul hit back at Yoruichi, who angrily twitched in return.

In fact, the purple-haired woman began cracking her knuckles, much to Kon's own feat. "I'm sorry, but could you please be so kind and repeat what you just said to me?" Yoruichi asked lowly and threateningly at the same time. The Mod Soul immediately admitted his mistake.

Urahara intervened between the confrontation and faced Kon with his smug smile. "Now, now, Kon. There's no need for you to be so disrespectful towards Yoruichi" he assured him while began working on his keyboard. "With the recent upgrade I gave you, you should be able to land perfectly safe in in the Soul Society!" Urahara added with a reassuring smile.

"What!? What do you mean by….…." Kon was too late, as the platform he stood on teleported him away.

"See you around, Kon!" Urahara noted with a smug smile.

But their moment was short lived, as they all could hear the sound of a horn blowing outside the tent. They knew it belonged to the Imperio de Hierro, but it was not the Dechados.

"You two go outside and see who it is" Urahara insisted to them and focused his attention on the giant screen belonging to his computer. "And while you're at it, send Orihime and Chad in here. They will be more than happy to know how Ichigo is doing" he added to his request.

While they were reluctant at first, the two eventually understood what Urahara was about to do, so they exited the tent to see who had arrived at the camp. But the moment they exited, the two friends were in for a shocking surprise, as were Orihime, Chad and the others who had journeyed to Hueco Mundo.

Just outside the camp, hundreds of Hoplitas could be spotted, but there were more soldiers. Many of them even rode on tall Hollow-horses, while some did that with Hollow-wolves. Many of these beasts were even armored, similar to the Hoplitas. Grimmjow and Gantenbainne could see one of the riders approaching and he wore an armor that resembled those of the Romans. His face could not be seen thanks to his helmet-like Hollow-shell, but the opening was formed like a cross. But his skin was tan and he was muscular beneath his armor. In addition, he had a spear and a shield, which probably acted as his Zanpakutou.

The strange Arrancar unmounted his Hollow-horse and approached Grimmjow and Gantenbainne. The soldiers behind him only stood still.

"Yoruichi…..what kind of army is this?" Orihime wondered with concern in her eyes.

The purple-haired woman was sweating as she could see more soldiers approaching the campsite. It only made her feel more uneasy. But she knew what Urahara had requested and decided to send both Orihime and Chad away.

"Kisuke requires your assistance inside his tent" she mentioned to them, but the two Humans were reluctant to leave her and the rest of the gang to deal with this unexpected moment. But Yoruichi only grinned at them cockily. "We'll take care of these guys, you two stay inside the tent" she assured them.

While Orihime seemed reluctant to walk away, Chad grabbed her hand and dragged her into Urahara's tent, leaving Yoruichi and the rest of the gang to face this new force of Arrancars. Tessai, Jinta and Ururu stood at her side, as did Riruka and Yukio.

"I recognize those horse riders" Tessai remarked grimly while adjusting his glasses. "They are considered the cavalry in the Imperio de Hierro's army. But it has another name: The Conquistadores" he added with info on the cavalry.

Riruka faced Tessai and Yoruichi with angry eyes. "You dragged us all out here, just so we could end up being captured by their hands!?" she asked impatiently, but the young girl could see that they were mostly ignoring her jab, much to her irritation.

One of the main reasons why they ignored her, was the fact that the armored Arrancar made his way towards the group, alongside Grimmjow and Gantenbainne. He held onto his shield while his spear was hanging behind his back.

"Yoruichi Shihoin and Tessai Tsukabishi" the mysterious Arrancar finally spoke up, his voice hallowed due to the helmet. "I take it that Kisuke Urahara is inside that tent, am I right?" he asked while pointing his finger at the tent.

"Yes he is, mighty one" Ururu spoke up, trying her best not to sound gentle.

The Arrancar regarded her for a brief moment before formally bowing towards the group, indicating that he wanted to present himself. "Since none of you may not know me, allow me to introduce myself. I am called Appius Titus Caesar, a member of the esteemed Legionarios, as well as the Commander of the Conquistadores" he introduced himself with formality in his voice. He then began facing both Yukio and Riruka, who seemed to be slightly intimidated by being looked upon like this. "Hmmm…..Fullbringers….I have not seen any of your kind for a while" he remarked while eyeing them. The two Fullbringers did not know how to respond to his statement.

"Why have you come here?" Yoruichi suddenly asked while wanting an answer. "I take it that you were sent here to oversee us" she added with suspicion in her voice.

Hearing this actually made Caesar chuckle in amusement, although people could not see his face through the cross opening in his helmet. "Maybe you misunderstand, Shinigami. We were sent here to assist the Dechados with rounding up surviving Esclavos within the ruins of Las Noches, which actually explains the carts you see here. However, the old one himself had also demanded that I check on you and your…associates' work" he answered and began pacing back and forward slowly. He then faced Grimmjow and Gantenbainne. "Is it true that one of you assisted Urahara with retraiving some items of importance?" he asked them both.

The two Legionarios pointed their fingers at Pesche and Dondochakka, who had only been goofing around the moment they came back to the campsite. But once Pesche noticed that they were being watched, the blonde-haired Arrancar immediately saluted in return.

"Hmmm…...I see. So they have proven themselves valuable to our empire? Most phenomenal" he remarked with slight sarcasm in his voice. "Grimmjow, do you mind telling me where Master Gallante could've run off….." Caesar was asking the blue-haired Arrancar, but he had already walked off towards Urahara's tent, wanting to see what was happening inside it.

"What the hell's all the fuzz about?" Grimmjow wondered and pulled up to take a peek. However, he could also hear a very familiar voice inside the tent as he was about to enter. Hearing this already made Grimmjow snap in realization. "This voice! Ichigo Kurosaki! Are you in there!? Show yourself, you bastards!" he shouted angrily, but suddenly, Orihime and Chad were trying to prevent him from entering the tent.

"He's not here!" a desperate Urahara could be heard in the background.

"Damn it…..let me through!" Grimmjow barked as he was pushed out of the tent.

Yoruchi and the others could only watch this scene unfold with confused glances. Apparently, they didn't know what his deal was. Even Gantenbainne and Caesar felt embarrassed over the situation.

"Hot-headed imbecile" Caesar muttered under his breath.

Gantenbainne took a few steps forward towards Grimmjow. "Maybe I should calm him down" he said while walking towards the blue-haired Arracnar, who angrily demanded to be let inside the tent.

"No. It will not be necessary" the afro-haired Arrancar immediately paused as he heard the voice of Diablo Gallante. He quickly turned around and could see the paragon standing right beside Caesar with the scythe in his hand. The red-skinned Arrancar with the eyepatch walked towards Grimmjow and firmly put a hand on his shoulder. The blue-haired Arrancar was about to angrily retaliate, only for him to pause at the sight of Gallante's serious glance, by only using one eye. "Enough…...Grimmjow" Gallante told him sternly, surprisingly making Grimmjow come back to his sense, although he seemed reluctant to.

Gantenbainne and Caesar approached the one-eyed Arrancar and bowed to him with formality. "Master Gallante, where have you been?" Caesar asked while wanting to know.

A smirk could be seen underneath Gallante's cover and he even pointed his finger over to the other side, where some Hoplitas were standing in lines. "Just turn around and see for yourselves" he said.

Yoruichi and her group also turned around to see who it had been and they all became stunned. Walking through the line of saluting Hoplitas was Nel, although not the same Nel as most people knew her. She was now back in her adult form, the crack on her Hollow-shell completely eradicated. While the sea green-haired woman still wore dirty and almost revealing outfit, that was not the most interesting part. She was now back in her form she used to live in as an Espada, holding her Zanpakutou in her right hand.

Both Pesche and Dondochakka approached their mistress with eyes of wonder. She only faced them with a gentle smile. In fact, the two Arrancars cried and they embraced her in a tight hug, with Nel returning the hug from her Fraccìon.

"I present to you the soon-to-be newest addition to the Legionarios: Nelliel Tu Odelschwank" Gallante decalred and Nelliel immidiatley loosened herself from her two friends and bowed to Gallante with respect.

"I am humbled to serve the Imperio de Hierro, Master Gallante" Nelliel spoke up with formality in her voice.

Both Grimmjow and Gantenbainne were surprised by hearing this announcement, although Grimmjow seemed very dissatisfied with Gallante's decision. But yet, he did not dare raise his voice against the red-skinned Arrancar, whom he knew could easily wipe him out of existence.

Suddenly, another horn called and Gallante immediately fixed a smile when seeing the other Dechados returning to the campsite while riding on their wolves. Nelliel quickly stepped before the paragons and immediately kneeled before them with adoration. She was eventually joined by Pesche and Dondochakka, who did the same thing.

Annabelle smiled by what she saw and humbly stroke Nelliel's sea green hair. "I see that you and your Fraccion have chosen to join the Imperio de Hierro, young lady. I am proud of welcoming you" the elderly woman told her.

"Thank you, Lady Annabelle" Nelliel said with respect in her voice.

Even Xerrxes smiled by seeing this. "We have heard of your wisdom and compassion towards fellow Hollows and Arrancars, Nelliel. Women like you are the perfect recruits we have searched for" he admitted while commending the young woman.

"Even though Tier Harribel was a Vasto Lorde, I must admit that you possess the same soul as one of them" Luddenwig remarked while being impressed. "You are among the few Espadas serving under Aizen I ever have respect for" he even admitted.

Hearing this made Grimmjow snap in anger and he was about to physically confront Luddenwig, only to be stopped by Gantenbainne. While he wanted to just push the orange-haired man away, he could tell by looking into Gantenbainne's eyes that he really needed to not misbehave. With reluctance stopped giving in to his anger.

Urahara, Orihime and Chad had been watching the events from inside the tent. They felt happy for Nelliel's return to her original form. But as they got outside, they could see many of the Hoplitas already packing up Urahara's stuff and the blonde-haired man really wanted to know why.

As the laid-back Shinigami approached them, he was met by Durran and Oggrom. He could tell by looking at them that they had plans for him now, and that there was a reason for his stuff being packed.

"It is time, Urahara" Durran said and pointed towards one of the carts, where his stuff was currently being loaded upon. "Bring along your closest associates and hop onboard that cart. We will be leaving soon" the black-bearded Arrancar told the Shinigami.

"Whoa…...where to...exactly?" Urahara quizzed while feeling puzzled.

Oggrom only formed a smirk with his mouth. "Isn't it obvious? To our true home" he revealed, causing Urahara to widen in surprise. But Oggrom was not finished just yet, those two and the Fullbringers may come along with us, due to your importance. However, we have plans for those four" he added while pointing his finger at Chad, Orihime, Jinta and Ururu.

The group of four was confused as all the Dechados and the Legionarios mounted their beasts and were about to leave this place. However, Gallante was now having plans for them. And all Urahara and his friends could do was to stand and listen.

"Listen carefully, Humans. At first, we Dechados thought that you would be of no use to us. However, our views upon you changed thanks to Nelliel vouching for you all" he revealed while motioning for Nelliel to stand beside him. She faced the group with a friendly smile. "Therefore, we have decided that you shall be allowed entry into our home, as well as the true home of Arrancars and Hollows…..El Dorado" he declared.

Yoruichi and Tessai faced their friend with a surprised look. "So it's true then…..El Dorado do exist!" Tessai remarked with great interest.

"But where is its location? I must admit that I really don't know Hueco Mundo that much" Yoruichi asked the blonde-haired man.

"Heh. The only thing I know…is the fact that it is far away from where we currently stand" he said, but suddenly noticed that he had something in his pockets. "Hmm…maybe I can give this to one of the four…perhaps Orihime" he noted while feeling the object in his pocket.

Annabelle suddenly rode beside Gallante and faced the group of four with a gentle expression. "If you are worthy to become our allies, as well as enter El Dorado, you must prove that to us, by passing this challenge" the elderly woman revealed to them with a somewhat serious voice. "Each of you will have to make your way there…..individually" she revealed to them.

The group all had shocked reactions to this, but Jinta was beaming with anger over hearing their suggestion. "Make our way there individually! Have you lost your mind, grandma!?" he asked angrily only to be banged on his head by, to his surprise, Chad. "Ouch…..really Chad!?" he asked the tall man angrily.

"Shut up for a minute!" Chad told him sternly and then faced Annabelle with wary eyes "I will accept this challenge. But where do we go?" he asked her.

Surprisingly, Annabelle pointed her wrinkled finger to the bright moon in the dark sky. Eventually, he and the others did look at the moon and its crescent shape. They could see that it was pointed eastwards. Perhaps now, some of them were beginning to understand what she meant by doing that.

"You are remarkable Humans indeed. Yes, you just follow where the sharp tips of the moon are pointed at. You will pass wander through the dunes, where you eventually reach Hueco Mundo's mountains, canyons and valleys" she told them with encouragement in her voice. "And once you see those right before you, you have arrived at the Negal Ruins, and once you have arrived at the Negal Ruins…." she told and then narrowed her wrinkly eyes. "You have found the entrance to El Dorado" she revealed to them and then motioned for four Hoplitas to give them hooded capes, as well as some baskets of food. They looked like potatoes.

"What kind of outfit is this?" Orihime asked as she put it on. She then opened the paper and could see the potato. Feeling hungry, Orihime took a small bite of it. Once she chewed it, she could feel that it tasted delicious. "Mmmmm…..tasty!" she said with a sweet smile directed at Annabelle.

Encouraged by Orihime's words, Chad sniffed the potato-thing before taking a small bite. After taking a bite, he felt somewhat disgusted. "This thing tasted awful. What is it even made of?" he asked her.

"Enough pleasantries for now" Gallante suddenly interrupted the group of four. "We have been kind enough to give you those hooded capes to withstand the sandstorms and food to gather energy on your journey. Believe me, you WILL need them" the one-eyed Arrancar advised them seriously.

Suddenly, Urahara approached Orihime and gave her some item, by only putting it in her hand. "Once the challenge begins. Use this device. It can be able to help you on your journey. In addition, it also has a camera function in case of danger" the blonde-haired man told him with a reassuring smile. "And if something terrible happens, I come where you're standing! No need to worry!" he added to his explanation.

Orihime smiled at the cunning man with gratitude in her expression. "Thanks Urahara! I will try my best!" she insisted to him.

Urahara faced the paragons with a nod. "I'm ready to go!" he said to them. He was eventually forced to jump on one of the carts, were Yorucihi and Tessai were sitting and waiting for him. As he jumped, he faced his longtime friends with a reassuring smile. "Let's do this, for Master Bansui" he told them lowly and both friends nodded in return.

Meanwhile, Annabelle focused her attention to the group of four and slammed her staff onto the sand. Before everyone knew it, a tornado began forming themselves around the group and it swallowed them all inside. Eventually, it spat out all four in the air, far away from where they were supposed to head, although in different directions off course.

"Good luck…humans…...may the moonlight guide you" Annabelle said as she turned around to join the entire army, as they set their course to the east.

* * *

 _Inside a hall, the Royal Realm, Soul Society, 1 day later_

High above the location of Sereitei lied Royal Realm, the location of the Soul King's Palace. But it was also the place where Squad 0 or the Royal Guard dwelled. In addition to have many professional guards, the Royal Guard was composed of five captains whose power, wisdom and strength equaled Genryuusai Shigekuni Yamamoto himself.

Each member of the Royal Guard had their own platforms where they controlled their own cities. The famous members of Squad 0 were as following:

Ichibe Hyosube: The Monk Who Calls the Real Name

Tenjiro Kirinji: The Hot Spring Demon

Kirio Hikifune: The Ruler of Grain

Senjumaru Shutara: The Great Weave Guard

Otetsu Nimaiya: The God of Sword

Each of them had been appointed as members of this particular squad because of their contributions to the Soul Society that had changed its history.

After the Wandenreich's invasion, the Royal Guard ascended down to assess the damages and the Court Guard's condition. The murder of Yamamoto by Yhwach had demoralized the majority of Shinigamis. Even so, most knew that they had to move on and continue to preserve their duty as protectors of the Soul Society. In addition to that, the Royal Guard had decided to take some of the Court Guard's Shinigamis and give them both medical help, as well as training. Even Ichigo and some of his friends had been brought to the Royal Realm and was given training by the members of the Royal Guard.

For the last couple of days, the 13 Court Guard Squads had been readying themselves for the coming battle. However, something was needed to address with regards to the security of the Soul Society. To cement the bonds between the Court Guard and the Royal Guard, as summit was being arranged on one of the five floating islands.

All members of the Royal Guard sat on five chairs, similar to the one the Head-Captain would usually sit on. It was in a middle of a giant hall, where many members of Central 46 had even taken seats on the tribunals, overlooking the place where all captains would have their meeting.

The noise ended and the giant door opened. In came all the captains of the 13 Court Guard Squads and formed a line, taking their seats on the chairs that had been placed out for them to use. The one who sat in the middle, was the new Head-Captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads, as well as the Captain of Squad 1: Shunsui Kyoraku. He had taken off his hat and wore an eyepatch on his right eye. A few moments after the Royal Guard had visited the Sereitei, he had been given a letter, where it was revealed that he was to be the new head-captain. This had left mixed reactions in Shunsui. Nevertheless, he took the mantle, and began his first days in making preparations for the final battle. That included making Kenpachi Zaraki realize his true potential.

"Order, order!" a mediator made sure that the loud voices were beginning to lower their volume. Once it was quiet, he could then proceed. "Let the summit between the Royal Guard and the 13 Court Guard Squads commence!" then declared and slammed a hammer on his table.

Once given the word, Ichibe cleared his throat while facing the captains. "I bid you all welcome to the Royal Realm, Captains of the 13 Court Guard Squads. And we especially congratulate your promotion to head-captain, Shunsui Sozosuke Jiro Kyoraku. Your talents and tactical wisdom are commendable, which we can see why you were chosen for the title" he welcomed them while addressing the Shinigami in pink kimono by his full name. "We have called every one of you here to have a discussion with regards to the security of the Soul Society. However, I see that only one of you is missing" he went on, but suddenly noticed that the chair reserved for Retsu Unohana was empty.

However, an attendant walked to the black-bearded man and whispered something in his ear. He listened closely.

The Captain of Squad 13: Jushiro Ukitake sat beside Shunsui and he leaned on to whisper something. "I thought that they had been informed about our plans" the white-haired man noted.

"Nah. I felt that this was something we should keep to ourselves" Shunsui said in return with a shrug. "And besides, they Royal Guard doesn't have to know all our decisions we make, they're mostly holed up in the Royal Realm" the head-captain added.

Knowing he got what he asked, Ukitake only nodded his head in understanding. "If you say so" he said lowly.

The Captain of Squad 11: Kenpachi Zaraki took a brief glance at the empty chair that was reserved for Unohana. So far, Kenpachi had not been very talkative since the aftermath of the Wandenreich's invasion. Something had completely changed him and that was all thanks to Unohana.

"Hmmmmm…...you always were…mysterious" Kenpachi thought, recalling the fight they had between of them. In fact, the tall man was beginning to get lost in his thoughts. He completely forgot where he was.

The attendant stopped whispering into Ichibe's ear, so he continued his speech. "Very well, it would seem that Captain Retsu Unohana is no longer with us. We offer our condolences to you brave captains. Her kindness and wisdom were valuable assets to both Squad 4 and its allies" the black-bearded man said lowly.

What was noticeable was the fact that many members of Central 46 had not responded when Ichibe said that. They had themselves observed the decision by Shunsui to make Kenpachi realize his potential. They knew that it ended with a duel between him and Unohana, who was actually Yachiru Unohana, the first Kenpachi. In the end, Kenpachi managed to best her and she could die, knowing that he was the worthy of the title Kenpachi.

"If I can come up with a suggestion. I suggest that the Court Guard chose a captain for Squad 4 this instant. They can't have their doctors, healers and medics leaderless in the upcoming battle" Tenjiro Kirinji explained what he felt was right. "And by the way, Kyoraku. Who's been assigned to take your former position as Captain of Squad 8? Remember that a leaderless squad is easy to target" the man with the weird hairstyle added while facing the head-captain.

Shunsui stood up from his seat to speak on the subject. "I can assure you Kirinji that we have many candidates who are nominated for those two titles" he assured Kirinji. "However, considering the circumstances, we don't have much time to be arranging ceremonies. At this rate, we are at war" he added.

Kirinji only sat back with his arms crossed while huffing. "Watch it, boy. You may be the new head-captain, but we of the Royal Guard are still considered as your superiors" he noted lowly while facing the Shinigami dressed in pink kimono. But Shunsui only waved his hand at him whimsically, much to Kirinji's annoyance. "Pfft…jackass" he muttered lowly.

"There is no need to be stressful about choosing captains" Kirio Hikifune pointed out to everyone in her jolly-good mood. "My recommendation would be promoting someone who has contributed greatly to the Court Guard's cause. Take for example those who fight bravely against Sosuke Aizen and his minions" she began speaking her mind.

Shinji Hirako, Captain of Squad 5, rose his hand to be allowed to speak. "Hold on…you're not seriously recommending Hiyori for the title of captain, are ya?" he asked dumbfounded.

Kirio smiled by hearing this. "Why, that's a great suggestion, Shinji! Oh, just imagine what a terrific and wonderful captain Hiyori would've been!" she remarked in wonder while thinking about her former lieutenant.

"Hell no!" Shinji shouted. "There is no fuckin' way that I will let that little squirt become a captain! I object!" he protested,

"There is something that I would like to know" Senjumaru Shutara suddenly spoke up and faced all captains, who looked at her in return. "During the Wandenreich's invasion, five of you managed to lose your Bankais to the enemy. And what's even worse, their leader managed to steal Yamamoto's Bankai as well. Therefore, it is safe to say that we are dealing with a very advanced army" she began explaining.

Otetsu Nimaiya only poked in his ear, pretending he was not interest by what she said. "But even if you have been taken your Bankais away from you, you still have found ways to continue fighting, haven't ya?" the laid-back Shinigami remarked.

The Captain of Squad 7: Sajin Komamura raised his hand to be allowed to speak. "You are correct. Even know, I have begun to consider an option I never thought I would do" he admitted. "But nevertheless, I will still continue my service as a captain, for the sake of the Soul Society" the giant humanoid wolf assured them.

Toshiro Hitsugaya, Captain of Squad 10, mused by hearing this. "As will I, Komamura" the white-haired boy said. He then faced the members of Squad 0. "I have just realized that we need more than strength in dealing with the invaders. But will that even be enough" Toshiro wondered in his head.

"But there is one thing that is worth mentioning" Byakuya Kuchiki, Captain of Squad 6 spoke up with his perspective voice. "While the Quinces were able to steal our Bankais, they were unable to steal Ichigo Kurosaki's Bankai" he pointed out.

Senjumaru nodded at his statement. "We already know that" she said lowly and then faced Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Captain of Squad 12. "Captain Kurotsuchi, we have heard that it was not you, but your vice-president who found out about it. Isn't that accurate?" she asked him.

"Yes, it was Akon, acting without my authority again" Mayuri answered while sighing in irritation. "But I for one could care less about how the Quincies were unable to steal Ichigo Kurosaki's Bankai. Their last assault on the Sereitei almost decimated the Department of Research and Development. You never know when they will strike back. That is what I am more focused on" the scientist pointed out.

"But haven't you and your team discovered the Wandenreich's whereabouts, yet?" Senjumaru then asked him sternly.

Mayuri found himself hating the woman, but he still answered. "I have already given you the same answer that I gave Yamamoto. While there were Quincies in Hueco Mundo, it was not there where they had their headquarters" he answered and then began poking his chin. "No, it is obvious that they are hiding somewhere in the Soul Society" he then concluded his analysis.

"This has to be some kind of joke!" Kirinji erupted with disbelief. "You barley survive the invasion, yet you still haven't found out the location of the enemies' headquarters!? When did the Court Guard Squads become so…unpredictable!?" he wondered aloud while expressing his dissatisfaction.

"You shut your mouth!" the voice came from Sui-Feng, Captain of Squad 2. She rose up from her seat and pointed an accusing finger towards him "While your squad has been living in luxury of your palaces, we who guard the Sereitei have nearly sacrificed our lives to preserve the Soul Society's existence! You have no right to lecture us about failure!" she added and stepped up her attack.

Kirinji only narrowed his eyes at her. "Talk to me like that again, and I'll make sure that you lose both arms and legs!" he lowly threatened her.

Sui-Feng could not stand being insulted and threatened like this. "Why don't come here and do it right now, fool!?" she taunted her, only for both Shunsui and Kensei Mugurama, Captain of Squad 9, to restrain her anger.

"Enough, Sui-Feng!" Shunsui told her while grabbing her shoulder. "Do not let your anger get the best of you" he encouraged her.

But the young woman tried to shake them off. "Shut up, Kyoraku! That bastard thinks he's such a hotshot! I will make him think twice!" she spat out in defiance.

"Just look at yourself!" Kensei told her with distaste. "Even here, you must throw a tantrum and act like a spoiled brat! I think it is you we should've replaced among the captains!" the grey-haired man added.

Sui-Feng angrily confronted Kensei, her face filled with anger. "You take that back you Hollow-infested son of a…..." before she could continue, a loud voice interrupted them.

"ENOUGH OF THIS FOOLISHNESS!" Ichibe called out loudly, almost sounding like Yamamato himself. Sui-Feng and Kensei stopped their bickering and Shunsui returned to his seat. The black-bearded man cleared his throat before continuing. "The main reason to arrange this summit is for us to discuss security of the Soul Society, not bicker like children! Kyoraku, you must keep these captains together. If divided, you will all fall" the monk added while facing Shunsui.

Shunsui nodded his head in understanding. "I know. And speaking of security, I might have a solution to our problem" the one-eyed head-captain pointed out.

"Very well. We will listen to your suggestion" Ichibe said in return. He and all the other members of the Royal Guard faced Shunsui.

"As all of you may know, the 13 Court Guard Squads have still maintained contact with Kisuke Urahara, Yoruichi Shihoin and Tessai Tsukabishi, even though they're exiles and they chose to live as such" the head-captain explained to everyone in the hall. "But recently, they have stumbled upon an ancient and deadly foe in Hueco Mundo, something that has existed long before even Aizen established his fortress" he went on explaining.

The members of the Royal Guard all got curious of hearing this, as did those who were sitting in the tribunals. However, Kirinji and Senjumaru remained skeptical.

"How about you just get straight to the point?" the black-haired Shinigami said while resting his arms behind his neck.

"Well, if you wish" Shunsui said before clearing his throat. "The Soul Society cannot be fighting two enemies now. If we are to stand against the Wandenreich, we will have to sign a non-aggression pact…with the reemerging Imperio de Hierro" he spoke up.

This left gasps of shock throughout the hall and even captains of the Court Guard were left stunned by hearing this.

"The Imperio de Hierro…." Ichibe noted lowly while recalling what he knew. "So they did survive after all…even after the War of the Three Souls. But I thought the empire had been extinct" he thought in his head.

"Goodness, that may explain the defeat of the Quicnies stationed in Hueco Mundo" Kirio remarked. "I am even surprised that Aizen failed to take notice of their continued existence" she added to her thoughts.

"Hmmm. An empire existing in Hueco Mundo?" Mayuri wondered inside his head. "As curious as it may sound, I find it hard to believe that a civilization even existed in the realm of Hollows" the scientist added to his thoughts.

Kirinji slammed his fist on one of his chair's armpits. "This is just preposterous! Have you any idea what the Imperio de Hierro and its history!?" he demanded an answer from the head-captain.

"I do, Kirinji" Shunsui answered plainly. "But perhaps you misunderstand my suggestion. I never said anything about becoming allies with the Arrancars. I only meant that he signed a non-aggression pact with them. They despise both Shinigamis and Quincies, but that non-aggression pact will ensure that they will not hesitate to interfere with our war against the Wandenreich" he explained his motive.

Ichibe, Kirio and Nimayia thought about Shunsui's suggestion while Kirinji and Senjumaru were vehemently against it, as they both faced the head-captain with dispassionate glances. However, even some of the other captains of the Court Guard expressed similar skepticism towards this proportion.

"Just what are you planning to do, Kyoraku?" Byakuya asked the kimono-clad Shinigami sternly. "While I fully understand the Soul Society's critical condition, I cannot see us being on good terms with the Arrancars. They are still Hollows and will not hesitate to kill us when given the opportunity" the stern-looking captain spoke his mind.

Shunsui sighed deeply in annoyance by hearing his answer. "Tell me something, Byakuya. When was the last time you cared about someone else except your pride?" he asked smugly while facing Byakuya.

The black-haired man wanted to hit back verbally, but something convinced him to back down from this fight. However, he still felt reluctant to fully support Shunsui's outrageous suggestion.

"Head-Captain Kyoraku" Kirio suddenly called out his name. "Is it true that you got this information from Kisuke Urahara?" the chubby woman asked him.

"He was not alone in being told of this" Uktitake suddenly spoke up while raising his hand. "I too, was there when he told us about the reemergence of the Arrancars, or more specifically the Imperio de Hierro. Truth be told, we had not anticipated to see two empires emerge" the white-haired man added.

"You let Urahara give you information without as much as let us know?" Mayuri asked the two captains with great skepticism. "How could you do something like that behind our backs?" he wondered aloud.

"Hey Professor Pedo, how about you zip your mouth and let Shunsui and Jushiro do the taking?" Shinji rudely asked him, much to Mayuri's outrage.

"No one talks to me like that!" Mayuri hit back and was about rise up from his chair, until he could feel somebody sneaking upon him. It became clear that Senjumaru was the one pulling the attack, and she faced the scientist smugly.

"I suggest you take your comrades advice, Captain Kurotsuchi. We all know that you could never hope to surpass Urahara as the better scientist. Isn't that why you started this tantrum?" she quizzed him while at the same time, also pointing out a humiliating truth to the scientist.

Grumbling with anger and crossing his arms, Mayuri sat on his seat, yet did so with reluctance. In fact, he began facing towards another direction, pretending that he was not interested in this summit.

Ichibe began facing the captains once again. "I think we will have to end this summit. After all, all you are required in making preparations for the Wandenreich's invasion" he declared and rose up from his seat. However, he was not finished yet. "One more thing, Kyoraku. This proposal of yours. I admit that it sounds beneficial, but I would not be so foolish as to rush without thinking about it" the monk added sternly to the kimono-clad captain.

Shunsui was about to walk away, as all the other captains were already on their move. But apparently, the man with the eyepatch also had a few words left to say to the members of the Royal Guard. "As Kirinji said earlier, we have no authority over the Royal Guard. But that also means that you have no authority over us either. That authority belongs to me as their head-captain" he told them before joining his fellow captains.

Although they could not stand being lectured, the members of the Royal Guard did not bother to speak up, as they had also decided that ending this summit and sending the Court Guard away was the best solution to ease this conflict. But yet, the summit had not brought the results they had hoped, or more specifically what Ichibe had hoped.

* * *

 _Later, Squad 13 Barracks, Sereitei_

Sitting near the pond all by himself, Jushiro Ukitake was now having meditating near an unfamiliar shrine. The shrine before him had the statue of a giant hand with one eye. It was getting late and the white-haired man felt that this meditation would help him find harmony within himself. During the summit, Ukitake had supported his long-time friend against Kirinji and Senjumaru's skepticism. But the summit had ended with relations between the Royal Guard and the Court Guard still strained. However, the white-haired man, like other captains, knew that both sides had to set aside their differences, especially since their greatest challenge since Aizen was now lurking in the shadows.

"Lord Mimihagi" Ukitake said within himself while closing his green eyes. "Ever since the Wandenreich's invasion of the Soul Society, as well as the reemergence of the Imperio de Hierro, I have heard your voice call out to me" he added to his thoughts.

However, the white-haired man could feel slight disharmony within himself, so he slowly began gritting his teeth in frustration. It was like Ukitake saw something in this meditation.

"Why do I carry all these doubts? All these fears? All these…...worries?" the uneasy thoughts began lingering within him.

Ukitake felt like he could no longer close his eyes, so he opened them and snapped back into reality. Panting deeply after feeling shock within his body, the white-haired man sighed, hoping to find peace within himself without having to close his green eyes.

"You mind if we join you" Ukitake snapped as he heard a familiar voice calling to him. Turning around, he could some of his fellow captains standing in the forest. They looked like they had been here for quite some time. Each of them seemed like they were not in a good mood, and Ukitake could see that

"Ah, Captain Hitsugaya, Komamura, Mugurama and Otoribashi! So kind of you to drop by" Ukitake said with a smile. "You are all welcome here! I was only trying to find inner peace through meditation…...after the disastrous result of the summit" he told them while sighing deeply in disappointment.

The four captains joined him and each took a seat on the ground. "We were all there" Komamura said while taking a sip from the cup he held in his giant hands. "Kyoraku may be a remarkable captain and tactician, but he lacks the necessary aspects of a leader like Yamamoto did" the tall captain commented.

"Tch, tell me about it" Kensei spoke up. "And it's not just that, he also wants to have a non-aggression pact with these Arrancars? And now that jackass Kisuke is with them as we speak" he remarked while facing his comrades.

Rose only chuckled lightly by hearing Kensei's words. "But considering the fact that we possess Hollow-powers, wouldn't we be no different from the Arrancars?" he asked him smugly.

Kensei only scoffed at his statement. "We may have our inner demons, but we have learned to control them, unlike the Arrancars" he pointed out to him.

"All that we who guard the Sereitei can do, is to stand tall against the Wandenreich" Ukitake told everyone with encouragement in his voice. "Even now, Rukia and Renji are up in the Royal Realm training for the battle. I have yet to thank the Royal Guard for taking her in and healing her injuries" the white-haired man admitted.

"Hmmm you don't say" Toshiro remarked and then could spot the shrine. "By the way, you promised to tell us the reason why you are able to stand and walk, let alone become a Captain of the Court Guard Squads in seclusion from any suspicious eyes. And I wonder if that shrine has anything to do with it" he wondered.

Komamura also began studying the shrine and his feral eyes became filled with curiosity. "This shrine…..I believe I have seen something similar before" he thought while studying the deity.

"What kind of thing is that…a giant hand?" Kensei asked while raising an eyebrow.

Rose shook his head in disbelief and faced the white-haired man. "I believe that perhaps Ukitake would be more than happy to share with us, wouldn't you?" the long-haired Captain of Squad 3 questioned him with a smug glance.

Hearing this made Ukitake smile with satisfaction and he motioned for them to listen. "Well, I guess I must uphold my promise" he admitted and made sure that no one was listening to what was being said. "Maybe Captain Kurotsuchi, as well as Urahara know about this, but that deity you see there is no ordinary hand. What you see standing by the shrine is Lord Mimihagi, the Right Hand of the Soul King himself" Ukitake revealed with passion, much to the intrigue of his fellow captains.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Author's note: This chapter gave us a picture into both Hueco Mundo and the Royal Realm. And of course, I wanted to look into the relationship between the Royal Guard and the Court Guard. And what is Ukitake doing by revealing his lifelong secret to only few captains? And where will Urahara and the others head off to? Stay tuned. Now let's see the new terms we were introduced.**

 **Conquistadores – Spanish for "Conquerors": These riders of Hollow-horses serve as the Imperio de Hierro's cavalry. Their commander is the unfamiliar Arrancar called Appius Titus Caesar, known for his elegance and love for the empire he serves.**

 **El Dorado – Spanish for "The Golden": What is this place? Most humans remember it as a city gold on the South American continent. But what is El Dorado in Hueco Mundo? Whatever it is, it may be the headquarters of the Imperio de Hierro.**


	4. Empire of Hollows

**Author's note: While I love Bleach, I was hoping that Kubo could've done something more in this arc. While some of this will remain loyal to the canon part, the rest of the plotlines will be original, based upon an idea I had. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Empire of Hollows**

 _In the endless wastes of Hueco Mundo_

Because of a tornado spell cast by Annabelle, Orihime Inoue had been separated from Yasutora Sado, Jinta Hanakari and Ururu Tsmugiya. As she got up, she found herself lying beside a naked tree, in the endless wastes of Hueco Mundo. The young woman could not tell whether she was tired or not. It was always night in the realm of the Hollows. As she got up, she reached for the object that Urahara had given her and pushed a button.

The object transformed into that of a camera, expect that it had a weird face with lips. The thing began facing Orihime with its peculiar glance, his thick lips forming a smile. The orange-haired woman was already filled with curiosity, as she had never seen anything like this, especially since it was a creation from Urahara.

"I am pleased to be of your acquaintance, Mrs. Orihime Inoue. You may call me Pero!" it introduced itself, while sounding like a gnome speaking.

The young woman only raised an eyebrow at him speaking. "Pero, huh? What kind of invention are you?" she quizzed him, still not sure whether she could fully trust him.

"Who am I?" Pero asked and then stuck out his tongue at her, who were caught surprised by his behavior. "I have been assigned by Master Kisuke to watch over you while making your way through this forsaken land" he answered with confidence in his voice. "As you already may know, Hueco Mundo is no place for a Human to be. Hollows are not known for their hospitality" the flying thing added.

Orihime was unsure of whether she should've taken his words seriously. Shrugging off her concerns, she began wandering through the dunes, much to Pero's surprise and outrage.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going!?" he snapped in outrage.

Orihime turned around to face him with a cute smile. "Where? To the Negal Ruins, silly!" she told him and proceeded to walk on the dunes.

Pero was filled with disbelief and flew quickly, eventually blocking Orihime on her pathway. The young woman stopped in her tracks and only stood there with a confused look.

"You think this as a vacation or something!? Don't you know where you are!?" he asked her with disbelief in his voice. "This is Hueco Mundo, home of the Hollows! You do know what will happen if you stumble upon a Hollow, right?" he added while pointing out a basic fact.

To Pero's surprise, Orihime huffed at him and then walked past him. However, she did stop and looked towards the distance she was heading towards. The winds blew and her hair was swinging.

"You think I don't know that?" Orihime asked the tiny thing, never taking her eyes off the distance. "Apparently, you seem to have underestimated my tenacity. I was a captive in Hueco Mundo once" she explained to Pero, who's eyes were filled with realization.

"Exactly! All the more reason for you to be extra careful in this…" Pero stopped as he could see Orihime turn around and face him, although with a determined look.

Even the young woman's eyes had burning passion within those determined eyes. "But what does that matter!? What happened in the past stays in the past! Right now, we should focus on the present and the challenges that lies ahead of us!" she told him, before facing the distance once again. This time, her eyes were filled with humility. "I may not be a Shinigami, Quincy, Arrancar or even a Togabito. And I may as well not have any powers of strength for that matter. But despite knowing this, I can no longer sit on the sidelines and let myself be the helpless damsel in distress. No, this time, I WILL enter the fight and I AM willing to take all the pain that it costs. But even so, I will be happy, knowing that I am no longer useless to anyone, not even to my friends" she explained with a hint of satisfaction and determination in her voice.

After that, she slowly began taking a few steps towards the distance, which seemed very empty and desolate. But yet Orihime kept walking, never looking back to the naked tree.

Pero was left stunned by Orihime's speech, but he eventually shook his head and formed a peculiar smile of his own. "Heh, you are one stubborn lady…..I LIKE THAT!" he remarked with admiration of Orihime's determination. The small being then proceeded to follow the young woman, helping her guide the long way to the Negal Ruins. Hopefully they would hold on through this harsh way.

"Ichigo" Orihime thought about the young man whom she had slowly begun developing feelings towards. "Wherever you may be, I know that you will be alright. Because you are doing what is best for yourself" the orange-haired woman remarked as she pressed on. "Well, it is time for me to do what I think is right" she concluded and walked towards the distance.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, in another place in Hueco Mundo_

Yasutora Sado found himself being enclosed in the dark. But beyond this darkness, he could hear someone calling to him. It sounded very familiar in his opinion.

"Hey you…Chad or whatever..….wake up!" the distant voice called to him. But the young man was still lost in the dark, his eyes never opening. "Hello! I just told ya to wake up!" the voice came again, this time sounding more impatient than before.

Finding this irritating, Chad's only visible eye began flinching, signaling that he was but slowly opening his eyes. The vision he got before him was all blurry, but the young man could spot something lying beyond the blur. As soon as his eyes got hold of themselves, he was in for a surprise.

"There you are, pal!" the cheerful voice came from none other than Ganju Shiba, who was leveling his head near Chad's. The strange man only grinned cockily by seeing him awake. "Slept well?" he asked.

Chad immediately snapped in surprise and he accidentally managed to bump into Ganju's face, causing the long-haired man to be sent to the dusty ground. That slam had left him and ugly mark and his nose was bleeding. Ganju groaned in pain while covering his bleeding nose.

"Ouch! Just what the hell are you doing, man!?" Ganju angrily demanded while rubbing his nose. "Here I find you lying unconscious and wait for you to get up and this is how you repay me!?" he added angrily while covering his nose.

Chad was rubbing his face, as he too had felt the pain. "Was it really necessary for you to be positioning your head right above me!?" he asked while rubbing his sore face. "I almost thought that you were a Hollow!" he added.

Ganju twitched in anger. "Hey! Now that's just a rude thing to say, especially since I was kind enough to watch over your lazy ass!" he hit back in return.

"Don't be so harsh on him, Ganju. He's just had a rude awakening" Chad snapped by seeing Hanataro Yamada approach the two by sitting on his knees. But the timid Shinigami looked at Chad and waved his hand at him in a friendly manner. "We're glad to see you were awake. We found you lying in the middle of the sand and decided to wait until you woke up" Hanataro spoke up.

Chad could not believe what he was seeing. "You're that medic from Squad 4. The one who assisted Ichigo with freeing Rukia" he uttered out words in realization.

Hanataro chuckled nervously in return. "So you remember me, huh? Well it is as you say. My name is Hanataro Yamada, currently the co-3rd seat of Squad 4, formerly the 7th seat of Squad 4" the young Shinigami introduced himself.

"I see" Chad said but suddenly raised his visible eyebrow in question. "So you're named after flowers, huh!?" he asked.

Hearing this made Hanataro snap in disappointment. "Again with the criticism of my name!?" he asked in disbelief and sighed meekly. "I guess my name really is lame after all" he thought with defeat.

"Hey Hanataro! Mind if you cure this?" Ganju asked while revealing his bleeding nose. This immediately lifted the medic's spirit.

"Certainly Ganju!" Hanataro replied with delight.

The young Shinigami drew his Zanpakutou and lifted it in the air before swinging it at Ganju's face. Chad first believed that Hanataro was intending to kill him, but he was wrong. Hanataro beamed with confidence and swung his sword.

"Fulfill, Hisagomaru!" Hanataro called out the name of his Zanpakutou as the blade hit Ganju's nose. But instead of slashing it, the blade healed Ganju's injuries, much to Chad's stunned reaction.

"This blade…." Chad thought. "It does not injure…...but heal whatever it touches" he added, not believing what he was seeing.

When Hanataro was finished, all the blood was gone and Ganju's nose seemed just fine. He friendly patted the Shinigami's head in appreciation. "Thanks little buddy! I owe ya one" he said to Hanataro, who only nodded at him in return.

"Ganju, Hanataro" both turned to face Chad after he called to them. They could see a serious expression forming on his face. "Why have you come to Hueco Mundo? You know what danger lurks in this realm" the tall man asked while reminding them where they were.

Seeing his request for an answer. Ganju sighed in defeat, knowing that he needed to answer. "Look, I know this may sound batshit crazy, but we were actually requested by Head-Captain Kyoraku to accompany you and the rest as observes to from the Soul Society" he revealed, causing Chad to widen in surprise, as he knew who the head-captain was, considering that he had fought him before. "It is true, he appeared at the doorstep of our mansion, requesting a meeting with big sis. He believed that it would be beneficial to the Soul Society if they sent observes who could gain the trust of the Imperio de Hierro's leadership" he went on explaining.

"The head-captain believed that the observed had to be composed of one Shinigami and one Soul living outside the Sereitei. And of course, Kukaku Shiba was interested" Hanataro explained.

But Ganju muttered out lowly in irritation. "But I was already training for the upcoming battle. Why the hell am I suddenly sent off to Hueco Mundo on a suicide mission!?" he asked in anger while grumbling.

Chad had managed to reflect on what the two had just told him and he seemed very pleased to see that even they were brave enough to enter Hueco Mundo. Standing up on his two feet, he began walking on the dunes of sand, much to the two friends' curiosity.

"Where are you going?" Hanataro asked him as he followed Chad.

The tall man stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder to face the small Shinigami. "I am going eastwards, to the Negal Ruins. It is there Urahara is being transported to as we speak" he answered and then proceeded walking. "I insist if you come with me, these parts of Hueco Mundo are dangerous" he added while walking.

"Who said we were gonna walk?" Ganju suddenly interrupted the tall man, as the sound of a giant boar could be heard grunting behind him. Turning around, he saw Ganju's pet boar Bonnie standing proudly (yet angrily) beside her master, while Hanataro tried his best to stay away from the beast. "Walking by our own feet only takes days. But with good, ol' Bonnie here, we'll be there in no time!" Ganju exclaimed with a flashy grin. He had even put on his googles.

Chad's jaw almost fell to the sand. "How….." he uttered out. "How in the world did you manage to bring a boar through a Garganta?" he asked in wonder.

Ganju only shrugged his shoulders. "Meh, no big deal! Nothing can keep this baby out of her path" he replied, and started to cozy up to the angry boar. "Isn't that right, my sweet, healthy Bonnie?" he asked her while trying to kiss her and all stuff. But Bonnie only swung her head, so that one of her tusks managed to gore Ganju's right cheek. The long-haired man screamed in pain while trying to push the provoked boar away. "ARGH! MY CHEEK'S BLEEDING!" Ganju screamed while losing himself from the boar, while Hanataro drew Hisogamaru to cure his injury once again.

As much as he himself hated to admit it, Chad knew that he could not leave both Ganju and Hanataro alone in these endless wastes. Sighing deeply, the young man fixed a slight smile and approached his friends, hoping that they would help him reach the Negal Ruins. "Well, I will just have to stick with them. That is something Ichigo would've done" he thought while joining them.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, somewhere near the ruins of Las Noches_

Having landed among the ruins of Las Noches, Jinta and Ururu had to their surprise been captured by remnants of the Jagdarmee and held captive. While Ururu managed to use her destructive strength to deal with them, the teenagers were no match for the Quincies' tactics and traps.

The Quincies, feeling utterly humiliated by their defeat at the more advanced legions of the Hoplitas, decided to use the two teenagers as bargaining chips, knowing that they were in league with the Imperio de Hierro. However, their plan was short-lived as a group of Adjuchas-level Hollows ambushed the Quincies, forcing them to defend themselves.

However, Jinta and Ururu used this ambush to their advantage and ran away as quickly as they could. Since Urahara had their weapons, fighting against Adjuchas was fruitless for their part.

The two teenagers had run from the ruins of Las Noches and was now running from whatever carnage was happening back there. But they both doubted that the Quincies would survive against the Adjuchas, considering that those type of Hollows were strong enough to battle a Shinigami Captain. After running over hill of sand and dunes, the two teenagers stopped and tried to catch their breaths.

"Are…we.…...safe…yet?" Ururu asked while panting between her words.

Jinta was sweating and he stroke his forehead before throwing a fit of rage, much to Ururu's surprise. "Argh! This is so bullshit! We get sent to a place, get captured by Quincies, and narrowly manage to escape from a pack of dangerous Adjuchas!" he complained, not even panting between the sentences. "I'm seriously gonna kick the boss' ass when we've reached whatever the heck the Negal Ruins are!" he added while expressing his frustration.

The red-haired boy discovered a large rock, and decided to sit on it. Ururu joined her friend, as they both felt like needing some rest from all the running. Despite all the emptiness, Hueco Mundo's moon was somewhat beautiful. The black-haired girl could see Jinta facing it, not even wanting to wink his eyes. The moonlight was nothing like that in the Human World or the Soul Society.

Feeling somewhat left out by the silence, Ururu decided to speak to Jinta about something they had to deal with back at the shop. "A couple of days ago, I noticed the way you were acting when Yuzu was visiting the shop" she said with a smile. Jinta turned to face her with a moped expression. But Ururu still smiled at him. "There is no point in denying it, Jinta. I know that you care about her" she told him.

As much as Jinta wanted to open his mouth and protest, the young boy didn't feel like it. In fact, he even faced the dusty ground and fixed a somewhat downed look on his face. "I just can't help myself, Ururu. Yuzu is just so…kind…and gentle" he revealed to her. "But I'm not sure myself if…..she feels the same way…and of course she has Karin who keeps badmouthing me when I'm not around Yuzu" he added to his revelation.

Ururu giggled by hearing this, and it surprised Jinta, who had never officially heard the meek girl do that before. Maybe it was one of the many changes she had embraced when becoming a teenager. Nevertheless, the red-haired boy could not believe how much they had both grown recently. That could also be said the same for Yuzu and Karin Kurosaki, Ichigo's twin sisters.

"You don't have to be so doubtful of yourself. From the way I see it, Yuzu thinks of you as a nice and friendly boy" the meek girl spoke about her point of view. "In fact, there was a time when I was on shopping with her, and she spoke so highly of you" the black-haired girl added.

Standing up, Jinta fixed a face of realization. While he was stunned at first, he eventually accepted it and felt more confident about himself. "You know…if we ever get back from this mess" Jinta said as he faced his partner with a reassuring smile. "I'm gonna suck it up and officially ask Yuzu out!" he added with confidence in his voice.

While the black-haired girl was surprised at this at first, she immediately started hugging him out of pride, thus nearly cracking Jinta's bones.

"I'm so proud of you, Jinta!" she exclaimed while hugging him tightly, although Jinta felt pain by it.

"Ururu…YOU'RE SQUEEZING MY BONES!" Jinta tried to make her stop by saying out words. But she would not let go of him. "URURU…MY BONES ARE ALMOST FINISHED!" he added pleadingly.

Unbeknownst to the two teenagers, two remaining members of the Wandenreich's Jagdarmee had managed to survive the ambush of the Adjuchas and were know tracking Jinta and Ururu, hoping to recapture them once again. As they aimed their bows called Heilig Bogen at the two friends, they failed to notice a large shadow looming over them. Turning around, they both screamed in fear, but it was not loud enough to attract the teenagers' attention.

Whoever had killed those Quincies now fixed its eyes upon the two friends, a smug grin forming by the minute.

Ururu finally let go of the red-haired boy, as she could hear barking. Dropping Jinta on the dusty ground, Ururu was surprised to discover a Hollow-puppy barking at them. From the looks of it, it seemed very playful and was happy to see them. The young girl decided to sit down and see what it wanted, even going as far as to pet it.

Jinta briefly turned around to see what Ururu was so focused on, his eyes tired by the minute. "Give me a break!" he uttered out lowly and crawled to where Ururu sat. "What kind of Hollow is that?" he asked his partner, who was already getting acquainted to it.

"I don't know. But it seems to be out here on its own" she replied and kept petting it.

While it was calm at first, it seemed to be overjoyed as it barked at something behind the two teenagers. Its tail was already swinging. While Jinta was confused at first, Ururu immediately snapped in silence, her heart beating faster in the minute. The red-haired boy only raised an eyebrow at her in return.

"Gee Ururu, what do you like someone's who's just felt the presence of a…" Jinta was backing towards something he first believed to be the giant rock, but that was not it. He felt like it was some kind of clothing. "Arrancar…" Jinta said lowly as he knew this was how Ururu always behaved when she sensed the presence of a Hollow, or more specifically Arrancars. Trembling with fear, Jinta looked up along the clothing to see who was standing behind him and Ururu.

They were in for a shock, as there was a tall Arrancar with red markings running across his cheeks and jawbones as his Hollow-shell. In addition to that, his hole was visible in the center of his muscular chest. He wore a white jacket and carried a Zanpakutou with him.

He grinned as his brown eyes faced the two teenagers. "Hahaha! First I find myself some Quincies to eradicate and now I get to have two brats to play with!? Now that's what I call suerte!" the voice came from none other than the former Cero Espada in Aizen's Arrancar Army: Yammy Llargo. The giant Arrancar with the thin ponytail was filled with satisfaction over stealing the Quincies' prey. "But you two are no ordinary Humans. I can smell it! Hahahaha!" he added while bursting out into laughing.

Both teenagers snapped in fear by seeing this, and they could even feel how strong his Spiritual Pressure was. By feeling it, they were unable to even raise on their feet and run.

"That guy sure has an enormous amount of Spiritual Pressure!" Jinta noted while gritting his teeth in frustration.

"This is no ordinary Arrancar" Ururu remarked as he faced her partner. "I've remember reading some of the boss' hidden files. And one of them was about this Arrancar. He was actually an Espada!" she added to her fears.

The young boy snapped in outrage. "AN ESPADA!?" he howled in fear while feeling his entire body tremble on the dunes. "Shit…we narrowly managed to flee from a pack of Adjuchas, only to be hunted by an Espada!?" he wondered in his head.

Yammy only raised an eyebrow at what the two Humans were saying. "Huh? An Espada, you say?" he asked, before laughing out loud in mockery of the teenagers. He even began taking off his white jacket. "Don't insult me by referring to me as something as lame as that, kids! Maybe I should reveal you something" the brutish Arrancar said and shrugged off his jacket.

Jinta and Ururu were horrified by what they saw. The tattoos of 10 or 0 were no longer there. The only thing that was left on, as the omega symbol. "That symbol…" Ururu remarked with shock. "It was the same symbol those Arrancar soldiers were having on their shields" she added to her statement.

Yammy beamed with pride and even made a macho pose with his abs. "I'm no longer an Espada! I left that title behind a lifetime ago!" Yammy said while facing them. "I am Yammy Llargo, now a member of the Imperio de Hierro's Legionarios" he declared while facing the kids with bullying intent, although he had perhaps more dangerous things in store for them.

Without even saying a word, Jinta got up and his feet and dragged Ururu along with him, the young boy holding her hand tightly. Yammy only stared at them with an unfazed look.

"Let's get outta here, Ururu! That brute doesn't look that much of a…" his words were interrupted as Yammy appeared before them, having used his Sonido to vanish from his previous spot. "Runner…." Jinta finished his sentence as Yammy only grinned by seeing their despair.

"Going somewhere?" the muscular Arrancar asked them while crossing his arms. But the brute took hold of the collar on Ururu's uniform and held her up to his level. "I could use someone to play with, especially you, little girl!" he said, never taking off his eyes at her. Ururu remained stunned and didn't move a muscle.

Jinta gritted his teeth in anger by seeing this and angrily charged towards the giant with his fists. "You leave her alone, you fat, piece of…." Jinta was sent away by a Bala, shot from Yammy's own fist.

"Shut your trap, ya little midget!" Yammy barked and returned his bullying glance at Ururu. "Now then. Mind if you tell me who you and that boy are?" he said while forming his grip on Ururu's collar.

Gulping, Ururu decided to give into Yammy's demands, albeit reluctantly. "We are both associates of the Substitute Shinigami: Ichigo Kurosaki" she answered him.

"Ururu, what the hell!?" Jinta wondered as he slowly got up, having managed to withstand the Bala, which was not particularly as strong as a Cero.

The giant Arrancar immediately let go of the young girl, as he snapped in surprise by what she had just told him. "Ichigo Kurosaki, huh?" Yammy mumbled in deep thought. But he eventually formed a slight grin with this mouth and faced both teenagers. "I haven't heard that name in ages! I still owe him a knuckle sandwich after nipping me!" he exclaimed with bloodlust in his eyes.

Jinta could not believe what Yammy was just doing. "So he's also fought carrot top? Man, Ichigo sure has made many frenemies" the red-haired boy added as he stood beside Ururu. But he could see the meek girl nod at him, indicating that she wanted him to go along with her answer.

Both teenagers were caught by surprise when Yammy grabbed each of them by their necks and lifted them up. He faced them with killing intent. "Alright brats! Tell me the location of Ichigo Kurosaki if you desperately value your lives!" Yammy barked at them.

"Oh you wanna fight Ichigo?" Jinta asked, slightly forming a smug grin. "Well, we got separated from him during a sandstorm, but I heard that he was heading towards what you call El Dorado" he told him, although he was not telling the truth.

Yammy only raised one of his orange eyebrows at his words. "Huh? But why would he head towards that place? Something doesen't make any sense here!" he asked while sounding very suspicious.

Jinta only faced him smugly. "Oh, haven't you heard? Apparently, he was gonna go there and have a fight with someone. It was some blue-haired dude named Grimmjow or whatever" he replied smugly, albeit with lies.

Hearing this immediately made Yammy snap in anger and he began carrying the two teenagers while running on the sand towards the east. While hanging on him, they could spot the little Hollow-puppy following them. However, Jinta and Ururu faced on another with a smile, indicating that they had just what they needed to find the road to El Dorado.

"GRIMMJOW YOU COCKY BASTARD!" Yammy shouted with rage while running. "YOU WON'T BE TAKING MY OPPONENT AWAY FROM ME!" he added while proceeding towards the distance.

* * *

 _At the same time with Chad's group_

Riding on Bonnie, Chad, Ganju and Hanataro had travelled over the endless dunes of Hueco Mundo. However, they knew they were heading eastwards, considering that Bonnie managed to pick up the trails of the Hollow-wolves and horses. But there was something unfamiliar, as there was clouds slightly covering the dark sky. It was also how the environment felt foggy.

"We've been riding for hours!" Ganju snapped while Bonnie had begun to move at a slower pace. "How much long is it until we reach the Negal Ruins!?" he asked impatiently.

Before they even knew it, Bonnie almost managed to fall down, had it not been for her remarkable reaction. She immediately backed away and watched with concern at the road ahead of her.

"Bonnie what's wrong?" Ganju asked the boar while petting her lightly.

"I think she was about to fall" Hanataro remarked, although Ganju did not take his words seriously. He then began looking around the environment. "You know now that I think about it, I never knew that there existed clouds in Hueco Mundo" he added while noticing the large chunks of clouds hanging in the black skies above them.

Chad had gotten off Bonnie and was now assessing the situation. His only visible eye was filled with wonder "Guys, you might want take a look what this" he told them and both Ganju and Hanataro did as he said. Even they became stunned as well.

It was apparent that they were now standing by the edge of a cliff, as right before them, they could see a vale filled with canyons, mountains and naked trees and palms. The entire vale had a rugged terrain. But it what was also noticeable was the fact that there were dark clouds floating above those mountains. And inside those clouds, lightning and thunder rumbled down at them.

The three friends were stunned by the view, especially Ganju and Hanataro, who were never used to such high mountains in the Soul Society. The fog had perished and they got a full view, indicating that this landscape was much large than what they had anticipated.

"Woah….this…is stunning" Ganju noted, his words lowly as his voice.

"I never thought that Hueco Mundo was THAT big!" Hanataro remarked. "Was Aizen even aware of this place?" he added with a question.

"I don't think so" Chad replied lowly. "Whatever that immense fog was, it managed to camouflage this entire area. As such, Aizen would have no knowledge of its existence" he went on and then began looking down and noticed how high they actually were. Looking down made Chad feel uncomfortable. "It's a good thing that we rode on Bonnie, who managed to feel the edge of this cliff. Otherwise, we would've fallen to our deaths" he concluded.

Both Ganju and Hanataro felt incredibly scared by hearing the tall man say this. "Ah…...that sounds pretty harsh, don't you think?" the timid Shinigami asked him while sweating.

"Anyway, if this is our destination, then how the hell do we get down from here?" Ganju asked while looking around. "We can't just climb down, that's definitely a bad idea" he added, not wishing to look down.

The three friends decided to search the cliff side for any potential roads that lead them to the vale, and eventually, Chad discovered a large but hidden path that was leading them to walk by the edge of the cliff. They could see that they were still high above ground.

"Such monstrous winds" Hanataro noted while feeling uncomfortable. "And these clouds keep raining lighting upon the mountains. They never stop" he added while looking at the environment.

"I know. In fact, I think I remember reading something like this when I was just a little kid" Ganju revealed.

Chad stared at him questionably. "You actually read as a young boy?" he asked while sounding confused.

Ganju only shrugged his shoulders in return. "Sure I did! Don't forget that the Shiba clan was once part of the Five Great Noble Famalies of the Soul Society…..or used to be" he pointed out while sounding bitter at the end of his sentence. "Anyways, being born into the Shiba clan had its benefits, that also includes having access to literature that was forbidden to read, considering that Central 46 had outlawed them" he went on explaining.

"Wow, then you must be a very lucky guy, Ganju!" Hanataro remarked with admiration of his friend.

"When did you read this?" Chad asked the long-haired man.

Ganju faced down the road they were riding on with Bonnie. "Actually it was my sister-in-law Miyako who read this to me. I still remember it today" he said with a slight smile. But the long-haired man faced the skies with lighting and recalled what he had been told. "It was from a scroll that was written in poerty. It sounded like this:

 _In the realm of the lost and despaired_

 _Lies a sanctuary that can be repaired_

 _But while lighting and thunder fall_

 _The Hollows answer the call_

 _By wandering through the endless wastes_

 _No matter how deceitful and horrible it tastes_

 _They will see the land of mountains and thunder_

 _But their previous lives are torn asunder_

 _For what lies for them in eternity_

 _Is the eternal Valle de La Salvaciòn_

That is all I remember. But even to this day, I still can't figure out what it means" Ganju remarked as he thought about the poem.

"The Valle de La Salvaciòn. The Negal Ruins. El Dorado" Chad wondered inside his head. "Maybe this is where Urahara is being held, as is the place where this Imperio de Hierro has their headquarters" the tall man added to his thoughts.

But the three friends stopped Bonnie, as they could notice something with the winds and the dust before them. It was beginning to form something. Eventually they were in for a surprise as a giant hand was being formed on the way before them. It was a and made of winds. But that was not all.

"Guys!" Hanataro snapped as he faced sideways. "I think we got company!" he added while sounding paranoid.

By facing sideways, Ganju and Chad could see where the giant hand had come from. Floating in the air alongside their road was a giant winged woman, made by wind. However, there existed a giant hole on her belly, indicating that this was actually a Hollow. Her face was barely visible, with only two azure blue eyes being the only one they could see.

"What kind of Hollow is this!?" Chad asked in disbelief while facing it.

"I don't know, but sure doesn't look happy to see us!" Ganju said while gulping.

The giant windy Hollow lowered her face to eye the three friends and the boar with her dangerous eyes. "I am Àirde, Guardian of the Valle de La Salvaciòn. And none may enter the valley without my consent!" she spoke up with a threatening voice.

The three friends got off Bonnie and decided to see if she was willing to talk with them. Hanataro was too scared to even open his mouth, but Chad and Ganju still had some courage left inside of them.

In fact, Ganju decided to act tough and speak up. "Yeah, I hate to be rude and all, but you were kind of interrupting us on our way! So will you do as a favor and…" before Ganju could continue, Àirde's blue eyes glowed and all of a sudden, Hollow-ravens began swirling around the trio. They began picking on them.

"Unworthy! You will kneel before addressing the great Àirde!" the Hollow demanded, eventually forcing the ravens to take off. With them gone, the three friends quickly sat on their knees, hoping to actually not make enemies of this angry woman. "Tread carefully, outsiders! One does simply not demand passage to the valley, unless you are citizens of the Imperio de Hierro!" she advised them sternly.

Chad knew that they would have to get past her if they were ever gonna reach the Negal Ruins. Standing up, he faced the Hollow with respective nod. "I apologize for my friend's rudeness, great one. He lacks manners" Chad said, much to Ganju's outrage.

"Oh you are one, ugly son of a…" Ganju had his mouth covered by Hanataro

Chad cleared his throat before continuing speaking. "We were requested by the Dechados to pass this test of survival. By that I mean reaching the Negal Ruins on foot" the tall man explained but he was not finished. "The ones who gave this this test are Diablo Gallante and Annabelle Luisenbarn. They asked us to walk on the long road to El Dorado" he went on, telling.

Ganju and Hanataro both hoped that Chad's formality would lessen the giant Hollow's anger. To their surprises, she began chuckling lightly. "Yasutora Sado. I am pleased to see what a gentleman you really are" she said, much to Chad's own surprise. She then looked at his friends. "I expected no less from ignorant citizens of the Soul Society" she commented while facing them with open disdain in her voice. To their surprises however, she slowly began vanishing from their sights, thereby being dragged by the winds. "Have fun visiting El Dorado, outsiders! But remember, do not provoke or disrespect the old one!" she reminded them and was about to disappear.

"One more thing, Lady Àirde!" Chad called out, even kneeling before her once again. The giant Hollow faced him down and give him attention. "I would like to ask you a favor. Will you please give free passage to Orihime Inoue, Jinta Hanakari and Ururu Tsmugiya? They are also in league with us" he requested, much to his friends' outrage.

"What is that moron thinking!?" Ganju wondered in his head.

Àirde regarded him for a moment before replying. "Very well. But remember this, Fullbringer. I am only granting your request because of your manners. The old one himself will not be easy to sway, that I can assure you. Take care now, allies of the empire" she told them before finally vanishing into thin air.

Hanataro got confused. "The old one? Who is she talking about?" the small Shinigami asked.

"I don't know. But I have a feeling that he well be getting answers soon" Chad answered and pointed his finger towards some ruins standing alongside the wall of one of the many mountains. He could see that in the distance.

The three friends mounted on Bonnie and then proceeded towards the valley. "Hey Chad. Why did you request her to do that?" Ganju suddenly asked the tall man.

Sighing deeply, Chad knew he had to answer. "Because I know that they are not able to defend themselves against the likes of Àirde. They don't have to be stressed out of her. They already have many things to worry about" he answered as honest as he could.

Both Ganju and Hanataro smiled by hearing his answer. "Well, I guess it was a right thing to do. For their sakes, that is. You are a terrific friend, Chad" the timid Shinigami pointed out, forcing Chad to smile by being given this compliment.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Author's note: Now there went chapter 4! I will get back to where the others are up to, and maybe dig a little in on both the Soul Society and the Wandenreich, especially the Wandenreich. And by the way, hoped you liked Yammy's return. His stupidity is what made bring him back. And let us see the new term that has been added to the list.**

 **Valle de La Salvaciòn – Spanish for "Valley of Salvation": This hidden place has a different landscape from what most people know Hueco Mundo for. It has rugged mountains, canyons and even clouds. The name suggests that it was a place where Hollows could come to, whenever they felt lost or succumbed to despair. But is there any more truth of this place?**


	5. The Holy Vanguard

**Author's note: While I love Bleach, I was hoping that Kubo could've done something more in this arc. While some of this will remain loyal to the canon part, the rest of the plotlines will be original, based upon an idea I had. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: The Holy Vanguard**

 _In the white palace called Silbern, somewhere hidden in the shadows_

The white and icy palace called Silbern was the main headquarters of the Wandenreich, a hidden empire of Quincies. Its courtyard presided over the surrounding buildings that had were considered to be the Quincies' territory. Even to this day, no one knew how to enter or exit this realm, except for the Quincies themselves.

Inside the palace, Yhwach, the Emperor of the Wandenreich, as well as the Father of the Quincies sat on his throne while listening to reports by some of the empire's scientists. The long-haired man sat in silence, his eyes only focused on the men in white. Beside him stood his trusted advisor and confidante, as well as the Grandmaster of the Sternritter: Jugram Haschwalth.

"So the entire Jagdarmee has been exterminated?" Yhwach asked his subjects.

The scientist nodded his head in return. "Yes, Your Majesty. That also includes Executive Hunting Captain: Quilge Opie. However, from what we can confirm, none of them were exterminated by the Special War Potential: Ichigo Kurosaki" the scientist answered with respect towards his liege.

The emperor only forced a smirk underneath his long moustache. "I see. But nevertheless, they all did their job well, just as I had requested" he said, not as much as feeling saddened by their loss. He then faced the blonde-haired man beside him. "Haschwalth, we may have to find a replacement for Quilge" he noted.

Haschwalth formed a slight smile by hearing this. "Well said, Your Majesty. I will look into it" he said with formality in his voice.

"Your Majesty" another scientist spoke up. "According to the Daten given to us by the Jagdarmee, it says that most of the attackers were Arrancars…although more powerful than those of the Espadas" he revealed with a hint of shock in his voice.

"It matters not" Haschwalth's voice snapped the scientist. "Hueco Mundo already did its job by helping us invade the Soul Society. It was merely a foundation stone. With it, we have managed to shatter the Sereitei's defenses and leave their soldiers in disarray. Therefore, we don't have use for it anymore, as His Majesty has said" the blonde-haired man said, before nodding his head in respect for his emperor.

The scientist nodded his head with respect before facing him once again. "It would be beneficial to have those subjugated Arrancars at our side, considering that they don't require prerequisite training" he pointed out.

"You still believe in such distant facts!?" Yhwach asked him and began laughing at the scientist's stupidity. He then rose up and began pacing back and forth by his throne "While they don't necessarily require it, they must undergo such if they are to achieve greater strength. But so far, all those Arrancars who have joined the Wandenreich are nothing but a pack of weak-minded vermin compared to full-blooded Quinces like ourselves!" he spoke up, thus snapping the scientist.

Bowing his head in shame once again, the scientist begged for his superior's forgiveness, but the long-haired man was not finished just yet. "I have heard enough from you scientist from now. It is time that I begin my work. "Uryu!" the old man called out the name of one of Ichigo's trusted friends, Uryu Ishida, as he was now standing beside the throne, dressed in his Wandenreich attire. It remained to be seen why he, who was among Ichigo's greatest allies, would join the Quincies, knowing well about the reason why his kind was exterminated ages ago.

"I am here, Your Majesty" Uryu replied with formality in his voice.

Yhwach smiled by seeing him responding to his call. "Glad to know of your quick response. Now come, let us officially welcome you into the Wandenreich's ranks" he said and motioned for the four-eyed man to follow both him and Haschwalth.

"As you command, sire" Uryu said in return.

The scientists were very shocked to see Uryu, an outsider, already gaining Yhwach's favor. "Your Highness…who is this man?" one of them asked as he was curious.

This made the emperor stop and he looked over his shoulder to face them with his imperial glance. "Who, you may ask?" he said, before fixing a smug grin with his smile. "Why, he is the Prinz von Licht and your future emperor" he responded before proceeding towards the throne room's exit.

The scientists only reacted without saying anything in return. They could not believe how a stranger like Uryu was chosen to be his successor to the throne of the Wandenreich. However, they would not be given an answer, as Yhwach's decisions were absolute.

However, the Emperor of the Wandenreich was apparently thinking about something as they made their way to the main hall. He was even filled with satisfaction within himself. "If the Jagdarmee has indeed been obliterated, then that can only mean one thing and one thing alone" Yhwach thought while forming an evil smirk with his own mouth. "So you are still alive after all these ages…..Augustus Zod Allowin" he thought while thinking about someone he knew, from a very different lifetime.

* * *

 _At the same time, inside a Reishi-empowered prison cell, Silbern_

But while the Quincies were dwelling in the halls of Silbern, Tier Harribel, the former Tres Espada in Sosuke Aizen's army were chained and battered in her own cell accessible to only the strongest of the Quincies. The blonde-haired woman had ever managed to survive Aizen's deadly slash, but only narrowly.

After Aizen's defeat, Harribel and her Fracciòn fled back to Hueco Mundo and rallied the surviving Arrancars. Because of her number, as well as her status as a Vasto Lorde, Harribel was made the de facto ruler of Hueco Mundo, although her rule did not last very long. In fact, she was once approached by representatives of the Imperio de Hierro and asked to join it, even being offered a place amongst the Dechados. But Harribel, already embittered by Aizen's betrayal and abuse, angrily rejected the offer, claiming that she was no one's slave any longer. But the representatives warned that whenever she was facing her greatest threat, she would be fighting her battle alone. Even so, the blonde-haired woman refused to take their words seriously and swore to never serve under someone ever again.

But rejecting the empire's offer turned out to be the biggest mistake made as the ruler of Hueco Mundo. When the Wandenreich invaded the realm of Hollows, it's military easily disposed of the defenders of Las Noches. The Sternritters and the Jagdarmee had completely decimated her loyalists and Harribel herself attempted to confront Yhwach in combat. But despite her powerful stamina and strength, Harribel was easily defeated by the Wandenreich's merciless emperor and was imprisoned as a result.

Yhwach had decided to keep her alive as a prisoner, in hopes of dragging most Arrancars into the Wandenreich's service. However, he knew that most of them were too weak by his own standards but in the end, functioned well as cannon fodders to the empire's army.

As the blonde-haired woman sat there being chained like a beast, she could only think about how her Fracciòn was doing. She deeply cared about Apacci, Mila Rose and Sung-Sun, which contrasted from other Espadas with Fracciòn, with the noticeable exception being Nelliel Tu Odelschwank. But even so, she felt utterly hopeless in herself, as she had been defeated and jailed by Hueco Mundo's new rulers, or so she thought.

"How could I let this happen? To me? To my Fracciòn? To my people?" Harribel wondered in her head while facing the floor with empty eyes. "Was I nothing but a failed experiment from Aizen? Was I never meant to be a powerful warrior!?" she added to her thoughts. It was apparent that Harribel was lost emotionally.

But all that changed when her prison cell suddenly enclosed itself into darkness, thus surprising the former Tres Espada. Harribel could see all that she saw before her eyes were nothing but empty space. However, she could spot a silhouette forming itself from the floor and the young woman widened her eyes.

"What in the name of…" she uttered out words slowly as the figure began revealing itself as an old Arrancar with shabby clothes, including a hood. He had long, white beard and four spikes sprouted from his back, indicated that they were his Hollow-shell. He held onto a staff made of bones. His blue eyes opened and he formed a toothy grin with his mouth as he got a glimpse of the chained Harribel. "You! How did you…..." Harribel angrily demanded, but stopped by only seeing the strange Arrancar chuckle deeply at her.

"Such humiliating view. The wise and mighty Tier Harribel, rallying her people as Hueco Mundo's "so-called" ruler. But look at you now, all wrapped up in chains after failing the battle against the Quincies" the Arrancar told her mockingly.

Harribel gritted her teeth in irritation. "What do you want from me, Killaman Khan!?" she demanded bitterly while calling out the Arrancar's name. "Have you come to make a mockery out of me, oracle!?" she added.

The once called Killaman Khan only shrugged his shoulders by seeing this, and faced her smugly in return. "Your reaction and thoughts only indicate that you now believe in my divinations, do you not? After all, I was present when we offered you a place amongst us in the Imperio de Hierro" the weird Arrancar remarked, but Harribel only huffed in return, causing him to narrow his glowing eyes. "Do not be so ungrateful, Tier Harribel. After all, I did tell you that without our assistance, you would fall to the Wandenreich. However, you stubbornly kept comparing us to Aizen, saying that we would only take advantage of you. A very foolish accusation, especially coming from an Esclavo" he went on explaining.

Hearing this made Harribel immediately snap in anger. "I only followed Aizen, because he was the only strongest being I could relate to! If you really wanted my service so badly, then you would've approached me many years before him!" Harribel spat out and then faced the oracle. "But are you any different from us Espadas!? Aren't you and the Dechados slaves as well!?" she demanded an answer from him.

Killaman only narrowed his bright eyes and then took small steps towards the angry woman, who was not reluctant to attack him if he came closer. But standing a few meters from her position, the oracle reached out his finger and poked Harribel's forehead. The woman first attempted to move her face away, but after being poked, something occurred within her body. It began trembling with nothing like she had ever felt.

"What…what is this!?" she demanded an answer as she felt her entire vision change. "What have you done to me!?" she added furiously.

"What you are about to see will make everything become clear to you, young woman. When you have seen it, do what you think it's best for you. But remember: such will define your destiny" the voice of the oracle could be heard, although he himself was no longer to be seen.

Harribel felt herself drift away from the cell, and she soon realized that she was standing upon her two feet. She felt herself standing on the dunes of Hueco Mundo. At first, she thought she had been freed, but that was not the case.

The blonde-haired woman could only face the endless landscape, but snapped as she felt a powerful wind blow to her from behind. Turning around, Harribel's eyes were filled with fear, as she could spot a large pillar of darkness shooting right up to the dark skies. It was surprising how the pillar could strike fear into her, who was a powerful Arrancar.

"What has happened!?" Harribel questioned warily. "WHAT KIND OF HELL IS THIS!?" she then demanded as she fell slammed her fists onto the dunes in despair. She even shrieked as she could see a skull lying right before her in the sand. This was indeed a nightmare.

But she immediately got cautious, as she could spot a familiar figure walking towards her location. It was Yhwach, although he seemed less old and even lacked the moustache underneath his nose. His hair was also shorter and only reached to his shoulder. He was smiling with satisfaction as he walked towards Harribel.

The blonde-haired woman immediately charged towards him, this time, hoping to take him down once and for all. But she was in for a surprise as he simply walked through her. The blonde-haired woman fell onto the sand and watched him continue walking.

"This feeling. Can he actually see me!?" she wondered in her head while noticing Yhwach proceeding to walk towards the endless dunes.

"YHWACH!" Harribel suddenly snapped by hearing a familiar voice calling to the Father of the Quincies. This even made Yhwach stop. Turning around, he could spot a Shinigami captain standing a few meters from him with his flaming Zanpakutou ready. Harribel immediately recognized this man as a younger Genryuusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, although he seemed much younger, as he did not have his long beard or exposing eyebrows. The former Head-Captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads faced Yhwach angrily. "Yhwach, you bastard! How…how could you do this!?" the Shinigami angrily demanded an answer from him. "This…..was not the plan we agreed on!" he added with frustration.

The emperor only smirked by seeing his demands. "You seem quite upset, Shigekuni Yamamoto. Shouldn't you and the entire Soul Society be celebrating? After all, we have defeated our common enemy and corrupted its source of power" he replied in return as if everything was normal.

Hearing this answer, only made Yamamoto angrier by the minute. "To hell with your wickedness! You betrayed us! Exploited us! Made us assist you Quincies with this war so that you could do the most unthinkable! Defile the Vida! Have you any idea of the consequences this will have on the entire world!?" he angrily demanded from him.

Yhwach only chuckled in return. "Sympathetic towards your enemy? Your ideals are misplaced, Yamamoto" he said and looked at the giant pillar of darkness. "By getting rid of the Arrancars' source of power, there will be more Hollows left alone, as well as more Hollows left to destroy!" he exclaimed with madness.

Yamamoto's eyes widened in shock, but eventually formed a determined expression on his face, firming his grip on his Zanpakutou in the process. "Yhwach…tell me about your true desires. What are they?" he requested lowly.

"My true desires, you ask?" Yhwach asks him before turning his back to him and wanders off, but nor before leaving a few words for Yamamoto to hear. "You have idea of what my desires truly are. Because if you knew about them, then you would have kneeled before me and begged for my acknowledgement, as well as my forgiveness" he replied before vanishing by using his Hirenkyaku.

As he watched the emperor disappear, Yamamoto could only look back and watch the chaos of Hueco Mundo he had helped in creating. His eyes were only filled with shock, as he was in fact guilty of assisting Yhwach in destroying the only civilization of Hollows in Hueco Mundo. A shameful expression formed across his face.

"Once again….I have shamed myself by allowing my inner monster to take hold on me" Yamamoto spoke with defeat in his voice.

Harribel snapped back into the reality, as she found herself back in her cell, still wrapped up in chains. She panted deeply, trying to catch her breath after being dragged into this…...nightmarish vision. Whatever it was, it had seemed terrible, even for an Arrancar, to witness.

But beneath catching her breath, a hidden fire began igniting within her eyes. The reason being that she could hear a voice calling to her. A voice that sounded very distant, but she could definitely hear it.

"Release yourself from this captivity" it said and with enough willpower and strength, Harribel broke the chains that held her and she pulled of the stick that had been implanted into her right foot. It was painful for her to bear, but she did this, knowing it was better than to sit and rot inside this prison. "Well done, Harribel. You are only one step ahead towards the path to freedom" the voice called to her.

Harribel noticed that she was back in her normal form, as her Hollow-shell covered her mouth and breasts once again. The blonde-haired woman held her Zanpakutou tightly and looked around the cell to see if there were anyone but herself in here.

Her suspicions were confirmed as two Arrancars dressed in the Wandenreich attire entered the cell, only to be shocked when seeing Harribel without in chains.

"Those who accept the Wandenreich's amnesty or remain loyal to Sosuke Aizen are traitors to our kind!" the voice invaded her thoughts once again. "Eliminate them, warrior! Slay the Esclavos in the name of our forefathers!" it demanded.

Without hesitating, Harribel unleashed herself upon the Arrancars and ruthlessly tore them apart, considering that their strength was on the same level as normal Nùmeros. Blood sprouted everywhere in the cell and Harribel only stood there with a remorseless look. Even though she valued Arrancars, she too, had come to despise those who had either joined the Wandenreich or remained loyal to Aizen's cause.

The blonde-haired Arrancar looked down upon her victims. "Treacherous scum! You are a waste of space!" she spat out with venom.

"I am impressed. People like you would be a valuable asset to the empire's army" the voice called out.

However, she was not impressed by it. "Who are you!" Harribel demanded while her eyes narrowed. "And what makes you think I will agree to join forces with you!?" she added, with anger in her tone.

It took some time before she was given an answer, after a Garganta was formed in the cell, much to the Arrancar's utter surprise. How could someone simply open a Garganta in the middle of enemy territory? But as it opened, Harribel could see that there was no one inside, only the long road towards freedom.

"Enter the Garganta and you will be given the answer you seek, Tier Harribel" the voice called out to her through the Garganta. "Come to me and you will be free at last" it added.

Harribel, who was only focused on being free from captivity ran into the Garganta, running towards the path while the opening behind her was shut down. "Apacci, Mila Rose, Sung-Sun….wherever you may be….I will find you" that was the thoughts of Harribel as she ran towards her salvation.

* * *

 _In the desolate wastes of Hueco Mundo_

Orihime Inoue and her small, flying companion named Pero had been wandering through the endless wastes of Hueco Mundo for hours. The winds were blowing, but the young woman never lost track of where she was heading. She didn't even bother looking back.

However, she felt her body growing tired, yet resisted it and pressed on. "These Negal Ruins does seem to be far away from the ruins of Las Noches. I never expected Hueco Mundo to be that big" she thought while keeping up her pace.

Pero had changed his position at various times, yet he did not seem that concerned about him and Orihime being alone in the realm of the Hollows. But so far, they had not encountered a single Hollow in this journey and it made both him and Orihime wonder why. But then again, the Wandenreich's Jagdarmee had managed to slay countless of Hollows since they conquered it, so it would actually be no surprise to why the lack of Hollows.

Suddenly, Orihime stopped in her tracks and she paused to look to her sides. So far, she saw nothing but the endless night and the sand. "Weird, I thought I just sensed something strange" she remarked and then continued walking.

"Are you doing okay, Orihime" Pero asked her, making her force a carefree smile.

"Of course I do, Pero! Thanks for asking!" she answered in return.

However, Pero did not necessarily seem convinced by the orange-haired woman's answer. Even so, he chose not to raise that issue with her. "Strange. I can no longer sense Master Kisuke's Spiritual Pressure, even though I am designed to locate and track it no matter the distance between us" the small thing noted in his thoughts. "I am already starting to have doubts about this….test" he admitted.

But all things changed, once Orihime could feel the entire sand beneath her shake. Eventually Pero could notice it as well, despite the fact that he was flying.

"What in the world!? Is this an earthquake!?" Pero asked as he felt uneasy.

"No. I think this is something else!" Orihime noted with shock and she could immediately see the sand beneath her sinking. With her quick reflexes, Orihime sprung form the circle and made a jump to a giant rock, knowing that it would not be taken by the sinking. However, she and Pero quickly got a glimpse of what was actually was. It was a giant Hollow, that almost resembled an octopus, as it had tentacles. While Orihime had seen many types of Hollows before, she had never seen anything like this, as it actually seemed taller than a Menos Grande. "Such immense size…" was all the words Orihime could come up with as she could watch the creature rise above the dunes.

The Hollow had its shelled face fixed upon Orihime and it began to howl in a different manner than what most Hollows did. It then began moving its tentacles at her, forcing her to run away as quickly as she could. It was hard to run fast on the sand, but her size helped her in advantage to the Hollow's.

"We need to scram as quickly as possible!" Pero told Orihime as he flew beside her.

However, Orihime looked at him with a confused eyebrow. "But isn't Urahara supposed to be coming now? He said that he would once he gave you to me" the young woman asked while running.

Pero only felt dumbfounded by that question. "What do you mean that Master Kisuke will come? I am only programed to document everything that I see!" he replied in return, much to Orihime's utter confusion.

"But I thought Urahara said that…" Orihime was interrupted as the giant Hollow slammed one of its tentacles on the sand like a giant whip, forcing the two to be sent in separate ways.

The orange-haired woman rolled down the dunes, coughing out dust as she stopped rolling. She briefly looked up to see a giant tentacle up in the airs once again, convincing Orihime that it was indeed aiming for her. With reluctance, she rolled to the other side as quickly as she could, hoping to avoid it. However, the tentacle's slam on the sand caused quite a shake and the woman was even lifted in the air by it.

Orihime landed on her behind, and quickly looked to see the beast standing before her. "This Hollow sure is persistent. Usually, my Santen Kesshun is able to kill Hollows. Unfortunately, it may not be effective against a Hollow at this size" she noted warily as she could see the Hollow nearing her location. However, by seeing Pero floating in the air, Orihime got an idea, a terrific one. "But I shouldn't just use it as a weapon and tool. I should use it to my own advantage! Santen Kesshun!" she called out and her hairpins began forming a floating platform that she quickly jumped on.

Pero was stunned by what he was seeing. "Orihime, what in the world have you created?" he asked with wonder.

"I will explain everything later! Now hold on tight!" she replied and the platform she created took off to the air, and with incredible speed as well. Orihime held onto Pero as they flew eastwards.

But they were not safe, as the giant Hollow was still pursuing them from below the sands. In fact, it even dug in the sand and shot three tentacles up from the sand like giant pillars. This caught Orihime and Pero by surprise, and they almost fell from the platform. However, they also strived to avoid the giant tentacles, knowing that one hit could destroy the platform.

"That Hollow is using the environment to its advantage!" Pero noted with worry. "It can even catch flying prey as well! I suggest that fly higher to avoid it's reach" he added with an analysis of the situation.

"We can't fly too high, that will certainly destroy the platform!" Orihime called out and she proceeded to command the platform to head towards the east.

But as they headed east, the two became surprised when this unfamiliar fog began surrounding them. Orihime stopped the platform and both she and Pero became wary about stumbling upon something like this.

"Strange. I never thought that Hueco Mundo had fog" Pero remarked. "We must indeed be in one it's more unique territories" he added.

Orihime still felt suspicious, although a hint of relief could be seen on her face. "Whatever this fog is, it sure helped us lose that Hollow" she noted lowly while facing around. "But where do we go now? I can't see anything through here" she wondered while sounding confused.

"That is a good question, Orihime" Pero said and looked up, only to see that there was fog there was well. "This fog is everywhere. Even if we flew up higher, we wouldn't have been able to spot a thing. Not to mention that I still can't sense Master Kisuke's Spiritual Pressure" he added.

But out of nowhere, a giant tentacle appeared from below, destroying the platform and sending Orihime falling. She quickly tried to recreate the platform but it was no use. She could see the giant Hollow's head appearing right below her.

"No! It must have followed us into the fog and using the sand to navigate to our location!" Orihime thought with shock. "And my Santen Kesshun is paralyzed at the moment" she added with distress.

Pero flew beside her, but apparently, he didn't possess the power to save a Human. However, he and her could eventually feel themselves floating in the air, right beside the tentacle, which was beginning to lower itself. This made them both confused.

Their answers were given as the entire fog vanished in the blink of an eye, revealing the entire environment once again. However, Orihime and Pero were stunned to see a giant female Hollow made by wind. It was enormous and began using her hands and wings to blow wind at the Hollow with tentacles. Apparently, she was fighting it.

"What…" Orihime wondered in disbelief. "I never knew that there existed Hollows of that type!" she added to her thoughts.

The windy Hollow was revealed to be Àirde, and she was now driving the Hollow away from her position. "Back to the sands with you, Kraken! You know the consequences of you entering the Valle de La Salvaciòn!" Àirde bellowed while commanding the Hollow to leave.

Orihime was stunned by seeing the giant, windy Hollow confront the one called Kraken. However, she looked beside Àirde and was stunned to see something she never had seen in Hueco Mundo before. There were mountains, canyons as well as a giant valley. Furthermore, she could see clouds floating at the peaks of the mountains, as well as thunder and lightning raining down from them. She and Pero got a better look as they slowly descended upon the ground, standing not far from the edge itself.

The young woman turned around to see Kraken disappear from her sight, all thanks to Àirde and her warning towards the giant beast. Furthermore, it didn't take long before she took notice of Orihime's presence, her azure eyes gazing down upon her.

Orihime felt slightly intimidated by the Hollow's glance, yet decided to express her gratitude towards it with a bow. "Thank you so much for saving me and my companion from that Hollow" was the gentle words she could come up with.

Àirde's eyes narrowed at her. "I did not scare Kraken away to save your hide, Human! I did it because it has no permission to enter the Valle de La Salvaciòn!" her voice boomed out, thus snapping Orihime out of her words. Àirde lowered her head to study the young woman. "Now spare the plenaries. What is your name, young one?" she asked while sounding demanding at the same time.

Orihime gulped, but she knew better than to act tough against a unique Hollow she knew nothing about. "M-My name is…..Orihime Inoue, madam" she replied without hesitation.

"I see" the windy Hollow replied. "And what have made you approach the Valle de La Salvaciòn?" she then asked.

"Well…..I was told by two paragons that if I traveled to the east, I would find the Negal Ruins…..and El Dorado" the young woman answered in return.

Àirde had not forgotten the favor Chad had asked her to do, especially for Orihime, if she ever reached the entrance to the valley. Wanting not to be in debt to a Human, the Hollow suddenly unleashed her windy powers, and lifted Orihime and Pero in the air.

"Woah…...what are you doing!?" the young woman asked while sounding very scared by being lifted.

The giant Hollow could be heard sighing in annoyance. "You have given me enough information to you enter the valley, Orihime Inoue. And because of your honesty in your words, I will send you directly to the Negal Ruins" she revealed to her.

Orihime snapped by hearing Àirde's revelation. "Really…but why?" she asked while sounding surprised.

"I grow tired of hearing your ignorance, child! Accept this gift humbly!" Àirde said, before throwing them both towards one of the many mountains, although she was more specifically aiming to throw her at the dunes lying before them. Even so, Orihime was officially in the valley and would soon she would be joining her friends, if they had made it to the Negal Ruins.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Author's note: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Next one will tell us more about El Dorado, as well as the current situation with the Soul Society. Now who is this Augustus Zod Allowin? Only time will tell. We will also see more about the Wandenreich, as well as Uryu. Ichigo is too preoccupied with getting ready for the final fight.**


	6. Viva La Vida 1

**Author's note: While I love Bleach, I was hoping that Kubo could've done something more in this arc. While some of this will remain loyal to the canon part, the rest of the plotlines will be original, based upon an idea I had. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Viva La Vida 1**

 _Outside the Negal Ruins, Eastern Hueco Mundo_

"You are late, Orihime" Chad called out to his friend as she sat by the stairs to eat one of the potatoes she had been given by the Hoplitas.

The young woman turned around with a bright smile. "Chad! I'm so glad that you got here first!" she responded to him. She could see the tall man wearing a hooded cape similar to hers.

"Everyone have already arrived" Chad then spoke up, much to her confusion and curiosity.

Orihime was happy to know that Chad had arrived at the Negal Ruins first before she did. However, she was surprised to also see not just Jinta and Ururu, but even Ganju and Hanataro there as well. They appeared beside the all man as they greeted the orange-haired woman.

"So you two were sent to assist Urahara?" she asked both Ganju and Hanataro.

Hanataro nodded his head timidly. "Of course. The new Head-Captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads had requested that he accompany Urahara's team as observers" he answered and fixed his eyes on Ganju. "And of course, Ganju was chosen to join me as representing the Souls" Hanataro added to his statement.

Ganju merely crossed his arms while shrugging his shoulders. "Yeah. But I pretty much got sucked into it after big sis busted my ass" he replied while grumbling over the fact. "But I can't sit on the sidelines any longer. I promised her and my uncle that I wouldn't puss out!" he suddenly said with confidence in his voice.

Most of those around him sweated and they didn't seem to take Ganju's words for real. However, Orihime decided to change the subject by speaking with Jinta and Ururu.

"How did you two end up getting here?" she asked them cheerfully.

Before those two could answer, Orihime snapped by hearing a familiar voice coming from the entrance. She looked beyond to see who it was, and she felt a chill running down her spine. Eventually both Jinta and Ururu did the exact same thing, as they knew who that voice belonged to.

"Hey brats!" the booming voice came from Yammy Llargo as he stormed out of the entrance and faced the two children with an angered expression. "I don't see Ichigo Kurosaki snooping around here! And I sure as hell don't sense his Spiritual Pressure nearby!" he added with anger while fixing his eyes upon the two teenagers. But not long after, Grimmjow Jaegerjacquez appeared beside him and only crossed his arms, not knowing what was going on.

Both Jinta and Ururu faced Yammy nervously, as they knew that the giant Arrancar must have found out about the lie they told them, based upon seeing Grimmjow appearing alongside him. Meanwhile, Hanataro had begun hiding behind Chad and Ganju, while Orihime slightly stood beside her friends. She knew very well who Yammy was as she and Chad were the first people to confront him.

"First Grimmjow, now Yammy!?" Orihime wondered in her thoughts. "Some Espadas did manage to survive after all" she added to her thoughts while staring at Yammy with widened eyes.

The giant Arracnar with the ponytail was too focused on Jinta and Ururu to even notice Orihime's presence. "Argh! Ignorant punks! You dare take advantage of me!? You're gonna pay for that!" Yammy barked out and slowly began taking steps towards the teenagers, who were not sure about what to do now. The giant Arrancar even began cracking his knuckles with a grin.

"Damn it, Ururu! Your idea got us into trouble later!" Jinta said to his partner with gritted teeth.

Grimmjow only poked his ear in boredom, not finding this scene any interesting. "Tch, you let two mere Humans take advantage of you? You've really grown dumber for the last couple of years!" he commented with an insult directed at his comrade, as he knew well about Yammy's stupidity.

Yammy stopped in his tracks and turned around to face Grimmjow with an offended look. "What did you just say to me!?" he asked while beginning to focus on the blue-haired Arrancar.

Grimmjaw only raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you serious? I just told you that you've grown dumber, you bonehead! Do you seriously have a brain damage or something?" Grimmjow responded, only to be shot by a quick Bala by the giant Arrancar in return. However, Grimmjow got quickly up on his feet and faced Yammy with a psychotic grin. "You call that a Bala!? Hah! Yours are nothing but bullshit!" he said, as a growing lust for battle slowly took hold on him.

Yammy felt anger boil inside of him and he suddenly reached for his Zanpakutou. "One more word out of you and I'm seriously gonna release my Resurrecciòn! I've had enough of your attitude!" he angrily threatened while unleashing his red Spiritual Pressure.

Grimmjow did not back down and even unleashed his blue Spiritual Pressure in return, going as far as to load a blue Cero in his left hand while holding his Zanpakutou in his right hand. "Just go ahead and try then, asswipe! I can easily defeat you without resorting to my Resurrecciòn!" Grimmjow responded, not intending on backing down from this fight.

The group around them grew increasingly concerned and ran far away from the two ass possible, as they knew how powerful these two Arrancars were. However, both Jinta and Ururu could not help but to feel satisfied by seeing Grimmjow stealing Yammy's attention, thus making him forget the two teenagers' trick on him.

The fight between the two Legionarios was about to commence, until a large scale of Spiritual Pressure forced everyone almost suffocated to the dusty ground, even the two Arrancars. As they felt it, lighting and thunder fell from the clouds. In addition to that, the entire ground began shaking and it almost felt like an earthquake.

"This feeling…I can't stand up!" Chad noted in his thoughts.

"Shit! This Spiritual Pressure…" Ganju cursed while falling down to his knees. "It's stronger than Captain Kuchiki and Captain Zaraki's…let alone the Arrancars for that matter!" he added with a hint of shock in his voice.

"Oh no! Hanataro is…." Orihime became shocked by seeing Hanataro collapsing, completely knocked out by the immense Spiritual Pressure.

"Damn it, not again!" Ganju cursed while struggling to withstand this power.

But it didn't take long before the Spiritual Pressure ebbed out and everything around them was back to normality, even the clouds above them. But the entire group struggled to catch their breaths, as they gasped for air, considering that they had been unable to breathe amidst the commotion.

"Man….I almost thought we were goners!" Jinta remarked, but suddenly noticed Ururu, who was on the verge of collapsing, but she was not as vulnerable as Hanataro. Jinta noticed this and became worried. "Hey Ururu…..you okay?" he asked while getting close to her.

The meek girl was in deep thought at the moment, as she was beginning to calculate something with regards to Spiritual Pressures. "This one…felt incredibly different. It's stronger than the boss' and Ichigo's" she said and suddenly felt more thoughts to conclude. "But it's one the same level as those if Sosuke Aizen and Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto…..if not stronger!" she added with fear in her eyes.

Chad and Orihime both went to the two Arrancars, who had just been able to stand up to their feet. The two Humans wanted answers from them and very fast. "Hey! What was that?" Chad asked them while demanding an answer lowly. "What kind of Spiritual Pressure does that belong to!?" he asked again, thus time sounding more frustrated in his voice.

Grimmjow was the only one to take notice of him asking, but he already seemed back to his normal self. "That's none of your damn business" Grimmjow replied with a low voice and foul language at the same time. "Now do us a favor and shut up before we all get killed!" he requested them, this time with a more angered tone.

"Well, well, well" everyone snapped once they could hear a voice calling to them from the entrance. The entire group turned around to see Killaman Khan as well as another Arrancar who had a similar head and face as Dondochakka's, only that his had two serious purple eyes with azure dots in them. It even looked more like a skull. This Arrancar also wore black cloth all around him and it seemed to be a hooded robe. He even wore a golden belt with the omega symbol hanging around his waist. He stood beside the oracle as he surveyed the situation. "Now this explains why the old one himself felt so…..angered" the oracle added while fixing his glowing eyes upon both Grimmjow and Yammy.

The two Arrancars only snorted as they saw Killaman and the skull-faced Arrancar arrive to them, indicating that they had been waiting for them to arrive. But the skull-faced Arrancar faced them both angrily. But Grimmjow only formed a slight smirk with his mouth.

"Took you long enough, Killaman Khan and Borddum Chelute" he spoke up, only for the skull-faced Arrancar to show everyone his angered eyes.

"You damned idiots! Have you completely forgotten the number one rule of the Legionarios!?" Borddum asked with both a low and an angry voice at the same time. "Both of you should be ashamed of yourselves!" he added with dispassion in his voice.

Yammy however pointed his finger at Grimmjow. "It he who started it, not me!" he spoke up while trying to pin the blame on the blue-haired Arracnar, much to Grimmjow's own irritation.

Borddum only sighed deeply by seeing this. "I am too old for this" he noted and then fixed his eyes upon the visitors. Killaman did the exact same thing. "Those must be the outsiders, Master Gallante told us about" he remarked while facing them.

"Yes I see. However, I sense something…elusive from those four Humans" the oracle suddenly spoke up with curiosity. But he could notice how they seemed suspicious of him, so he decided to introduce himself. "Welcome to the Negal Ruins, allies of the empire! I am called Killaman Khan. I am the oracle and overseer of the Dechados" he began introducing himself with a gentle yet cunning voice.

The skull-faced Arrancar then proceeded to introduce himself with a slight respective nod. "I am Borddum Chelute, Commander of El Dorado's Ojos, as well as a member of the Legionarios" he spoke up. "I have dedicated my life in service of the mighty ruler of the empire himself" he added while fixing his eyes at them.

However, Chad and his friends got confused as the oracle and his companion both faced him, Orihime, Jinta and Ururu with peculiar glances. The four Humans were already curious by these new Arrancars, as they had never seen them before, specially Killaman and his long, white beard and staff of bones.

"How fascinating" Killaman spoke up lowly, as his glowing eyes were filled with intrigue. "This man here is another Fullbringer, just like those that were accompanying Urahara and his associates. Tell us about your name, young one" he said while pointing out what Chad really was.

The brown-haired man was stunned to discover that this elderly Arrancar seemed to possess knowledge about Fullbringers. "My name is Yasutora Sado" he answered, albeit slowly and filled with suspicion.

Killaman smiled by hearing his answer and proceeded to study Orihime, Jinta and Ururu. For some reason, the oracle felt a hidden spirit resting inside of them. The elderly Arrancar reached out his hand and began to feel their Spiritual Pressures while closing his glowing eyes. The young woman and the two teenagers only watched him with raised eyebrows, as they did not get what his deal was.

All of a sudden, the oracle snapped back with surprise. He had been entering a trance and was now panting to catch his breath. Once finished, he looked to the three people with very surprised eyes.

"I…I don't believe it…..." he said with surprise.

Borddum walked to his side and faced the three with similar eyes to Killaman's. "Are they what I think it is?" he asked lowly. "They must be more than just common high-spec Humans" the skull-faced Arrancar added to his explanation.

Orihime and the teenagers were all confused by what they were talking about. Did these Arrancars somehow possess information about them? All they could do was to stand and listen to what the elderly Arrancar was saying.

"Yes, Borddum. They are more than that. However, they are neither Quincies nor Fullbringers" Killaman commented while facing the three with a surprised glance. "These three are…Interminables" he spoke up.

Orihime was lost in thoughts after being told of this. "What? Since when am I a…wait….maybe I haven't been a normal Human at all" she thought while feeling lost.

Even Chad and Ganju was surprised by what they heard. "An Interminable….what is that?" Chad wondered while facing Orihime and the two teenagers. "So if Orihime is one of them…then Jinta and Ururu are those as well" he added while noticing how the teens were struggling with coming to terms with this.

"What are your names, children?" Killaman asked them gently.

"Orihime Inoue" Orihime answered.

"Ururu Tsmugiya" the meek girl replied with a quick nod.

"Jinta Hanakari" the young boy said with slight suspicion.

"Interesting names you have, However, we know little about your kind. You will have to ask our empire's most gifted researcher: Pieddot Picasso" Killaman remarked and then set his course for the entrance. "Come, let us show you all the true home to all Hollows and Arrancars alike. And be grateful, because you are among the few outsiders to be granted entry into our home" he reminded them as we walked, followed by Borddum, Grimmjow and Yammy.

The entire group followed them into the entrance and noticed that there was a long way down, and they even had to go down a spiraled stairway made of stones. Furthermore, they noticed how deeper and deeper they were getting.

* * *

 _10 minutes later, outside the gate called Puerta de La Luna_

After crossing over a bridge made of stone, the entire group were stunned to see a large gate made by iron opening for them. However, there were Hoplitas guarding it outside, and the moment they took notice of the Arrancars, they stood and saluted for them.

"Welcome back, masters! We have been expecting you!" one of them said with formality in his voice.

But the group would be treated to a view they never knew they would in a desolate place like Hueco Mundo. After passing entering the gate, they were treated to a view of an entire subterranean civilization of Hollows and Arrancars alike.

"This is…." Orihime uttered out words lowly.

"El Dorado…." Chad said the word as they walked to the edge and surveyed the cityscape.

Killaman mused by seeing their reactions. "Welcome allies of the empire. Welcome to El Dorado" he told them with enthusiasm in his voice.

It was amazing. They could see both tall and large buildings made of rock. But it was not only that. To their surprises, they discovered the fact that there was water in this city! Yes, there were many canals and waterways dotted alongside the streets, similar to those seen in Venice. In fact, the entire city was surrounded by water, and it closely resembled the ancient Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. They could even see a large golden fountain at the center of the city. They even found statues in both white and golden and they seemed tall and majestic. Other buildings they managed to not take their eyes off was a golden colosseum inspired by Roman architecture, a giant observatory inspired by Arabic architecture, a giant ziggurat inspired by Sumerian architecture and a white temple inspired by Greek architecture.

"Woah….and I thought the Sereitei was a paradise" Ganju said, not believing his eyes. "We don't have places like this back in the Soul Soiety!" he added with a statement.

"You're right, Ganju" Hanataro agreed, his eyes never leaving the sight he was given. "And I can't believe that there actually exists water…in Hueco Mundo!" the Shinigami added with surprise in his voice.

However, the most impressive building they could all agree on was he giant golden tower that almost resembled the Tower of Babel. But it's construction was 100 % complete. It rose up from the city like a majestic pillar.

"Woah…...just look that structure!" Jinta exclaimed with excitement in his voice.

Borddum only chuckled by hearing this. "Surprised by what you see here, children? Well, you should be. That building over there is the crown jewel of El Dorado. We may call it Esperanza. It is also the imperial palace, where the he resides that is" the skull-faced Arrancar explained. But he then began moving on. "But enough watching for now. Your acquaintance: Kisuke Urahara and his associates have set up a tent near the observatory and the academy or the Conocimiento as we call them. It is there you will meet up with him" he told them and began walking down towards the city itself with the other Arrancars tagging along.

The group, knowing it was the right thing to do, followed the Arrancars and set their course for the subterranean city.

Outside Conocimiento, Urahara and his team had put up a tent for them to camp while being in El Dorado. The observatory was not far from the palace and thus the authorities could keep an eye on him as a whole. Right now, the blonde-haired Shinigami was currently examining the medallion used by the Quincies.

"Yoruichi, Tessai, go out and make sure that they find this tent. I'll stay here" he told them and they immediately obliged as they had nothing else to do anyway.

And then, Urahara could continue his research, trying to figure out why in the world the Sternritters was able to steal the captains' Bankai, but not Ichigo's. However, as he was working on it, troubled thoughts began invading his head. It was related to something involving himself.

"You will stay here and do your research" he recalled Xerrxes saying this to him a day ago. "But remember, when we feel the time is right, you will be summoned to Esperanza for an audience. The old one has been keen on meeting you, Kisuke Urahara" the black-skinned paragon had told him.

Thinking about this kind of made Urahara feared of his life, as he knew that the one who wished to see him was now furious over him as a whole. Briefly closing his eyes, the blonde-haired man began to pray to himself.

"Master Bansui…...I know that you must be disappointed in me for failing to take action against Aizen at an earlier point….but I led myself to believe that all of your stories…..were just fake" he thought while thinking about his late mentor: Bansui Amatsuki.

* * *

 _Inside the Squad 13 Barracks, Sereitei, the Soul Society_

Captain Jushiro Ukitake was meditating once again, as he had been doing so for the last couple of days. Ever since the summit between the Royal Guard and the 13 Court Guard Squads became a fiasco, the white-haired man had tried to use mediation to seek harmony within himself. Sometimes, it helped. But other times, it did not. But what had also helped was having a sit-down with other captains, and share with them his thoughts and opinions of this war and other troubles plaguing the Soul Society.

"Lord Mimihagi" he began thinking about the mysterious entity he had once told some of the other captains about. "I know you and I have different opinions, but what did you show me just now?" he wondered as if he was asking Mimihagi.

The white-haired man could once again feel disturbances within himself as he was picturing something inside his head. From what he could see on the inside, he felt himself standing inside a weird but majestic building and it almost seemed like he was in the Soul King's Palace. That turned out to be true, as he could see the curtains being pulled away and a celestial being inside a diamond could be spotted. It was none other than the Soul King himself.

"Soul King…" Ukitake said as he felt himself slowly walking towards it.

But eventually, the barrier the Soul King was stuck in began to crack and as a whole, the entire Soul King was shattered into many pieces. Ukitake saw this with shocked eyes, yet he did not stop moving. In fact, something appeared from the place where the Soul King once hung and a dark silhouette appeared from the ground. It was a shadowy being, which was covered in black, had many eyes around its body and long black hair. The long-haired being formed an evil smile and reached out his arm towards Ukitake, who tried to escape, but was only dragged towards him.

"YOU WLL SERVE ME…JUSHIRO UKITAKE!" the being revealed and revealed his face to be none other than Yhwach. "YOU WILL SERVE THE TRUE SOUL KING!" he added, causing Ukitake to scream in fear.

Snapping back into reality, Ukitake opened his eyes and panted deeply. He looked around to see if everything was okay, and ut turned out it was. He was still in Squad 13's barracks. Sweating across his body, the white-haired man rested his face on his right hand. He panted deeply.

"What kind of nightmare was that…..is that what you showed me, Lord Mimihagi?" he asked lowly, trying to rub his face and take a deep breath to find his inner peace while having his eyes shut one more.

But the white-haired man was interrupted by a knock on the door and Ukitake opened his green eyes with curiosity. "Who is it?" he asked.

It was to voices that could be heard. "It's just me, Captain Ukitake! May I come in?" the first voice came from Sentaro Kotsubaki, co-3rd seat of Squad 13.

"Hey loudmouth! I'm also here, you know!" the second and girly voice came from Kiyone Kotetsu, also the co-3rd seat of Squad 13.

"Shut up, Kiyone! You're too noisy!" Sentaro said and the two Shinigamis began bickering and fighting, even destroying the door in the processes.

Ukitake sighed deeply by seeing this. These two never got along, even in times of war, except for when their captain or Rukia told them to get along. Both Sentaro and Kiyone snapped once they saw the disappointment coming from their captain, so they immediately stopped misbehaving and sat quietly.

"Oh, sorry about the door, captain. We'll fix it later" Kiyone apologized while scratching her neck.

Sentaro only scoffed at her. "We? We, my butt! You're the one who trashed it!" he said so in return.

Kiyone twitched in anger by hearing this. "Do we really need to go through with this now!?" she asked

Before Sentaro could open his mouth to protest, Ukitake cleared his throat, thus shutting him and both Shinigamis focused their attentions on him with respect and dignity.

"Was there something you two wanted to talk about?" Ukitake then asked them in a friendly manner.

Sentaro gulped and nodded his head. "Head-Captain Kyoraku has summoned all captains to Squad 1 Barracks for a meeting. Their lieutenants are also to join them" he told him.

The white-haired man snapped in surprise and even rose up to his feet. But he fixed a smile on his face at the two 3rd seats. "Then I best be on my way, then. However, Rukia is currently up in Royal Realm training so she….."

"Actually she and Renji will be joining this particular meeting" Kiyone spoke up, much to Ukitake's surprise. "I don't know why, that's just what the messenger told us" she added with awkwardness.

"So Rukia has returned? That's great! I can't wait to hear from her!" Ukitake explained with his bright smile and proceeded to exit the barracks.

But as he left, both Sentaro and Kiyone could not help but to feel down, as they actually felt concerned about their captain's well-being. It could be seen by their expression.

"How many days do you suppose he has left?" Kiyone surprisingly asked Sentaro gentler than usual. She was given no answer, and it only seemed to irritate the young girl further. "Can you at least be an adult and answer my question!? You're not taking this seriously!" she added with frustration.

Sentaro only scoffed at her once again, although this time, not out of rudeness. "Then let me ask you this: don't you think being too focused on his health will only demotivate us?" he asked her. But he went far as too grab the young girl by her collar. "I mean, have you forgotten what happened in the last battle!? Thousands of lives were lost! The Quincies exterminated our friends and allies like they were rats trapped in a corner! Ryunosuke, Shino and even Hidetomo, they all perished!" he angrily told her, before lowering his face down. Tears began streaming from his eyes.

Kiyone faced his rival break into tears and she could not help but to feel her eyes burst into tears as well. Yes, it had been difficult for them to move on ever since the battle. In their opinion, they only had Ukitake and Rukia left when it came to the squad's family figure. Over the ages, the Squad had lost many proud members and they could not afford to lose anymore.

* * *

 _Inside the meeting hall, Squad 1 Barracks_

Head-Captain Shunsui Kyoraku was sitting on the chair at the other end of the hall, with most of the captains and lieutenants of the Court Guard standing before him in two different lines. Shunsui had appointed both his former lieutenant from Squad 8: Nanao Ise to serve as one of his co-lieutenants, alongside Genshiro Okikiba. They stood at his side by his chair and faced the gathering of lieutenants and captains that had been made.

The only notable exception was Captain of Squad 12: Mayuri Kurotsuchi, as well as his lieutenant Nemu. But he had a justification for not attending, as he was busy figure out the whereabouts of the Wandenreich.

And yes, both Renji Abarai and Rukia Kuchiki was already standing at their spots, although Rukia was still waiting for her captain to arrive. Although they had been taken up to the Royal Realm to receive training, they felt like a summit like this was not to just walk away from. But as soon as the summit was done, they would return to the Royal Realm and resume their training.

Another lieutenant that had met up was Izuru Kira, having just suffered critical injuries during the Wandenreich's first invasion. Although he narrowly managed to survive, he had lost his right arm and half of his chest, although that had been replaced by an artificial arm. While not as effective, it would at least let continue to fight, let alone using a Zanpakutou. He was leaning against the wall in a gloomy manner. Rose, his captain, only shrugged his shoulders at Izuru's behavior.

While there had been no formal decision to appoint a captain for Squad 8 yet, Squad 4 was so far, the only squad that had no captain. However, its lieutenant Isane Kotetsu, was currently stepping in as the acting leader.

The door opened and Ukitake came in, immediately walking up towards Rukia to greet her. The black-haired woman smiled in return by seeing her captain and she saluted in return.

"Rukia! I am so glad that you could come!" the white-haired man said with his smile. "Squad 13 has not been the same without you" he remarked with humor in his voice.

Rukia nodded at him with respect and dignity in return. "I could not pass this opportunity, Captain Ukitake. So I decided to tag along and see what this was all about" she said before looking over her shoulder to see Renji standing beside his captain. "I see that Renji looks pretty confident in himself" she noted with slight disdain in her thoughts.

Yes, Renji was really feeling himself confident, as the training he had received so far had helped him regain his strength. His captain could notice this and only sighed in irritation.

"Why do you seem so happy, Renji?" Byakuya asked him sternly, as he didn't get his behavior.

"Well that's simple, Captain Kuchiki" Renji replied in return. "I happen to have regained my confidence in battle" he added to his explanation.

Byakuya did not say anything in return, as he hoped that the summit would soon commence. The giant doors were closed and all captains and lieutenants were standing in two lines. Knowing that everyone was ready to begin, Shunsui rose from his seat and proceeded to survey both lines like a true head-captain would. He had even taken off his straw-hat, and made sure that everyone could see the expression on his face clearly.

"I'm glad that almost all of you could make it. Captain Kurotsuchi is of course excused due to his research so we will have to make it best without him" Shunsui spoke up in a friendly manner before moving on. "Anyway, what I wanted to share with each and every one of you, is the fact that I have some plans with regard to us of the Court Guard" he went on explaining himself.

"What is it, Shunsui?" Uktikae spoke up with curiosity to his long-time friend.

Shunsui smiled at him. "Simple, Jushiro. As all of you may have seen, the Royal Guard does not hold a high opinion of us, especially since Old man Yama is no longer with us" he spoke up while commenting their current relationship with their "upper" brothers and sisters. "However, as I said in the Royal Realm, we of the 13 Court Guard Squads are allowed to take matters into our own hands, even without the Royal Guard's approval" he added to his explanation.

"Take matters into our own hands?" Sajin Komamura wondered in his head while thinking about the head-captain's words. He then decided to speak up his mind. "But you still remember that we as Shinigamis have no sway of power over Central 46. What they decide, must be carried out" the humanoid wolf reminded Shunsui.

The man in pink kimono only scoffed at Komamura. "I know, I know. And I just wanna clarify that I have no intention of turning against Central 46, Captain Komamura. I still remember my duties" he assured the tall captain. "However, I was given the mantle of head-captain to protect the Soul Society, as well as doing what was best for it. Two empires have remerged and are gathering their strength. And at least one of them is hellbent on destroying the Sereitei and reaching the Royal Realm, which are the Wandenreich. Therefore, I have decided to enter a non-aggression pact with the Arrancars of the Imperio de Hierro" he added with his conclusion.

Most of the captains and lieutenants were stunned to hear the head-captain's plans. There was still some of those who did not know what the Imperio de Hierro was.

"A treaty? With Arrancars!?" Rukia asked in disbelief. She turned around to face Ukitake. "I thought most of the Hollows in Hueco Mundo had been exterminated!" she told the white-haired man who faced her grimly in return.

"I know what your feelings are" Ukitake told her and made sure that all lieutenants were listening. "When Urahara had sent Ichigo to the Soul Society to aid us against the Quincies, he happened to be confronted by Arrancars whose level of power dwarfs those of Aizen's Espadas. Apparently, there actually existed another civilization, one that even Aizen himself failed to discover" the white-haired man explained to everyone.

"A civilization…in Hueco Mundo?" Renji asked dumbfounded.

Shinji Hirako faced the head-captain with a raised eyebrow. "Hold on just a sec there, Shunsui! Do you seriously believe that these Arrancars will agree to a treaty!?" he wondered aloud. "Like, they might as well be embittered that we stole Sosuke away from them" he added to his explanation.

Sui-Feng did not seem impressed by this subject was worth discussing and faced the head-captain narrowly. "What good is there in wasting our time babbling about such ridiculous ideas!? Those who are not Shinigami are our enemies, end of discussion!" she snapped out in anger.

Shunsui surprisingly fixed a smug look at her in return. "Oh yeah. Well currently, Urahara is being held as a hostage, alongside Tessai and Yoruichi" he revealed to her, hoping to soften Sui-Feng's heart.

The blue-haired woman snapped in return. "Lady Yoruichi…..what have they done to her!?" she demanded angrily from him.

Her lieutenant Marechiyo Omaeda felt worried and tried to calm her down. "Easy there, captain. I surely believe that Yoruichi is…OUCH!" the fat man was punched in his stomach by his captain and boy did it hurt.

"Shut your trap, Omaeda! And address her as Lady Yoruichi, you dimwitted oaf!" she angrily demanded as Marechiyo wined in pain.

"Are you finished, Sui-Feng?" the young woman could hear Byakuya's dispassionate voice calling to her. She angrily turned around to see the young man closing his eyes in irritation. "If you are finished throwing your tantrum, we can proceed with this summit and be finished with it" he told her sternly.

Sui-Feng narrowed her eyes at him. "Back off, Kuchiki. Even without my Bankai, I can still hurt you" she threatened him with a low tone.

This caused Byakuya to face her with dispassion and even held onto his Zanpakutou. "Mind your tongue" he reminded her sternly, while Renji looked at this with awkwardness.

"Oh shit, Sui-Feng just managed to push the captain's buttons" Renji remarked with while sweating.

"I agree with Captain Kuchiki's statement" Toshiro Hitsugaya spoke up his opinion, while his lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto only raised an eyebrow at his statement. He then proceeded to gain all captains' attention, more specifically Shunsui's. "And as for your non-aggression pact. Have do you plan on making it happening? Can we trust Urahara's words?" he asked.

Hearing this made Shunsui smile smugly and he knew that Toshiro always were quite perceptive. "You took the words out of my mouth, Captain Hitsugaya. Yes, we are considering in signing it down….in Karakura Town" he revealed.

Once again, stunning voices could be heard from lieutenants and captains alike. Some of them had even fixed outraged looks on their faces, as they could not believe what their superior was saying.

Surprisingly, the calmest of the captains was Kenpachi, and he was not even as much as paying attention to what was going on. His lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi could notice it and she patted his shoulder.

"You've been awfully quiet since this summit started, Kenny! What's the big idea?" the pink-haired girl asked him.

The black-haired man only closed his eyes as he did not feel like answering. However, he managed to say a few words out to the young girl. "We'll talk later, just you and me" he answered her lowly and proceeded to look around like he was at least interested to know what was going on.

"You plan on doing this in the World of the Living?" Kensei Mugurama asked while sounding suspicious. "With Hollows and Arrancars, I don't see that being realistic" the grey-haired man added while crossing his arms.

"However, I don't plan on doing this alone" Shunsui suddenly revealed, causing mixed reactions to his words. This mused the head-captain. "That's right we will need at least six captains and lieutenants to accompany us, as well as making sure that nothing goes wrong" he added before fixing a smug smile. "Now which one of you have enough balls to accompany me?" he asked while eyeing both lines.

Ukitake suddenly stood before him, causing Rukia to snap in surprise. "Captain…..what are you…" she stopped by seeing Ukitake look at her with a gentle smile on his face.

"Do not worry, Rukia. You and Renji may return to your training in the Royal Realm. I can handle things perfectly" he assured her and then refocused his attention on his long-time friend. "I will come along with you, Shunui. But I do this in order to make sure nothing goes wrong" the white-haired man said.

Shunsui chuckled by seeing this. "I knew you would that, Jushiro" he remarked. But he was in for a surprise, as Shinji, Kensei, Rose, Sui-Feng, Toshiro and Byakuya, along with their lieutenants save Renji. Shunsui whistled in amazement. "Wow, I never knew you guys were that enthusiastic about it!" he noted with sarcasm in his voice.

"Know this, Kyoraku! I am only joining you on this circus so that I can find out about Lady Yoruichi's current condition!" she spat out, much to everyone's annoyance, even Shunsui's.

"I understand. But you will have to extra careful not to mess with these Arracnars, considering that you no longer have your Bankai. The same goes for Kuchiki and Hitsugaya as well" the Shinigami in pink kimono told all three captains who were currently without any Bankai.

Shinji formed a smirk with his mouth. "Me, Rose and Kensei here will tag along. It will be interesting to see how these Arrancars look like, based upon Kisuke's description" he said and suddenly faced his lieutenant: Momo Hinamori. "Watch your back while we're there, okay Momo?" he asked her.

Momo immediately saluted him in return. "Yes, Captain Hirako!" she said with loyalty.

"I'll expect the same thing for you, Shuhei!" Kensei spoke to his lieutenant Shuhei Hisagi in a very strict and tough manner. "And if I see you doing something stupid like peeing in your robes, I'll whoop your ass until it bleeds, got it!?" he made sure the black-haired Shinigami took this seriously.

Gulping, he only nodded his head as a yes. "Right, Captain Mugurama" he said while feeling slightly embarrassed and scared at the same time.

Rose faced Izuru and put a hand on his left shoulder. "This time, stay alerted. You never know when the enemy attacks us next" the blonde-haired man told Izuru, as he slightly nodded his head in return.

"I'll try" he said lowly.

Knowing that they were ready, Shunsui clapped his hands for them to show his appreciation. "Very excellent, people! But because of Rukia and Renji not joining us, we have to choose replacements before we leave. But that will have to wait. I will stay in touch with Urahara and let him know that the 13 Court Guard Squads are interested in talks with the Imperio de Hierro" he told them with enthusiasm. The Shinigami in pink kimono then put on his hat and thought about something smugly. "Sorry about this, Royal Guard. But we'll take matters into our own hands" he thought cunningly.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Author's note: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! We were introduced to El Dorado and its unique location. We also learned something curious about Orihime, Jinta and Ururu. What is an Interminable? And what of Ukitake's vision? While I admit that we did not get to see the Wandenreich, I promise you we will next time. We would also like to dig in about El Dorado as well as these…Interminables. Stay tuned!**

 **Ojos – Spanish for "Eyes": That is name of El Dorado's city guard. Under Borddum's command, they are entrusted with keeping the streets of the city clean and safe. Like many other aspects of the empire's military, the Ojos only answer to the ruler of the empire.**

 **Puerta de La Luna – Spanish for "Gate of the Moon": This is the large gate that separates El Dorado from the outside world. It makes sure that no one enters the city unwelcome.**

 **Esperanza – Spanish for "Hope": This majestic palace serves as the residence of the ruler of the Imperio de Hierro, as well as the place where both the Dechados and the Legionarios reside. But who in the world is their ruler?**

 **Conociomento – Spanish for "Knowledge": This building serves both as an observatory and an academy for young citizens of the empire. It is hard to believe how knowledgeable the Arrancars really were.**

 **Interminable – French for "Endless": What kind of spiritual aware Humans are those? Apparently, only a few of the handful knows the existence of these people. There are rumors to believe that they share common ancestry with the Fullbringers, but that may be inaccurate.**


	7. Viva La Vida 2

**Author's note: While I love Bleach, I was hoping that Kubo could've done something more in this arc. While some of this will remain loyal to the canon part, the rest of the plotlines will be original, based upon an idea I had. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Viva La Vida 2**

 _In Silbern's courtyard, somewhere hidden in the shadows_

The Wandenreich was in uproar after Yhwach had announced Uryu to be his successor as emperor. For his loyal subjects, it was a shock, as none of them knew about Uryu, as well as his past. His most precious children, the Sternritters had also expressed similar feelings and for now, division rose up in the Wandenreich's ranks.

In the palace's courtyard, Sternritter H: Bazz-B was one of the many members to not take this announcement kindly and he was about to storm towards Yhwach's throne room and demand some answers. However, the man with the Mohawk stopped as Sternritter B as well as the Grandmaster of the Sternritters: Jugram Haschwalth stood in his way. The blonde-haired man fixed a disapproving glance towards Bazz-B.

"Jugo….." the man with Mohawk said while addressing Haschwalth by his usual nickname.

"Where do you think you are going, Bazz-B?" Haschwalth asked him lowly.

The punkish Quincy only scoffed at him. "Where do you think? To the throne room!" Bazz-B answered in return.

"His Majesty has requested no interruptions this evening, return to your post" the blonde-haired man strictly told him.

Despite being told this, Bazz-B did not back down. "Ya know, I always considered you to be His Majesty's successor, but instead you got replaced by some four-eyed dude we barley know. Isn't that scary, Jugo?" Bazz-B asked while remaining suspicious. "I mean, most of us Sternritters wouldn't have a problem with having you as our future emperor, but this is just way too messed up! Aren't you at least worried!?" he added while demanding an answer.

Haschwalth remained calm and focused, despite Bazz-B's disrespectful tone. "His Majesty's decisions are absolute and final. I have no say in it, as do the rest of you" the blonde-haired man spoke plainly.

Bazz-B felt only disgusted by hearing this. "So you're willing to follow whatever he's saying? Tch, coward" he said with rudeness and started to take slow steps towards him. He eventually fixed a smug grin and began confronting Haschwalth. "IF YOU DON'T GIVE A SHIT, THEN YOU MIGHT AS WELL LEAVE THAT SEAT TO ME! YOU'RE ONLY PATHETIC, SO STEP ASIDE AND LET A REAL LEADER SIT ON THE THRONE!" the hotheaded Quincy suddenly declared, as he was intending on taking the throne by himself.

Haschwalth reached for his sword, yet remained calm while facing Bazz-B. "Calm down, Bazz-B" he said lowly.

But Bazz-B only ignored his request. "WHAT!? OH I'M CALM! WAY CALMER THAN YOU ARE!" he retorted, still intending on confronting the blonde-haired man.

But before this could escalate further, a ball of poison could be spotted in the middle of the two Quncies. With quick reflexes, they backed down, hoping to avoid the ball of poison. An applause could be heard and it came from a Quincy with slick black hair, who was leaning against Silbern's wall. Apparently, he had been watching the confrontation from the sidelines. This was Sternritter D: Askin Nakk Le Vaar.

"You're right. You really are calm" Askin said with sarcasm directed towards Bazz-B, who was not amused by this. "However, you didn't attack him just right away. This only means you absolutely are calm" he added, this time, with no sarcasm hinted in his voice.

Bazz-B only stared at him with a raised eyebrow. "Hey Nakk Le Vaar, what's the big idea?" he demanded an answer.

Askin only scoffed at him in return. "Oh please, you should actually be thanking me. I just did you a favor" he said while waving his right hand whimsically. "Unless I'm mistaking, His Majesty does not tolerate infighting amongst us Sternritters" he said and began eyeing sideways suspiciously. "And besides, we seem to have onlookers watching us" he added while noticing somebody spying on them from the palace.

It was a fat and black-skinned Quincy, who took great pleasure in spying on them with the help of his staff. Eventually, both Haschwalth and Bazz-B took notice of him as well.

"So just quit this fighting, it won't be beneficial to either of you" Askin said, before facing Haschwalth, who had already turned around to leave. "Especially you. I know the punishment won't be like poison, but I'm sure you understand. Isn't that right, Next Emperor?" he mockingly asked Haschwalth, who did not seem to take notice of his words.

The fat Quincy with sunglasses who had been spying on his three comrades was Sternritter L: PePe Waccabrada. The moment he saw the fight end, he moaned in disappointment. "Aw man! Here I was hoping to show this to His Majesty and get some views! Stupid Askin always has to ruin the fun!" the man with white beard expressed his disappointment.

PePe was conversing with three other members of the Sterntitters. They were Sternritter F: Äs Nödt, Sternritter N: Robert Accutrone and Sternritter U: NaNaNa Najahkoop. However, they were not amused by PePe's childish antics, including NaNaNa, who was quite dull in comparison to them all.

"You find entertainment in watching Quincies fighting amongst themselevs?" Robert asked him with a stern glance. "What an inexplicable hobby you have, PePe" he commented.

PePe only grinned cockily in return. "Come on! Lighten up! Ever since we got back from the invasion, things have only started to get boring. We need to at least come up something to keep us entertained and everybody LOVES a good fight between a hothead and a calm guy" he pointed out.

"Ignorant fool" everyone snapped by hearing the voice coming from Äs, who had grown tired of hearing PePe's rantings. "Have you completely forgotten what has just happened? His Majesty just announced his successor to his throne" the black-haired man spoke up.

"Tell me about it, yo!" NaNaNa spoke out. "Who in the hell, is that four-eyed punkass bitch, who thinks he can just come right in here and let himself be crowned prince!?" the black-skinned Quincy wondered while raising his arms in the air.

Robert adjusted his glasses. "Whoever he is, the name Ishida is no stranger to us Quincies" he spoke up while facing his comrades. "I believe you know someone by the name of Soken Ishida. He was that researcher who foolishly refused to accept the concept of the Quincy: Vollständig, sticking by the outdated Quincy: Letzt Stil" the four-eyed man went on explaining.

"But isn't he dead?" Äs asked him.

"Technically yes, but his offspring must've survived, apparently" the four-eyed man answered.

Äs felt like he had heard enough and walked through the corridor. His comrades could notice how satisfaction seemed to take hold on him, as he was in fact one of the Sternritters to have stolen a Shinigami captain's Bankai. During the Wandenreich's invasion, Äs was up against Byakuya Kuchiki, who had foolishly underestimated the gothic Quincy's inducement abilities. But when Byakuya was about to perform his Bankai: Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, Äs used his medallion and stole it from the captain. With it, he used the Bankai to torture Byakuya both physically and emotionally, eventually decimating Byakuya against a wall of blood.

"Tch, this scary mothafucka is one hell of a showoff!" NaNaNa muttered lowly beneath his breath.

PePe only grinned by hearing him say that. "Why, are you jealous that you didn't steal a Bankai?" he mockingly asked the scrawny Quincy. "I mean, didn't you face one of the captains during the invasion?" he asked while pointing it out.

NaNaNa did not feel like being lectured by someone as lazy as PePe (even though he himself was pretty much lazy). "Hey PePe, shut yo fatass up! I ain't got time being schooled by you!" he snapped in return.

"Bah! All I hear from you are pathetic excuses, NaNaNa! It's actually a good thing you didn't steal a Bankai, considering your stupidity!" the round man commented, much to NaNaNa's anger.

"You are very confident in your ability, PePe Waccabrada" Robert remarked sternly.

PePe only grinned in return. "Well what can I say? With my ability, I don't even need to steal a Bankai with a medallion" he exclaimed and laughed out loud with satisfaction.

Near Yhwach's throne room, four Sternritters were resting on couches while servitors were serving them food and drinks. They had been discussing the latest developments so far, especially since Uryu being named the Prinz von Lichts.

"Did any of you see where Haschwalth went?" Sternritter X: Lille Barro asked his comrades while holding a rifle on his lap. "Last time I saw him, he was with His Majesty" he added to his statement.

"He went off to "discipline" Bazz-B, that hotheaded imbecile" Sternritter M: Gerard Valkyrie replied and took a bite of a bread. "Hah! To think that he has enough balls to confront His Majesty! If so, then we would have to get through me first!" he added with arrogance in his voice.

Sterntitter V: Gremmy Thoumeaux only sat in silence while listening to what was being said. "You shouldn't be so overconfident about yourself, Gerard. There are some of us whose power surpasses yours" he reminded the brutish Quincy sternly.

But Gerard only watched him with a cocky grin of his own. "Surpasses mine, you say?" he asked before bursting out into laughter. "Don't be ridiculous! The only person to have power that surpasses that of my own is His Majesty and His Majesty alone! Get your facts straight, Gremmy!" he corrected the young boy's words.

"Damn it, Gerard! Can you stop being an ass for a second or two!?" Lille demanded while he was slightly getting fed up by the blonde-haired man's antics. "Now as I was saying, I don't trust that newbie being near His Majesty. If Haschwalth's not gonna take this seriously, then I better do" the black-skinned man said and was about to walk off.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you" the weird voice came from Sternritter W: Nianzol Weizol, who had long black hair and two tongues hanging from his mouth. "You know how His Majesty hates whenever somebody questions his motives" he reminded the one-eyed Quincy.

Lille only sighed in annoyance by hearing this. "Man how annoying your voice is, Nianzol" he remarked before proceeding walking. "Besides, because of Haschwalth returning to his quarters, I might as well go and ensure His Majesty's security" the Quincy added while moving on.

"Allow me to accompany you on this one, Lille!" Gerard said as he moved and joined up with his comrade.

This left only Gremmy and Nianzol alone by the couches and they were among the most reclusive members of the Sternritters. Or so many thought like that.

"Oh, we seem to have company" Gremmy noted lowly, much to Nianzol's confusion.

The Quincy with two tongues didn't get the blonde-haired boy's words. "What'cha mean by…." the black-haired boy paused as he could notice the Spiritual Pressure coming from two elusive members of the Sternritters.

The first one was Sternritter Σ: Shaz Domino. He was considered to be one of the orders most unique members, considering that his Schrift was actually a Greek letter instead of a Latin letter. Accompanying him was Sternritter C: Pernida Parnkgjas. No one knew who this mysterious hooded being was, but Pernida was always known for his undying loyalty to Yhwach.

Shaz smirked while facing the two Quincies. "Gremmy, Nianzol, lovely day it is outside, isn't it?" he mockingly asked the two.

Nianzol immediately snapped in surprise. "What? Is there actually sun outside?" he asked. Shaz could only laugh at his stupidity while Gremmy only facepalmed in return while the black-haired boy never understood the point.

"No, you idiot! He was being sarcastic!" Gremmy scolded his comrade before fixing his attention to Shaz. "Anyway. Why are you bothering us?" he asked with annoyance.

Shaz took a sip from a glass of water a servitor had brought him before answering. "We only came here to check out how you were holding up. Come on, aren't comrades allowed to socialize with one another?" he asked while adjusting his glasses. "We had just visited Bambietta and her friends, but they were having a slumber party at her quarters" Shaz then explained to them.

Gremmy only listened with little enthusiasm in his voice. "Those girls are nothing but brats. I'm surprised that His Majesty has not eliminated them yet" he thought with disdain of the female members of the Sternritters.

"So what are you two doing here by yourselves?" Shaz then asked them cunningly.

"We were only discussing something with Lille and Gerard. But they are both headed towards His Majesty's throne room" Nianzol spoke up.

Shaz whistled in amazement by hearing this. "You don't say. Then perhaps we should also head to the throne room to see how things are going" he remarked before facing his strange comrade. "Wouldn't you agree, Pernida?" he quizzed the mysterious Quincy, who was mostly focused on both Gremmy and Nianzol at the moment.

For some reason, the two boys could feel some hint of uneasiness when they saw Pernida gaze right into them. They were about to angrily retaliate, before Pernida vanished from the scene by using his Hirenkyaku.

Shaz chuckled by seeing this. "Heh, guess I'll hang around with Pernida for a while. He does get quite lonely sometimes" he noted before waving his hand at both Nianzol and Gremmy in a whimsical fashion. "Toddles!" he said to them before using his Hirenkyaku to vanish from the scene.

As both Shaz and Pernida were gone, the two boys could not help but to sigh deeply to catch their breaths. Apparently, they had been intimidated by Pernida and his enormous Spiritual Pressure.

"Pernida….really is scary sometimes…" Nianzol admitted as his tongues sweated alongside his skin.

But Gremmy did not feel like being told about this. "Shut up…..Nianzol" the blonde-haired boy told him, as he could feel a hint of anger and jealousy burning inside of him.

Inside Yhwach's throne room, Uryu had partaken the ritual for receiving a power by Yhwach. The four-eyed man drank the emperor's blood and he was now granted a Schrift by Yhwach: The Letter A, just like the one his superior had. However, there was something Uryu had yet to understand with being the Crown Prince of the Wandenreich.

"I don't understand all of this" he said lowly, causing Yhwach to glance at him normally. "Your declaration caused a huge uproar and discord amongst your servants and that is understandable, considering that you made an outsider the successor to your throne" he went on explaining the reactions.

Yhwach surprisingly grinned by hearing this. "Heh, I am glad that they are not just some mindless sheep who are only following the shepherd blindly like some hypnotized beasts. It is good to see that they do possess some independence and self-consciousness. However, they will never understand the things that I see within you" he explained, but the man with the black moustache could see that Uryu was still not convinced. Yhwach realized that he needed to be more informative. "Still not convinced? Very well, then let me ask you this: Uryu…why are you still alive?" he then asked him cunningly.

This immediately sent a chill down Uryu's spine, as the raven-haired man did not expect to be asked a question such as this. The emperor took notice of this and formed a smirk with his mouth.

"You catch on pretty fast. I like that" he commented. "Nine years ago, my Auswählen took the lives of all Gemischt Quincies in the Human World. But you, was the sole survivor of it and the first one in our history to have ever accomplished something like that. That is why I called you The Last Quincy, the last one to exist in the Human World" the emperor went on explaining.

As Uryu stood and listened, sorrowful and dreadful memories began invading his thoughts, as he did in fact recall the Auswählen Yhwach used to restore his powers. He was only a young boy at that time. Many Gemischt Quincies had perished in that horrible genocide, among them Uryu's own mother: Kanae Katagiri. The young man still remembered the reason why he never wanted to become a doctor, as he had witnessed his own father Ryuken Ishida dissect Kanae's lifeless body.

"However, there is a particular reason why I chose you to be my successor, Uryu" Yhwach revealed, thus snapping Uryu out of his thoughts. "Your survival of my Auswählen has convinced me that there is a hidden potential dwelling inside of you. A power that is so powerful it can even succeed my own. I can help you with unleashing that power of yours. Therefore, you should not question my directions, orders or intentions. Just follow my leadership, and I will show you the truth you never realized even existed" he explained, trying to convince Uryu to not question him.

The young man did nothing but only nod to him in return. "Yes, Your Majesty" he said in return before following his superior.

However, Yhwach and Uryu was approached by a Quincy who seemed very desperate as he tried to catch his breath. Yhwach only glanced at him. "My lord! I have terrible news! Tier Harribel has escaped from her cell!" the Quincy revealed.

While Uryu was surprised by hearing this, Yhwach seemed less than interested, although he did raise eyebrows by hearing this revelation.

"We don't know how she managed to escape, but we found two Arrancar guards slain in cold blood, their bodies torn apart!" the Quincy added. "Shall we pursue her whereabouts?" he asked.

Surprisingly, Yhwach held up his palm as a no to his answer. "No, that won't be necessary" he revealed, much to both Uryu and the Quincy's shock. The emperor found their reactions to be tasteless. "Why do you fret over a mere Arrancar? Compared to my power, hers was like a fish out of water. Let that poor woman do as she pleases, she is after all…nothing but a slave and creation of Sosuke Aizen" he revealed and easily dismissed the Quincy.

His bowed with formality before moving on, but Uryu wanted to know more about Yhwach. "Your Majesty, with all due respect, may I ask you what you were discussing with Sosuke Aizen?" Uryu asked while bowing to him.

"Remember what I told you, Uryu. You must trust in my judgement and intentions. Never question them" Yhwach reminded him, causing Uryu to immediately back down.

"Yes. I apologize" the young man replied with a nod.

However, Yhwach was now thinking and he mused to himself while she was making sure Uryu followed him. "Aizen, you refused to join me when I was reaching out to you" he thought and he eventually smiled with delight. "A bad decision. In time, you will come to regret it, especially when "he" finds out you are alive" he added to his thoughts.

* * *

 _Outside the Conociomento, in the wondrous city of El Dorado, Hueco Mundo_

The magnificent city of El Dorado was now bustling with Hollow and Arrancar activity. Surprisingly, the two groups lived side by side and there were no different laws made to each group. Even knew, El Dorado's markets were crawling with tradesmen, as well as heralds who spoke before large gatherings of citizens. They spoke about the Wandenreich and the threat it posed to the Imperio de Hierro.

But outside the observatory, Urahara has having a little gathering with his gang, as he was happy to know that Orihime, Chad, Ururu and Jinta had made it to the city alive. He was also glad in seeing both Ganju and Hanataro making it. Right now, they were having a discussion on what to do next.

"I'm glad that all you made it here safely. But the threats are far from over" the blonde-haired man said with a somewhat grim voice. "The Quincies will launch their attack at the Soul Society once again, but having no clue where their headquarters are, it is difficult to predict it" he added to his explanation.

"Have you made contact with Ichigo yet, boss?" Tessai asked his long-time friend.

Urahara shook his head as a no. "It is difficult for me to reach out to him. But for now, it would be best for us if we let Ichigo do what he thinks is best for him in the Royal Realm. He will have enough time to reflect on himself as a person" he explained while assuring everyone that Ichigo was never gonna quit fighting.

Most of Ichigo's friends smiled at what they heard as they could see the truth in Urahara's words. But there was something on Orihime's mind that she wanted to know from Urahara.

"Pardon me, Urahara. But have you heard anything from Uryu yet? We haven't spoken to him since we left for Hueco Mundo" she asked while bringing up a subject that had almost left most people forget about the four-eyed man.

"Unfortunately, we haven't" this time it was Yoruichi's turn to answer. "We have tried to contact him to let him know about the current situations we're in, but he never responds. But knowing Uryu, I think we would be absolutely insane as to join the Wandenreich, as would his father" the purple-haired woman told Orihime as she felt concerned about Uryu not responding.

"Where are you…Uryu?" Orihime wondered while thinking about the silent but intelligent classmate of hers.

"But what do we do now?" Chad suddenly asked lowly. "We have reached El Dorado….is there any more reasons for us to stay here, other than for safety?" the tall man asked the Shinigami.

"I suppose it is that way, Chad. Moreover, we are soon about to be one of the few outsiders to be granted entry…to Esperanza" Urahara revealed, much to everyone's surprise. He nodded his head at their reactions. "That's right. We're going inside the palace…to witness a summit. But we also get to see….the leader of this empire" the blonde-haired man revealed, with a hint of unease creeping upon him.

Ganju whistled in slight amazement. "We're getting an audience with their emperor? Now that sounds interesting! I bet that he must be a very powerful and mighty ruler" he remarked with interest in his voice.

"It is not that he must be a very powerful and mighty ruler, Ganju Shiba. He IS a very powerful and mighty ruler!" Tessai explained while adjusting his glasses.

Ganju could not help but to feel unease over hearing this. "You know, I take that back" he said with a gulp.

"Who is the Imperio de Hierro's leader?" Chad asked the leading trio. "And how come we could feel his Spirtual Pressure as far as outside the mountain?" he added to his question.

Even Hanataro showed hints of fear while this subject was being brought into the conversation. "That Spiritual Pressure we felt…" the timid Shinigami recalled what they had all felt when they were standing outside the Negal Ruins. "It was monstrous…...enormous…just what kind of creature possesses such strength!?" he asked while sounding paranoid.

Realizing that it was no use in hiding the truth, Urahara took a deep breath, despite feeling very uneasy about telling them this. "The ruler of this empire…makes you kind of wonder whether he even is a Hollow or an Arrancar. In fact…...even Aizen feared him…more than anything" he revealed to everyone as they listened carefully.

"But Aizen had enormous Spiritual Pressure, as he was empowered by the Hogyoku.…...how could he possibly have feared someone else, when he possessed such monstrous power?" Chad asked lowly.

The blonde-haired man sighed deeply. "The reason…is because that even if Aizen had become one with the Hogyoku….he wouldn't have stood a chance against him" Urahara's answer blurted out. "I will let you all in a secret: the only few living Shingamis who has knowledge about this empire's ruler, are me, Yoruichi, Tessai, Aizen and Kurotsuchi and a few of the Vizards. But yet, we dare not to mention his name, despite knowing it" he added while sounding reluctant to speak up.

"Wait! Is what you are telling us something that you never learn at the Shin'o Academy?" Hanataro asked while he felt surprised.

This time, Yoruichi was the one to answer. "Correct. At the time when we were children, Central 46 adopted new laws that declared all literature considered a threat to the laws of the Soul Society had to be purged. All literature that previously told us about ancient times, including the previous war between Shinigamis and Quincies were burned to ashes. And despite the academy being independent, both Central 46 and the 13 Court Guard Squads pressured it to remove what they considered to be inappropriate literature for the Shinigamis" the purple-haired woman told everyone.

"However, there was one man who refused to burn the literature, and he kept its safe, somewhere in his lair beneath the forests of the Soul Society" Urahara suddenly spoke up with a slight smile forming across his face. "That man was our mentor as children, and at that time Captain of Squad 3: Bansui Amatsuki" he spoke up while getting slightly emotional.

The group of friends could also see Yoruichi and Tessai feeling the same way, as they felt like this Bansui Amatsuki had a great inlfluence in their childhood, before becoming well-renowned Shinigamis.

"So you had a captain as a mentor? That sounds interesting" Orihime asked as she was fascinated. But she then felt like not asking anything more, as she could see how slightly saddened the three Shinigamis had become when mentioning this captain. The young woman felt bad for being this curious.

"But we can't drift on the past. We will tell you this some other time. First, we will have to focus on this situation were in with this Imperio de Hierro" Yoruichi said while fixing a determined glance. "And to do that, you will have to know about the empire's ruler" she added while facing the gang.

"Who is this ruler you keep bragging about?" Chad asked as he really wanted to answer, while specifically facing Urahara.

Tessai decided he had to speak up on behalf of his boss. "The name of the Emperor of the Imperio de Hierro as well as the true ruler of Hueco Mundo is…Augustus Zod Allowin: The Skyfather" he added while mentioning the ruler's name. "We cannot say for sure if he is alive. But If he really is…then perhaps this world is more doomed than before!" Tessai added with a hint of distress in his voice.

"Hold on just a sec!" Jinta's impatient voice interrupted everyone. "Are you saying that some dangerous Arrancar has been living since you were all kids!?" he asked while wanting to know the answer.

Before anyone could answer, the entire gang could hear the sound of Hollow-horses arriving outside the tent. Urahara and his associates went outside, only to see five members of the Conquistadores along with Appius Titus Caesar standing before the tent. However, they were not alone, as a strange Arrancar dressed in white and dirty cloth, as well as burlap mask with two tanks sticking out of his mouth. He almost looked like a scarecrow with a gas mask. It seemed that those two tanks hanging out from the opening of his mask seemed to be his Hollow-shell, and he wore two claws on his hands, indicating that they were his Zanpakutou.

Caesar took some steps forward and slammed his staff on the ground. He began facing Urahara and his friends. "It's almost time now, Shinigamis. Both the Dechados and the Legionarios are about to commence their summit. Furthermore, "he" has demanded that you bring all your associates to Esperanza this instant" the Arrancar with helmet revealed before tunring his attention to the Arrancar beside him. "And before we go, I would like you to meet a great asset to the Imperio de Hierro. He is also the current Headmaster of Conociomento" he added.

Urahara and his associates snapped by seeing this mysterious Arrancar, who fixed a smug smile beneath his mask. "Ah, you three must be Kisuke Urahara, Yoruichi Shihoin and Tessai Tsukabishi. I am honored to meet you. I am the imperial researcher, as well as a member of the Dechados: Pieddot Picasso" he formally introduced himself. He then faced the blonde-haired man with interest. "I already know about your great accomplishments as a scientist and inventor, and they are admirable, even by my standards" the peculiar creature went on.

The blonde-haired man only fixed a smug smile in return. "I'll take that as a compliment" he said, but he suddenly noticed that Pieddot was having his eyes focused on Chad, Orihime, Yukio, Ururu, Riruka and Jinta. The six people themselves felt very confused about it.

"So these are the Fullbringers you have brought to assist you, Urahara?" he wondered while studying their appearances. He then fixed his cunning eyes upon Orihime, Jinta and Ururu. "Hmmm…Interminables…rare specimen these days" he remarked.

Orihime could not help but to compare Pieddot to Mayuri Kurotsuchi, as she felt like they would become good friends, if they ever met one another that is. However, she was also surprised to know that Pieddot knew about her.

However, Urahara, Yoruichi and Tessai all snapped when hearing what the paragon just said, as they never knew that there existed a name for the types of humans Orihime and the two teenagers were. The blonde-haired man was just about to ask him, but stopped when hearing Caesar slam his spear on the ground once again.

"Enough chatting! The old one demands our presences at Esperanza this instant!" he demanded and mounted on his Hollow-horse, and Pieddot mounted on his as well. "I am sorry for saying this, Master Pieddot. But you can find out more about this after the meeting" he told the researcher with respect in his voice.

Pieddot only chuckled smugly in return. "I know, I know. Sometimes, I let curiosity get the best of me. But not today" he said in return smugly. He then faced the group. "Come along now, allies of the empire. You will be lucky to get a glimpse of what it is like inside Esperanza" he told them as the Hollow-horsed began leading the way.

* * *

 _Inside the imperial palace called Esperanza_

When the group had reached the gates of Espetanza's courtyard, two giant armored Hollows with shields used their strong arms to open the gate. But while they were entering, the group could not help but to notice all the stares that they were given by Hollows or Arrancars that they had passed by through the streets. In fact, it even made them realize something.

"Strange" Chad noted as he followed his friends. "We are in the middle of a civilization of Hollows, yet none of them have so far made a move to devour us, considering that we are Humans" the tall man noted grimly, as he kept walking. "Could it be that these Hollows are smarter than they look?" he wondered in his thoughts as he and his friends entered the courtyard.

When the group entered Esperanza's courtyard, thousands of Hoplitas and other kinds of soldiers in the Imperio de Hierro's army was expecting their arrival. They all saluted when spotting Caesar and Pieddot entering the courtyard. Some of them even helped them getting off the Hollow-horses.

The group were stunned as they could see the palace towering over not just them, but the entire city of El Dorado as well. They were escorted into the palace by the imperial guards and brought into an elevator

However, one particular Arrancar, who wore a cape similar to other paragons had been watching the group for a while with binoculars, having stood on one of the palace's many balconies. It was a black-skinned, brown-eyed Arracnar, who almost looked like a boy. His large curly afro was the most symbolic of his appearance His Hollow-shell appeared to be something that acted as his collar on his white gangster-like clothes. Putting his binoculars away, he moped by what he was seeing.

"Aw great! Now we have both Shinigamis and stinking Asians in here!?" he exclaimed with open disgust. "I think I'm gonna throw up!" he added.

"You're being silly, Tirrador" a girly voice came from behind as the black-skinned Arrancar turned around and could spot a golden-eyed Arrancar girl with purple hair tied into to pigtails. She was dressed in a white dress with a purple jacket. Her Hollow-shell appeared to be those that held her pigtails together and she had blue markings running across her throat.

The one named Tirrador sighed deeply by seeing this. "What are you doing here, Violetta?" he asked in annoyance.

The girl named Violetta was about to answer, until someone did it for her. "No worries, mate! We just wondered if you would get your lazy bum in the great hall!" the voice came from an Arrancar who spoke with a heavy Australian accent. Tirrador only got more irritated by seeing who it was.

It was a spikey orange-haired and grey-eyed boy similar to Tirrador. He had brown snake-like markings running across his cheeks and even head orange goatee. His Hollow-shell appeared to be that of an Aboriginal necklace hanging by his throat However, he had a partner hanging on his shoulder, and it was a small girl with short, brown hair. Her Hollow-shell appeared on her head like that of a koala, with both ears and head hanging on her.

The orange-haired Arrancar smirked at his comrade. "You better not knock back, Tirrador. Otherwise, the old one's gonna roast ya alive" he said with sarcasm in his voice.

"Yeah, you know better than to disobey orders!" the little girl hanging on his shoulder said.

Tirrador knew that they spoke the truth. "Ozzy and Lizzie Namatjira. How could I have forgotten you two outback clowns?" he wondered as he entered the opening by the balcony.

The one named Ozzy felt offended by hearing this. "Hey! Don't give us a gobful, here!" he said, as he and his partner got angered by his statement. But he was calmed down by Violetta, who faced him smugly in return.

"Don't get so worked up about him. We all know how Tirrador's attitude tends to get the best of him, despite the fact that he's a Dechado" she told him, and both Ozzy and Lizzie laughed at what they were told. The purple-haired girl eventually joined them in the laughing.

Tirrador could hear their laughing in the background, but he easily dismissed with a scowl. "Tch…showoffs!" he muttered lowly before using his Sonido to vanish from the scene.

Urahara and his team were led to a giant hall the moment they exited the elevator. It was surprising that a place such as Esperanza even had an elevator. But for them, it was a relief, considering that they were high above ground. Inside, they could see various Hollows and Arrancars sit around them, almost as if they were in an assembly. It intrigued everyone as they looked around.

They had never known that Hueco Mundo had this kind of leadership. The light almost touched everything in the hall. But they could see a giant throne and it was empty, causing them to wonder if this was the throne of the Emperor of the Imperio de Hierro. It sure was magnificent and golden, built with real gold and other kinds of riches. And right now, the group was standing in the middle, surrounded by this…..unfamiliarity.

The chatting amongst the Hollows and Arrancars soon ebbed out and an elderly Arrancar who appeared to be the speaker sought everyone's attention. He slammed the hammer on his desk and made sure that no one was speaking. Urahara and his group listened carefully what was being said, as Hoplitas and other soldiers watched them warily.

"Citizens of El Dorado! Today's summit will bring us questionable results to what we will do with these outsiders" the elderly man said and noise began filling the hall once again, but it soon ceased quickly. "But while he as a people have right to decide what is best for our civilization, these outsiders' fate will have to be decided by the Dechados, the Legionarios and of course, the old one himself. Let us hear their counsel and judgement!" he declared and a large door opened.

From those giant doors, many Arrancars entered the giant hall. They each took their seats besides the large throne at the hall's other end. This meant that they would be facing the group standing in the middle of it. Most members of the group could only stand and watch, as they had never been in a place like this before.

The elderly speaker faced the Arracnars with a respective nod. "Mighty Dechado. We thank you for being here with the people of El Dorado. Let us all know of who you each are and what you stand for" he spoke with admiration of the mighty paragons.

"Paragon Diablo Gallante" the red-skinned and one-eyed Arrancar with the scythe and eyepatch said.

"Paragon Oggrom Dorian" the long-haired and barbarous Arrancar with the two-handed axe said.

"Paragon Annabelle Luisenbarn" the elderly woman with the staff said.

"Paragon Luddenwig Van Gogh" the white-haired man in armor and carrying a blade said.

"Paragon Xerrxes Reuraux" the black-skinned man with the axe said.

"Paragon Durran Lupinus" the Arrancar with the wolf-like head as a Hollow-shell said.

"Paragon Killaman Khan" the hooded Arrancar with spikes on his back and long-white beard said.

"Paragon Pieddot Picasso" the Arrancar with the burlap mask said.

"Paragon Tirrador Webster" the black-skinned Arrancar with afro said mischievously.

All of a sudden, the elderly speaker cleared his throat once again. "And now let us welcome the two new members of the Dechados, who have been granted blessings by the old one himself" the herald declared as two familiar Arrancars stepped forward and showed themselves in front of the gathering. The entire assembly gasped in surprise. "For their compassion towards other Arrancars and Hollows, they have both been granted the title of Dechados as a testimony to what they stand for. Even if they were formerly Esclavos to Sosuke Aizen, they have renounced his ideals and have pledged loyalty to the true rulers of Hueco Mundo" the elderly speaker went on as he faced the two women.

"Paragon Nelliel Tu Odelschwank" the young woman said with formality in her voice. "I have pledged myself to the Imperio de Hierro to rid myself of Aizen's corruption, and to fight the enemies of all Arrancars" she added to her statement and the assembly cheered for her in return.

"Paragon Tier Harribel" the blonde-haired woman said while bowing her head formally. "Like Nelliel, I too seek to rid myself of the Shinigami corruption that once held onto me. But unlike many of you….I have seen the truth….the truth about why we must eliminate our enemies" she added and the audience shouted praises for her as well.

As they took their seats, Orihime and Chad had become surprised by how Nelliel had been quickly accepted into the ranks of the empire. After thinking about it, something hit them in the head. Could her time alone with Gallente somehow have changed the Dechados' view on mankind, or the Soul Society for that matter? They even began to wonder whether the entire civilization even knew about Ichigo and who he was.

The elderly Arrancar cleared his throat and was about to announce something. "Now that the Dechados have arrived, let us warmly welcome the members of the Legionarios!" he said as another wave of Arrancars entered, with the speaker bowing to them with respect once again. "Mighty Legionarios, thank you for being here with the people of El Dorado. Please let us know of your names and titles" he said to them, as if they were holy soldiers.

One by one, each Legionario took a seat, so that they were facing the group in the middle. They seat located right next to the Dechados.

"Legionnaire Appius Titus Caesar" the Arrancar with the helmet said while taking his seat.

"Legionnaire Gantenbainne Mosqueda" the afro-haired Arrancar said.

"Legionnaire Borddum Chelute" the skull-faced Arrancar said with his low voice.

"Legionnaire Grimmjow Jeagerjacquez" the blue-haired Arrancar said while resting on his right hand, indicating that he didn't sound as enthusiastic.

"Legionnaire Yammy Llargo" the brutish Arrancar exclaimed.

"Legionnaire Ozzy Namatjira!" the laid-back Arrancar said while resting his hands behind his neck, while his partner only hanged by the chair, indicating that she was only playing.

"Legionnaire Violetta Bracquemond" the purple-haired girl said as she sat on her seat giggling.

"Legionnaire Ùnico Barcellos De Oliveira" the muscular wrestler-like Arrancar with a mask as his Hollow-shell spoke up.

"Legionnaire Belladonna Luisenbarn" the cunning brunette dressed like a harem lady said.

"Legionnaire Ssutze Briffa" the pale-skinned woman with black hair and white revealing cloth said lowly as she felt bored of this situation.

The speaker was about to speak, until he could feel the entire environment shake, as did everyone in the great hall. But it didn't take long before most people realized that this wasn't an earthquake. They could tell it by seeing how both the Dechados and the Legionarios didn't react much. But what Urahara and his group noticed was that every Arrancar fell onto their knees, as they were about to kneel before someone.

Urahara felt himself very uncomfortable when he could feel this tremor, as he knew what it was. "No…..he's defineltey alive….I am certain" he said with a hint of fear in his eyes.

In fact, all members of his group looked up and discovered that a hole had been made in the hole in the great hall's roof, but that was not just it. Someone was descending towards everyone. They all felt shocked when sensing this Spiritual Pressure. Urahara and his close friends immediately recognized who it was, as this ancient but mighty Arrancar almost descended on the floor.

"It has been ages…Kisuke Urahara" the deep voice boomed as the Arrancar fully revealed himself.

It was a man who's size towered Yamamoto, but not necessarily Yammy nor Ùnico. But despite him being elderly and possessing a white beard that reached to his muscular chest, he seemed incredibly strong for someone at his age. But there was a scar running across his stomach. He was dressed in a Roman emperor, as his crown was similar to those worn by Roman emperors. But while dressed in silk, he wore sandals. His hair was long and white, just like his beard and he almost resembled Hercules.

As the powerful Arrancar landed, the ground began to shake, eventually forcing some of Urahara's friends down on the floor. The blonde-haired man's eyes widened as the giant Arrancar fixed his red, glowing eyes upon him and his gang. None of them even dared look into his strict eyes.

"I am entity….I am wrath…..I am" the giant and immensely powerful Arrancar began taking a few steps towards Urahara and his group as his eyes glowed with red. "Augustus Zod Allowin" he finally told them about his identity.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Author's note: This was the second and final part of the Viva La Vida chapters. As promised, we got to see the Wandenreich and how they were holding up. Hope you liked them! The next will focus on the rest of this meeting, while we will get a glimpse of the meeting between Shinigamis and Arrancars.**

 **By the way, here are what kind of voice actors I imagine my characters to have if they are voiced in English. And of course, some of the previous known Arrancars are retaining their own (like Dave Vincent for Grimmjow, Laura Bailey for Harribel and Colleen O'Shaughnessy for Nelliel).**

 **Augustus Zod Allowin – Alan Shearman**

 **Diablo Gallante – Steven Blum**

 **Oggrom Dorian – Kevin Michael Richardson**

 **Annabelle Luisenbarn – Barbara Goodson**

 **Luddenwig Van Gogh – Crispin Freeman**

 **Xerrxes Reraux – Phil LaMarr**

 **Durran Lupinus – Scott McNeil**

 **Killaman Khan – Troy Baker**

 **Pieddot Picasso – Dino Andrade**

 **Tirrador Webster – Joshua Seth**

 **Appius Titus Caesar – Chris Cason**

 **Borddum Chulete – Floyd Van Buskirk**

 **Ozzy Namatjira – Yuri Lowenthal**

 **Lizzie Namatjira – Kari Wahlgren**

 **Violetta Bracquemond – Melissa Fahn**

 **Ùnico Barcellos De Oliveira – Fred Tatasciore**

 **Belladonna Luisenbarn – Jennifer Hale**

 **Ssutze Briffa – Alicyn Packard**


	8. Two Sides of the Same Coin

**Author's note: This chapter will continue where we previously left off, with the arrival of Augustus Zod Allowin. What will be the fate of this summit? I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Two Sides of the Same Coin**

 _In a great hall, the majestic palace of Esperanza, El Dorado, Hueco Mundo_

Urahara, Yoruichi and Tessai all sweated as the giant and imposing Arrancar was now standing a few feet away from them, his eyes solely fixed upon them. But even Orihime, Chad, Ganju and the rest of the group were also intimidated by his glance. They could already feel the immense Spiritual Pressure that existed inside Augustus Zod Allowin's body.

"So this is him…" Chad said lowly, his only visible eye completely stunned by watching this mysterious being descend towards the group.

The blonde-haired Shinigami only nodded his head in return. "The Skyfather…" Urahara uttered his title lowly, his eyes never leaving this sight.

Allowin narrowed his red eyes filled with displeasure and anger. "Foolish, little mongrels! Did you think that I would eventually die out?" he asked, his stout voice booming the great hall. He even brandished his pair giant armored gauntlets, which was probably his own Zanpakutou. But could they even be called as such? "I spent ages recuperating while watching my beloved empire fall into ruins. You three failed to uphold your vow that began by your mentor!" he added while crossing his arms.

So far, Urahara had not open his mouth to protest and he thought it would be better to just shut up. He also hoped that his comrades would know the same thing.

"WE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR EMPIRE'S FALL!" the entire hall snapped by hearing Yoruichi speak up defiantly. Even her friends were caught by surprise. "THE ONLY REASON HUECO MUNDO FELL INTO RUINS WAS BECAUSE OF YOUR…ARGH!" the purple-haired woman felt herself choked as Allowin had quickly grabbed her by the throat and lifted her above the ground, so that her face was directly facing him. Yoruichi's eyes was filled with shock and fear, while her friends felt powerless to so much as intervene. It was actually a rare time for the purple-haired woman to be afraid.

"HOW…..WHEN DID HE!?" Chad was completely lost, as he could not even how close Allowin was to them. "THAT SONIDO OF HIS….I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT!" the brown-haired man added to his thoughts.

"Such speed!" Tessai noted while adjusting his glasses. "That is without a doubt the fastest Sonido I have ever seen!" the tanned-sinned man added to his thoughts and concerns.

Allowin narrowed his red eyes, and soon they glowed redder, demonstrating his anger. "One more word out of you…AND I WILL TURN YOU INTO A PILE OF ASH!" he bellowed and threatened at the same time. The elderly Arrancar then let go of the Shinigami, who was quickly embraced by her friends, very glad that she was not killed. But they were still in fear of what Allowin might have in store for them.

"Yoruichi…are you okay!?" Orihime wondered as she stood at her side.

The black-skinned Shingami coughed in and began rubbing her throat, as the emperor's grip had left her ugly marks on it. However, she faced the orange-haired woman and fixed a cocky smile. "I'm fine…..just let me…" the purple-haired woman proceeded to cough.

The mighty emperor crossed his arms, as he was filled with dispassion over seeing Yoruichi. "Know your place, Yoruichi Shihoin! You are in my empire and as such, you will not speak out against me!" the ancient man warned her without a slight of remorse for his actions.

"Allowin" the emperor fixed his eyes upon Urahara, who actually bowed his head in shame. "What you are accusing me…accusing us for…is correct. We were too negligent to realize how someone like Aizen would give in to his lust for power. When it consumed him, he took the Hogyoku and misused its power, when it should in fact be returned to you" the Shinigami added.

While Allowin listened to his explanation, anger began boil inside of him. His eyes began glowing red once more and he unleashed an angry shockwave that sent chills throughout the entire great hall. But his Spiritual Pressure had not been fully unleashed yet. The only thing that was visible was the crimson aura that began surrounding Allowin's muscular body.

"Aizen….." the ancient Arrancar uttered out the name lowly as he began gritting his teeth in anger. "AIZEEEEEEN!" he shouted with fury at the roof above, as his Spiritual Pressure was finally unleashed.

Orihime and her friends fell onto the ground and the majority of the Hollows and Arrancars were brought to their knees. Only Urahara, Yoruichi and Tessai, as well as the Dechados, remained tall amidst this tremor. To them, it almost felt like as if the entire palace was collapsing.

Gallante noticed this with slight concern. "Damn…..he's getting fed up again by hearing that Shinigami bastards' name" he noted and he looked to see both Xerrxes and Luddenwig, who nodded at him in return. Together, the three left their seats and rushed to their superior's side. "We better make him stop!" the one-eyed Arrancar said to his comrades as they stood at their leader's side.

"Your Highness! Restrain your anger!" Xerrxes called out while facing him.

"You are destabilizing the palace!" Luddenwig called out as well.

As the three paragons were holding onto him, Allowin slowly eased his anger. The ancient Arrancar lowered his head and took deep breaths while trying to find his inner peace and loosen the rage within him.

It became apparent that he sincerely regretted what he just did. "My sons…..I apologize for causing this" he said while standing up to his feet. "Thank you for helping me find my inner peace" he added as the three paragons all kneeled before him with respect and admiration.

"We only exist to help one another, Your Highness" Luddenwig said while closing his eyes.

"We humbly accept your apology" Xerrxes said.

Ganju had barely begun to stand on his feet, but he could still see Hanataro lying on the ground. However, the timid Shinigami was had not fallen into unconsciousness as he did the last time. Ganju stood by his side and slowly tried to help him up.

"Hanataro…are you okay?" he asked lowly as he could see Hanataro panting to catch his breath.

"I'm…alright" he replied in return while leaning onto Ganju for support.

Allowin faced the group once more as he had erased all hatred within him. However, he specifically eyed Yoruichi with open disdain. "Remember Shinigami, it is unwise to incur my wrath. As such, none of you may mention that name in my presence! All of you shall obey!" he warned sternly once again.

Suddenly, the three paragons stood by their superior's side and faced the group warily. "Well Urahara, you wished for us Dechados to have a meeting with those Shinigamis and their new leader, am I right?" Luddenwig asked, his face not filled with pleasantries.

"His Highness has agreed to us participating" Xerrxes revealed much to everyone's surprise, and whispers began filling the giant hall once again. But it soon ended.

Urahara could not help but to force a slight smile with his mouth. "Well…..that's very thoughtful of you" he said, trying his best to not make a fool of himself.

"Do not get your hopes too high, mansion boy" Allowin's booming voice interrupted the Shinigami and his allies. "My sons and daughters will not be attending this doomed summit alone. You alongside your two associates will be joining them!" the emperor then revealed.

While surprised at hearing this answer, Urahara forced a slight smirk with his mouth. "I see. So you won't be attending the summit?" he asked lowly.

Hearing this slowly angered Allowin. "Do you suppose that I have any interest in the fate of the Sereitei!?" he asked loudly and it once again began to shake the great hall, although it was not terrible as his previous angry outburst. The ancient Arrancar's eyed glowed redder. "Shigekuni Yamamoto brought all this upon himself! That weak-minded fool failed to kill Yhwach when he had the chance! Instead, he chose to reduce our once glorious civilization to ashes" he explained while sounding bitter.

Gallente suddenly stood beside his liege, facing the gang with his only visible eye grimly. "Like I told you back there, Yamamoto is a man who does not deserve to be honored, especially amongst us Arrancars! In fact, all of El Dorado celebrated once news about his death reached to us!" he said and raised the scythe in the air.

Everyone in the great hall cheered in return, with some of them even singing praises. The gang could only stand and watch as this loud noise surrounded them.

Orihime was very confused. "I don't understand. Was Head-Captain Yamamoto that hated?" she wondered in her head.

"Hold on?" Ganju snapped in his thoughts. "Did this old Arrancar know Yamamoto?" the long-haired man wondered as he began to think about it. "Woah, if correct, he must be very ancient" he remarked while watching Allowin taking in all the praise and cheers.

"It is just as I thought" Tessai noted. "These Arrancars have not forgotten the flames that Yamamoto unleashed upon Hueco Mundo eons ago…while Yhwach did the most unthinkable" the tanned-skinned man added.

"I have heard enough!" Allowin stopped the noise and faced Urahara and his two long-time friends. "I am only sending my sons and daughters to listen what they have to offer, but know this. The Imperio de Hierro have no interest in risking its troops for the sake of the Soul Society and it's immobile king! May this Wandenreich take them all!" he made a declaration and then turned back to walk towards the giant throne lying in the middle. It was then he took a seat and watched all his subjects like a true ruler. He eventually faced the three paragons with a much milder expression on his face. "Dechados, on your trip to the Human World, you may bring along four of your comrades and five Legionarios. They shall be enough to protect you, alongside the Hoplitas and Ojos" the emperor then told his three champions who bowed to him formally in return.

"As you command, Your Highness!" they all said in unison.

Urahara and his group did not feel like speaking up, as they knew that at this rate, Allowin and his subjects had their fates in their hands. But the blonde-haired man did ponder about what he was gonna say to Shunsui once they were at this summit.

Gallante, Luddenwig and Xerrxes was having a discussion over who would accompany them and they eventually faced their comrades sitting on their seats with different expression upon their faces. "Of the Dechados, we ask that Annabelle, Durran, Oggrom and Tirrador join us this instant" Xerrxes said and the mentioned paragons quickly vanished from their seats and appeared before the trio by using their Sonido. "And for the Legionarios, we ask that Caesar, Ùnico, Borddum, Ozzy and Violetta join us" he went on and those mentioned also appeared before them.

Nelliel was unsure about how to respond to this, as if she felt like she wanted to come with them. And it was not so that she could find Ichigo. But her thoughts were interrupted by Allowin, as he was now gazing at her, surprisingly with a humble and gentle smile, which was a stark contrast to his attitude towards Urahara and his friends. The woman with sea green hair snapped in surprise.

"Your Highness…..I….." the former Tres Espada was interrupted by the emperor pointing his palm at her, thus stopping her from speaking.

"I understand your worries and concern for your comrades' well-being, little Nelliel. However, there is no need for you to fret. They are more than capable of handling themselves against dangers, something which explains why they are called Dechados" the ancient Arrancar told her, while she listened closely. "In the meantime, you will be staying in El Dorado and protect it, alongside me and those who are remaining here" he then said to her with encouragement.

Realizing her leader's words, Nelliel quickly bowed her head to him. "As you wish, my lord" the young woman said. She then faced Orihime and Chad, who were standing behind Urahara. "Maybe I can watch over them while Urahara's away. I'll also bring along Pesche and Dondochakka to help me" she added to her thoughts.

* * *

 _Karakura Town, Human World_

The sun was shining brightly above Karakura Town, and its citizens were minding their own businesses as usual. But all things were not normal, as Head-Captain Shunsui Kyoraku was now taking a stroll in Karakura Town, as he was peacefully walking down the streets. Why was he doing that?

The flamboyant Shinigami had entered the Human World for a very particular reason: he felt the need to let Ichigo's family and friends know of his whereabouts, and tell them the reason for why they needed him in the Soul Society. However, with three of Ichigo's friends, Tatsuki Arisawa, Keigo Asano and Mizuiro Kojima, he had specifically told them that they would be parting ways with Ichigo forever.

At first they were stunned to hear this, considering the fact that they hadn't heard from Ichigo, Orihime, Chad and Uryu for a while. And it was a good thing that they could see the Shinigami, as they were after all Spiritual Aware Humans. But when Shunsui explained the reasons, they were forced to accept it, albeit reluctantly. They always knew that Ichigo's stubbornness knew no bounds and he would always rush to the Soul Society's rescue.

But since Ichigo in Shunsui's own words, never leave the Soul Society, he gave the three friends something not even his predecessor as the head-captain would've done. He actually gave them Soul Tickets. Tatsuki, Keigo and Mizuiro was completely stunned by his behavior, but nevertheless accepted the tickets. Shunsui told them that the Soul Tickets would allow them free entry into the Soul Society, without having to pass the guards or whatever toll they had. But the sole reason for giving them such was so that they were able to visit Ichigo. Shunsui had already delivered some of them to Ichigo's family as well.

Before parting, Shunsui told the trio of friends that he would let Ichigo know and allow him to come back and visit them one last time before the battle. Yet despite all this, the three friends were more saddened and burdened than being happy to hear about Ichigo's fate. Shunsui had expected that to be their reaction.

The Shinigami in pink kimono neared an alleyway, where he eventually entered and were approached by both Nanao Ise and Genshiro Okikiba, his lieutenants. Fortunately, there were no spies to be seen and they could converse freely.

"Was that the right thing to say, captain?" Nanao suddenly asked while adjusting her glasses. "I mean, we don't know for sure if Ichigo will be stuck with such fate. Don't you think you are being too judgmental?" she added to her question.

Shunsui formed a smirk with his mouth. "Heh, you've been eavesdropping on us, haven't ya, Lil' Nanao?" he smugly asked her, but the head-captain stopped his teasing when seeing Nanao's strict expression. Seeing her wanting an answer, the man with the eyepatch sighed deeply in return. "I did what I believed was right, for Ichigo's sake. I could not simply say that he would die assisting the Soul Society, considering that we had never involved him to begin with" Shunsui explained his reasons.

Getting the answer, Okikiba bowed his head to him with formality. "I trust in your judgement, Head-Captain Kyoraku" the elderly man said, indicating that he had faith in his leader's choices.

"Then I also do that" Nanao said with a respective nod at her superior. "Well, shall we begin our preparations?" she then asked them.

"Hold on just a sec. We're still waiting for our companions and the rest of the…." Shunsui and his lieutenants suddenly snapped by seeing a Senkaimon appear right beside them. Seeing this made the flamboyant Shinigami smile smugly. "Heh, about time you showed up" he said.

Out from the Senkaimon, Captains Jushiro Ukitake, Toshiro Hitsugaya, Byakuya Kuchiki, Sui-Feng, Shinji Hirako, Kensei Mugurama and Rose Otoribashi followed by Lieutenants Rangiku Matsumoto, Momo Hinamori, Marechiyo Omaeda, Shuhei Hisagi, Izuru Kira and plus two members of Squad 11: Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa appeared before the head-captain and his lieutenants.

"You're all here, including Madarame and Ayasegawa. Good!" Shunsui said smugly and then faced the blue skies with his only eye. "It's about time that we begin preparations for this summit. Even now, I can feel them coming in the air" he added warily as his comrades stood and listened carefully.

"We only hope this will idea of yours will be successful, captain" Nanao hoped inside of her, her usually stern eyes filled with uncertainty.

* * *

 _Later, in the skies above Karakura Town_

Three Gargantas opened in the skies and out from them came both Hoplitas and Ojos, standing in line for their superiors. The group of Dechados and Legionarios rode out of their Garganta, while riding on Hollow-horses and wolves. As they floated above the town, they could see the sun still shining brightly. But that did not affect those Arrancars in any way.

Behind the Dechados and the Legionarios came Urahara, Yoruichi and Tessai, accompanied by Ganju and Hanataro, as the two had hoped to use this as a way of returning home to the Soul Society. But for now, they were in the hands of the Imperio de Hierro and escaping from them seemed futile.

As the three Gargantas closed, the Dechados gathered themselves in a circle to assess the situation. "This is it: Karakura Town" Gallante noted while surveying the urban landscape. "Now to find where the Shinigamis have set up their camp for the meeting" he added while eyeing both sides.

Durran had begun sniffing in the air, as he felt that something was not feeling right. He looked down below and saw no cars in the streets, or even people for that matter. His wary eyes surveyed both sides. "This is…...very unusual. I sense Shinigamis…..but no Humans" he noted and suddenly turned around to face Urahara. "You better not be pulling any stunts on us, Shinigami. If you do, you know the consequences" the Arrancar with the wolf-head as his Hollow-shell warned sternly.

"I swear, this is Karakura Town" the blonde-haired man said in return. "But shouldn't we head over to the location? I think that they would be setting up a camp at the park" he suddenly added.

"He does speak the truth" Oggrom noted as he sniffed in the air. "Even from here, I sense Spiritual Pressure coming from that direction" he added.

Annabelle chuckled. "Huh, then what are waiting for? Let us go meet these Shinigamis" she suggested and the paragons mounted their horses or wolves and headed straight towards the location, with Urahara and his gang tagging along.

Near a pond in the local park, Shunsui and his fellow captains had set up a camp, with the help of a band of low-ranked Shinigami, as well as members of both the Kido Corp and the Stealth Force. A few tents had been placed and they were now standing in a bow, making it possible for everyone to see their upcoming guests.

"Be on your guard, all of you!" Shunsui told everyone loud and clear. "The delegation from the Imperio de Hierro will be here soon, as well as Urahara and his friends. We must stay vigilant!" he made sure that everyone listened as they only stood in silence, never moving a muscle.

Ukitake was in deep thought at the moment while standing beside his fellow captains. While he knew that this summit was different from the one they attended in the Royal Realm, he had at least hoped that something good would come out of this meeting. He had expected Shunsui to think about the same thing.

"Woah…what are those…up in the sky!?" Ikkaku wondered aloud as he was facing upwards.

His long-time partner Yumichika did the same thing and his eyes widened in shock. "Such Spiritual Pressure…" the flamboyant Shinigami noted while seeing what was heading straight towards their camp.

The bands of Dechados and Legionarios landed with their beasts and unmounted them. Accompanied by the Hoplitas and the Ojos, the two groups began slowly entering the camp, with their hosts being completely stunned by their appearances. Apparently, none of them had ever seen Arrancars of that types.

"So these are the….." Rangiku was stunned by what she saw, and whispered it to her captain.

"Yes, they are" Toshiro simply said, his voice filled with wariness over these strangers. "What kind of Hollows are they? Could they all be…Vasto Lordes?" the white-haired boy wondered while seeing the groups approach them.

Gallante, Oggrom, Durran, Tirrador, Annabelle, Xerrxes and Luddenwig all took a few steps forward, eventually setting their eyes upon their so-called "counterparts".

Shunsui and his fellow captains did the same thing, as they were very curious to know about these kinds of Arrancars. The pink-clad Shinigami only smiled at them smugly. "So you must be the legendary Dechados I have heard of? My, you have great taste of clothing" he remarked while commenting their capes.

Gallante narrowed his only eye. "Are you the new Head-Captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads? If so, then we expected him not to be that immature" he said sternly.

This caused the head-captain to chuckle lightly in return. "Easy there, pal. I was just busting your balls" he said with sarcasm and took off his hat to introduce himself. "But what you just asked me is correct. I am the Captain of Squad 1, as well as the Head-Captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads: Shunsui Sozosuke Jiro Kyoraku" he said.

"I see. We are pleased to see you, Kyoraku. I am Paragon Diablo Gallante" the one-eyed Arrancar simply introduced himself with little kindness.

Hearing this caused Shunsui to be curious. "What's this? Don't you have any numbers or something?" he asked with a slightly raised an eyebrow.

Sui-Feng mused to herself by hearing him ask that, so she decided to speak out her mind. "If they don't have any numbers like the Espadas, then that means they are generally weaker, are they not?" the blue-haired woman asked them cunningly, much to her lieutenant's concern.

Xerrxes only raised a slight eyebrow by hearing her say that. "Espada?" he asked and suddenly pointed his Zanpakutou at her. "Let me tell you something about the difference between the Espadas and us. Compared to them, we are the true guardians and protectors of Hueco Mundo and its secrets! Numbers do not matter, nor have they any part of an Arrancar's life!" he pointed it out to her. Byakuya kept studying Xerrxes as the black-skinned Arrancar made him think about a certain Espada he once fought and defeated. Xerrxes took notice and glanced at him with narrow eyes. "Is there something you wish to tell me, Shinigami captain?" he asked him sternly.

Hearing this made Byakuya's blood boil, yet he restrained his anger. "I am more than a Sinigami, Arrancar. I am Captain of Squad 6, as well as the head of the Kuchiki clan: Byakuya Kuchiki. You will learn respect" the black-haired man said sternly.

Annabelle widened in surprise by hearing this, as were a few of the other Dechados. "How remarkable. To think that a young man such as you are the current head of that clan of butchers and assassins" she noted warily while facing the black-haired man.

Byakuya shot his offended gaze at her. "Mind your tongue, old woman!" he said with a warning.

Annabelle only narrowed her wrinkled eyes. "How rude of you, young man! I am Paragon Annabelle Luisenbarn. Like you, I am also of noble blood" she revealed with strictness in her voice. The majority of the Shinigami captains could not help but to recognize the name Luisenbarn from somewhere. Realizing this, Annabelle decided to play with their curiosity. "The name Luisenbarn is no stranger to you, I see that. I take it you fought against the former Segunda Espada in Aizen's ranks: Baraggan Luisenbarn, did you not? Well, that greedy and submissive fool was my younger brother" the elderly woman revealed, with nothing but distaste in her voice.

Xerrxes suddenly stood beside his comrade. "I am Paragon Xerrxes Rureaux. Similar to Annabelle, I am also of noble blood" he said and faced all the captains, particularly Byakuya, who was stunned when hearing his name. The black-skinned man could see this and only grunted. "I understand that you know of my younger brother also the Sèptima Espada: Zommari Rureaux. However, I do not mourn his death, as he died…like a pathetic Escalvo to the bitter end" he said bitterly and looked towards another direction, although Byakuya kept staring at him, realizing that he knew there was something about the Arrancar.

"Enough of this foolishness!" Luddenwig got everyone's attention, while he faced the line of captains and lieutenants. "You Sereitei-dogs wished to have a discussion with us peacefully, correct? Well, speak plainly, we don't mince words. That is what Paragon Luddenwig Van Gogh can assure you" the white-haired man told them while introducing his name.

Ukitake knew that he had to speak up. "We do not seek any form of confrontation with you nor this Imperio de Hierro, paragon" he told them while standing beside Shunsui. "As you may already know, the Wandenreich have left us on the brink of destruction. It has made us realize that we cannot fight two empires at once. However, all that we ask of you, is a non-aggression pact with you Dechados and your superior" he went on explaining.

"My friend speaks the truth" Shunsui spoke up and faced the Arrancars. "While I understand that you have no lover for neither us nor the Quincies, we figured out that we could have this treaty, as a means of avoiding further conflict with one another" the pink-clad Shinigami added to his suggestion.

Most of the Dechados and the Legionarios were incredibly wary about such, and Oggrom began pacing back and forward, as he wanted to think about this suggestion of theirs. "And what, Kyoraku, must we give in return?" Oggrom asked while facing all captains and lieutenants.

"All that we ask of you is that you leave the Soul Society alone and spare whatever vengeance or grudge you have against the Court Guard. If you do that, we will leave you alone. Doesn't that sound reasonable to you, Paragon…whatever your name is?" the man with ponytail answered with honesty in his voice, although he sounded little confused at the end.

Oggrom only grunted in return. "You may address me as Paragon Oggrom Dorian, Shinigami" he said with little pleasantry while continuing pacing. However, Oggrom stopped pacing as he saw Shinji, Rose and Kensei. "You three….you reek of Hollows" he commented lowly.

"I agree" Durran said as he sniffed at them from afar. "But these Hollows are a part of their essence" the Arrancar remarked. "We take it that you must be those Hollow-empowered Shinigamis called "Vizards", am I correct?" he went on asking them.

Shinji only grinned at them smugly in return. "Woah, are you two some kind of dogs or something?" he asked them with little respect in his voice. "I mean, can you also sniff out the shit in one's body?" he asked them cockily.

"Do not toy with my patience, foolish one. I am Paragon Durran Lupinus" the black-bearded Arrancar told him sternly.

"You all carry such title on you?" Shinji asked them with a raised eyebrow. "Well I'm Captain of Squad 5: Shinji Hirako" the blonde-haired man introduced himself smugly.

While both Durran and Oggrom did find this man impressive nor amusing, Tirrador only sighed in irritation by hearing this. "Asians…always finding humor when it involves crap and piss" the black-skinned Arrancar said, causing many of the Shinigami to face at him outraged. This only made him confused. "What? Is it really true that you Shinigamis love toilet humor?" he added to them.

"That kid….he just…." Shuhei was completely dumbfounded by what he heard.

"What does he mean by that?" Momo asked as she was getting slightly nervous by Tirrador's words.

"Ignore this fool, Momo" Toshiro told her while facing Tirrador with a disapproving glance. "You should learn how to mind your own language, punk" the young boy added.

Tirrador only glared at him angered. "I have a name and tittle! And you may refer to me as Paragon Tirrador Webster, get it? Or perhaps I should say wakarimaska in your case?" the young boy told Toshiro, who seemed very irritated by hearing him. In fact, the young Arrancar-boy was about to make his move, until he felt himself held back by a hand on his shoulder. It belonged to the Legionario: Ozzy Namatjira. The orange-haired boy only faced him smugly.

"Take it easy, mate. Don't let that angry Esky over there get the best of you" Ozzy encouraged him. Hearing this made Tirrador force a smug smile and he decided to heed Ozzy's advice.

The lieutenants were shocked by the way the Arrancar spoke, as they had expected him to at least sound Spanish. However, they would have to figure it out later, as Durran was now beginning to smell something tricky and his comrades noticed it. Gallante approached beside him.

"What do you smell, Durran?" Gallante asked him lowly.

The black-bearded Arrancar suddenly began confronting the line of captains and lieutenants, while brandishing his axe-like Zanpakutou. He faced them with anger and gritted his teeth, as if he almost acted like a wolf.

"Bastards! What the hell is all this!?" he demanded an answer from them. He got no response from them, and it made him angrier by the minute. "Do not underestimate my tracking abilities! I know for a fact that this….is not the real Karakura Town" he revealed, much to the shock of his comrades.

Urahara and his friends, who had so far been standing on the sidelines, came to a realization that Durran's suspicions were true. "He's not kidding! This really is the Fake Karakura Town!" he said in surprise while noticing the environment.

"But wasn't most of it destroyed during the battle against Aizen?" Yoruichi wondered while facing her friend.

"Actually, it has been fixed" Tessai spoke as he was pointing his finger at a giant white pillar standing tall in the town. "I thought I recognized these white pillars from before. They are the ones that keeps this replica alive. But when all of them are destroyed, it disappears" the man with glasses added to his analysis

Gallante and the rest of his comrades faced the Shinigamis warily, and he had even reached for his scythe. "What is the meaning of this!?" he demanded an answer from Shunsui.

"You dare do this to us!?" Oggrom demanded while reaching for his Zanpakutou hanging by his back.

Shunsui tried to ease their fears. "Relax, the sole reason we set up this replica of Karakura Town was to prevent our summit to be spied upon by eyes and ears!" he spoke out to them. "Surely you know that the Wandenreich has both eyes and ears all over the Human World" he added to his statement.

"But you did not as much as inform us about this! If you Shinigamis wished for us to come and talk with you, then you would have made sure to not demonstrate your deception!" Annabelle scolded them. "Right now, we are not sure if we can trust you anymore!" she added to her suspicions.

Sui-Feng could no longer stand idly by and watch this, so before her comrades even knew it, she unleashed her completed Shunko and charged at the Arrancars. It was apparent to her that they had to die, as the Arrancars had managed to figure out what they were doing.

"They have found us out! Now is the time to strike!" she said to her comrades, determined to slay any Arrancars, as they were like Quincies, enemies of the Soul Society.

"What in the….SUI-FENG, YOU IDIOT!" Yoruichi shouted as she ran quickly to stop her former lieutenant from doing something rash and reckless.

By using her Shunpo, Sui-Feng appeared behind Annabelle and activated her Shikai. "Sting All Enemies To Death!" she said as her katana was changed into that of a small stinger on her finger. "Suzumebachi!" she cried and was about to actually sting Annabelle, but before Sui-Feng knew it, the elderly woman disappeared from her view. "What the hell!? Where did that filthy bitch….." she was about to make her move, until something very unusual happened to her.

The Shinigamis were shocked to see Gallante, using his scythe to almost surround Sui-Feng's head, as if he was intending on cutting it. The young woman snapped in feat and felt her heart beating faster, as the blade actually touched her throat. She felt too scared and unable to even make a move to escape. At this point, she was at his mercy.

Gallante showed no remorse in doing this to the Shinigami, as he faced his captive coldly. "Make a move and you die. Use Shunpo and you die. Use Shikai and you die. Do anything reckless and you die" he warned her, his voice filled with killing intent, as if he was ready to actually kill her.

Sui-Feng felt her entire body becoming numb, yet she still had enough strength to speak words, lowly. "No…..please…..don't….." the young woman pleaded with fear in her eyes and voice.

"Begging for mercy, after what you just attempted to do on Annabelle? You disgust me, Shinigami!" Gallante said lowly and deadly.

The captains were shocked by seeing this. "This is bad!" Ukitake noted lowly to his friends. "What in the world was Sui-Feng thinking, attacking them by using her skills from the Stealth Force?" he added with disbelief.

"Tch, I told you it was a bad decision in letting that dimwit accompany us, didn't I!?" Kensei asked Shunsui, who was now figuring out a way to bring back the captain.

Urahara, Yoruichi and Tessai regrouped with them and could see how serious this situation was, and Yoruichi even gritted her teeth in frustration when her golden eyes caught glimpse of her former lieutenant. "Damn it, Sui-Feng! Haven't I told you not to let your pride be your undoing!?" the purple-haired woman asked.

Sui-Feng had only looked at Yoruichi with her widened eyes, yet she did not have the strength to say something. She felt the scythe's blade nearing her flesh and fear took hold on her. Gallante faced the captains and lieutenants while the rest of the Dechados and the Legionarios stood behind him in lines.

"Not only did you fool us, you also allowed this woman to almost assassinate us!" the red-skinned Arrancar said with dispassion. "I would've been extra careful if I were you, Kyoraku" he added with some words of warning to the head-captain.

"Just calm down, Gallante. This is all but a misunderstanding!" Shunsui said. "We do not condone Sui-Feng's actions!" he added to his insistence.

But Marechiyo felt himself obliged to not just stand there and do nothing, yet he decided to make his move and start attacking by charging at Gallante. He drew his Zanpakutou and released his Shikai. "Crush, Gegetsuburi!" Marechiyo shouted and swung his oversized spiked ball, determined to save his captain, regardless of the cost. "YOU LET MY CAPTAIN GO YOU UGLY SON OF A…." the chubby Shinigami was interrupted by feeling a hard punch coming from the muscular luchador-like Legionario: Ùnico Barcellos De Oliveira. His powerful punch sent Marechiyo flying towards the nearby tree and it crashed.

The masked Arrancar laughed sadistically by seeing this. "Heh, nothing but a bag of flesh to pound!" he said while taking pride in seeing this. He could see Marechiyo lying by the tree unconscious. However, he could hear somebody shout in anger above him. Looking up, Ùnico could see Ikkaku and Yumichika prepare to attack him from above. Seeing this made him filled with satisfaction. "Now this is starting to get fun!" he exclaimed as he enjoyed what he was seeing.

"You dare do that to Lieutenant Omaeda!?" Ikkaku shouted and released his Shikai. "Extend, Hozukimaru!" the bald-headed man said and dived towards the muscular Arrancar.

"Let's take him together, Ikkaku! Bloom, Fuji Kujaku!" Yumichika said as he joined his partner in attacking Ùnico.

The muscular Arrancar was about to make his move, until he could feel his legs being wrapped by something. Ùnico turned around to see Shuhei having just activated his Shikai, and where using it to trap the Legionario.

"Reap, Kazeshini" Shuhei said lowly while facing the wrestler sternly. "Stay still before I force to the ground!" he then went on threatening him.

But Shuhei was suddenly hit by a shield, and it belonged to Caesar. Apparently, the Arrancar with helmet had thrown it at the lieutenant and Shuhei had been too distracted to be using his Shunpo to avoid it.

Caesar grabbed hold on the shield and held it with his left hand. "Ignorant Shinigami! Your lack of overview fail to amuse me!" he remarked, his voice becoming hallow due to the helmet he wore.

Ikkaku and Yumichika saw this as their chance to attack Ùnico quickly, but they were to their surprises, attacked by four bone-like boomerangs and it managed to send them flying to the ground. Those responsible were Ozzy and his partner Lizzie, as they each grabbed the pair of boomerangs once finished.

"Give it away, wankers! It's not polite in attacking an animal in chains, wouldn't you agree, Lizzie" the orange-haired boy asked his partner who grinned cheekily in return.

"Yeah, Ozzy! We'll show them!" she replied with great enthusiasm in return.

But all the Dechados and Legionarios suddenly felt their entire world turn upside down, as they looked at the Shinigami captains. This took the Namatjira-partners. "Bloody hell! What's happening to us!?" Ozzy asked as he and Lizzie became shocked by what they felt.

Apparently, it was Shinji, who was currently using his Shikai to distract and confuse them all. "Collapse, Sakanade" he said simply. The blonde-haired man had been watching the Shinigamis humiliate themselves with great displeasure so he made eye contact with both Rose and Kensei. "Alright, boys! We're among those who still have a Bankai, so let's rumba with these nasty freaks and get Sui-Feng back!" he exclaimed before they all put their hands before their faces.

Momo and Izuru were shocked by what their captains were doing, as were Toshiro, Byakuya, Ukitake and Shunsui. "Captain Hirako…what are you…" Momo exclaimed with worry.

"No…...don't tell me you're seriously planning on….." Izuru said lowly, as the three Vizards were actually using their Hollowfication, thus revealing their Hollow-masks for their counterparts to see.

Gallante's only eyes widened with surprise. "Hollowfication….." he uttered out the word lowly with both surprise and intrigue. He was still holding Sui-Feng at his mercy.

"If you arrogant douchebags refuse to hand over Sui-Feng to us, then we have no choice but to bring her back by force!" Shinji declared as he, Rose and Kensei each used their Shunpu to vanish from their spots, causing Gallante to be on his guard.

"They are fast!" he remarked with surprise.

While each of the Vizard captains appeared around Gallante and tried to surround him, something the one-eyed Arrancar noticed quickly. But before they could launch their attacks, the three Vizards were stunned once their Hollowfication disappeared, as their Hollow-masks vanished quickly. Annabelle was shooting a black lightning at Shinji's face, while Luddenwig and Xerrxes were doing that to Rose and Kensei respectively.

"What…...how did….." Kensei asked in outrage.

"Why did my Hollowfication suddenly vanish?" Rose wondered within himself.

Those three who had done that to them proceeded to knock the Vizards back to the head-captain's side. And eventually, Gallante lifted his scythe and kicked Sui-Feng over to Shunsui's side as well. The four Dechados faced the captains and their lieutenants as they were attending to those who had been involved in the altercation.

"You who wield Hollow-powers are foolish to think if you can defeat us with Hollowfication!" Annabelle said and suddenly revealed her hand, which was sparking with the dark lightning. "The ability we just used on you is called Disipar. It allows us to forcibly remove your Hollowfication, no matter how strong or powerful you are" the elderly lady went on explaining, while the three Vizards had gotten back on their feet and was listening.

Gallente suddenly slammed his Zanpakutou on the grass and moved his left hand across his eye-patch. "Based upon what we have witnessed here, there is no doubt that you Shinigamis remain as treacherous as you've always been. And as such, we will have to end this summit earlier than expected" the one-eyed Arrancar declared to them.

Xerrxes brandished his axe and faced everyone with his serious glance. "But before we depart back to Hueco Mundo…..allow us to demonstrate you how different us Dechados really are from what you previously fought, and why you should fear us, almost as much as the Quincies!" the black-skinned Arrancar told them.

Annabelle stepped forward and used her staff. "Me, Xerrxes and Luddenwig will just be enough to entertain you all" the woman said while holding her staff in the air while facing their peers. "Feel…..Envidia!" she said and all of a sudden, her Spiritual Pressure began transforming her elderly body and her hair became black as the raven itself. Her wrinkled hands, eyes and face, changed into that of a younger woman. Her appearance changed into that of a ghost, or a banshee for that matter.

The captains and lieutenants were shocked by how enormous the Spiritual Pressure was and Nanao almost fell on her knees. Shunsui quickly rushed to her side.

Ukitake only stood and watched in awe. "This must be… a Resurreciòn…but this is unlike anything I've ever seen!" Ukitake noted to his comrades.

As the entire are became stable, Annabelle seemed completely different from what she usually looked like. Her true form, was that of a banshee, with black hair, youthful face with azure eyes. Her outfit consisted that of a purple dress with spectral effects, as she was actually floating. Annabelle's Resurreciòn had some resemblance to her younger brother's, expect for the fact, that she looked more….."Human" in appearance.

The banshee fixed a devilish smile while facing the stunned Shinigamis, her beautiful eyes gazing upon them. "This is what truly lies beneath the shell I am within" she said, her voice hallowing the entire area, while floating above the ground. "I was once a beauty, destined to find the perfect husband and be with him for all eternity. But thanks to you defilers of La Vida, my ambitions were wasted!" she added, her voice hissing with hatred like a real banshee.

Xerrxes held his axe on the ground and decided to release his Zanpakutou as well. "Now is the time for you to also know of me true form, Shinigamis!" he said while tightening his grip around the axe's butt. "Impale…Laberinto!" he yelled and all of a sudden, purple Spiritual Pressure began enveloping around the muscular Arrancar.

Like Annabelle's it was also powerful and it affected the environment as well. As soon as the Spiritual Pressure disappeared, everyone was treated to a horrifying view. Xerrxes had been given sharp horns on his head, while wearing a white armor with shoulder parts. He had also begun to grow fur on across his arms and face, while having a ring around his nose. He almost looked like a minotaur, as his feet had been changed into hooves, with hairy legs. Xerrxes' axe had been transformed into a bigger size, as had his height.

Xerrxes grunted with his nose, like a true minotaur would and he faced everyone while gritting his teeth. "You have no honor and without it, you are nothing!" he told them while brandishing his large axe.

Luddenwig fixed a smug smile while seeing this and he suddenly stepped forward and pointed the tip of his blade at them. His eyes were filled with desire and satisfaction and he was very interested to impress the Shinigamis. "This entire environment bores me! Maybe I shall tear it apart with my demonstration!" he added in a maddened mood. Everyone could see a hidden bloodlust taking hold on the white-haired man. He even floated above the ground and began to grin sadistically. "Die….Caìdo!" he released his Resurreciòn.

In just a few seconds, Luddenwig shot out a black aftershock and it darkened almost everything. However, the pillars that held up the replica quickly fell apart, as Luddenwig's release felt like a nuclear bomb. In fact, the entire replica of Karakura Town disappeared and what was once a sunny place, was now the real Human World during the night. The moon was shining brightly, and everyone could see the Arrancar glowing white, thanks to the moonlight itself.

Soon, the transformation was complete, as Luddenwig was now wearing black armor and a blade that was glowing white. However, white feathered wings had sprouted out from his back and there was tints of darkness on these wings. The white-haired Arrancar was now floating above the ground with the help of his wings and he faced everyone with his cold stare. This was the gaze of a fallen angel.

"I was not always like this" Luddenwig said lowly, his voice filled with bitterness. "In my previous life…I was a Quincy, always dedicating to serving the so-called god named Yhwach. But that bastard had me sent to Hell and I was banished there for all eternity. But that is until I was helped by the almighty Augustus Zod Allowin" he explained himself. "I died a Quincy back in Hell, but now I have returned as an instrument of vengeance! I am the fallen angel, who will bring ruin to all enemies of Imperio de Hierro!" the white-haired man declared.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Author's note: That was chapter 8. I wanted to at least show you how their Resurreciòn would be, but not everyone's. That will have to wait. I won't be spoiling what will happen next. I may begin to write more about Orihime and Chad, and maybe dive briefly into the Soul Society. Ichigo is up training, so he does not deserve to be interrupted. But maybe we will also get to see Renji and Rukia, and how they are doing with their training in the Royal Realm. And let us take a look at the new terms we were introduced to.**

 **Disipar – Spanish for "Dispel": This is an ability members of the Dechados carry. For some reason, it allows them to dispel Hollowfications with ease. But is it capable of doing something else?**

 **Envidia – Spanish for "Envy": This is Annabelle Luisenbarn's Resurreciòn. It transforms her into a banshee, something which gives her a more youthful appearance than what she is usually looks like in her sealed form. It is a stark contrast to that of her brother.**

 **Laberinto – Spanish for "Labyrinth": This is Xerrxes Rureaux's Resurreciòn. It transforms him into a minotaur, with horns, armor and a bigger axe. Unlike his younger brother Zommari, Xerrxes' Resurreciòn seems to be more combat-orientated.**

 **Caìdo – Spanish for "Fallen": This is Luddenwig Van Gogh's Resurreciòn. It transforms him into a fallen angel with wings and black armor. It is also a surprise how Luddenwig can be an Arrancar, when he used to be a Quincy, as Hollows are poison to Quincies.**


	9. You Learn It, You Keep It

**Author's note: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: You Learn It, You Keep It**

 _In the imperial palace of Esperanza, El Dorado, Hueco Mundo_

With Urahara, Yoruichi and Tessai taking Ganju and Hanataro with them to the summit, Orihime, Chad, Jinta and Ururu were forced to stay back in the palace while they were gone. They had bid farewell to Ganju and Hanataro, who would eventually rejoin the Shinigamis and return to the Soul Society. After seeing them vanish through the Garganta, Orihime decided to ask her friend about their next move.

"So…..what shall we do now?" the orange-haired woman asked the tall man.

Chad faced her with his usual calm expression. "Don't know. But as Urahara previously said, it will be best for us to remain in El Dorado until we're prepared for the final battle" he said but suddenly noticed something. "Speaking of which, where did Riruka and Yukio run off to?" he asked while noticing that they were not there.

"They said they would be heading back to the tent outside the observatory" Jinta asked while resting his hands behind his neck. "But they don't have a chance of leaving El Dorado. The entire city is crawling with Hollows and Arrancars alike" the red-haired boy added to his words.

"Hmm…figures" Chad remarked lowly.

However, the four Humans snapped once they could feel loud steps coming from behind. They all recognized the Spiritual Pressure and turned quickly around to see Yammy, who was grinning his teeth like the bully he was universally known as.

"Heh! It looks like that blonde-haired bastard and his purple-haired bitch is not here to protect you anymore, which means I can finish what you started!" he exclaimed while clenching his left fist, with red energy enveloping around it. However, he stopped it as his eyes caught a glance at Orihime's worried glance. It immediately made him recognize her. "Hey! I know you, little girl! Weren't you Aizen's concubine or something?" he wondered aloud while scratching his head.

By hearing these words, Orihime immediately felt herself being thrown under the bus. The young woman lowered her head in shame, as she was still haunted by the manipulations she allowed herself to be taken by. Chad noticed this and tried his best to comfort her.

"Don't talk to Orihime like that, you bag of turd!" the aggressive voice coming from Jinta immediately changed the mood and it made Orihime widen in surprise.

Yammy quickly reverted back to his anger towards Jinta. "Little brat! I will teach you respect by putting my foot into that smartass loo of yours!" he said angrily.

Jinta and Ururu could see Yammy taking steps towards them, but he stopped as two Dechados were currently standing before him, having just used Sonido. It was Nelliel and Harribel and they were blocking Yammy from reaching the group. Both women faced the brutish Arrancar sternly and filled with dispassion.

Yammy only growled by seeing this. "Out of my way, Aizen-whores! I've got a bone to pick up with these kids!" Yammy demanded while preparing a Bala in his left fist.

Harribel only narrowed her blue eyes at him while crossing her arms. "Speak for yourself, Yammy. You were nothing but a dog on his leash" she said lowly, much to the tall Arrancar's anger. "But enough talk! His Highness have commanded that we leave these Humans unharmed. They are not to be touched" the blonde-haired woman added to her words while warning him at the same time.

"Don't make us force you to stop" Nelliel joined in, assisting her comrade. "Otherwise, you will come to regret it" she added to her warning.

While Yammy was about to angrily attack them, he paused and became stunned as he could see someone standing behind the group. By seeing this, he immediately became uncomfortable and quickly kneeled while shaking with fear, much to the group's confusion. However, Nelliel and Harribel eventually did the same thing.

Turning around, they could see Augustus Zod Allowin, while he was surveying them with his watchful gaze. The group got intimidated by him, as they never knew what kind of moves he could pull on them.

But based upon the expression on the ancient Arrancar's face, he seemed to raise an eyebrow in an act of curiosity. His curiosity was only confirmed by seeing him crossing his arms. "I am amused by how you Humans have lasted this long in Hueco Mundo. Since you all passed the test, you do show some promises, each of you" Allowin spoke up, his voice ringing like a bell in the corridor.

The group were stunned to see how Allowin was acting so…...gentle towards them, as he had openly expressed his anger and hatred at Urahara and his friends. But still, there was no doubt that he still had a few levels of distrust in the Humans.

Allowin looked over to Nelliel and Harribel and faced the two women with humble eyes. "Nelliel, make sure that these strangers are protected. I believe that they can be of help to the empire" he told her and Nelliel bowed her head formally in return.

"As you command, my lord" she said in return.

"However, there is someone who would like to have a few words with those called Yasutora Sado and Orihime Inoue" the emperor revealed and the group could see Pieddot appearing right beside Allowin, bowing formally to the group.

"Greetings, Yasutora Sado and Orihime Inoue" he said gently, yet cunningly. "I was wondering if you two would like to come with me to my study in the Conociomento and have a little chat together. I take it that Urahara has not told you anything more about your powers, yes?" the masked Arrancar quizzed them.

The two friends were stunned by hearing his offer, as they never expected someone like Pieddot to come to them and say those words. While Chad had some doubts, Orihime, anxious to know more about the so-called Interminables, felt the need to accompany her. As a result, she walked over to him, much to the researcher's delight.

"You made the right decision, madam" he commended her. He then looked at Chad. "If you don't wish to come with me, then that is fine by me. However, considering what you are, knowing your roots would be beneficial to you" the Arrancar with burlap mask said while recommending his offer.

After thinking this through, Chad agreed and joined Orihime. He nodded at Pieddot but faced him suspiciously. "I will accompany you. But we will not let you experiment on us" he said while slightly warning him.

Hearing this caused Pieddot to chuckle. "Now, now, there is no need to be so defensive. As High Highness just told you, all of us, including the normal citizens of El Dorado are prohibited from causing any terms of damage to you, both physically and mentally" he went on explaining. "And besides, why would I experiment on you? You are both alive, not dead. The only living things I experiment on are Escalovs, like what those three used to be" he went on explaining, looking over to face the three former members of the Espada.

While Yammy felt uncomfortable by hearing this, both Nelliel and Harribel faced Pieddot deadly, almost as if they would kill him for saying that, had he not been a Dechado.

"Have no fear, ladies. I will treat them with dignity and respect like they deserve to be" Pieddot said and faced the two Humans. "Well then, shall we go?" he asked them and they nodded in response. The trio then went to the elevator, leaving Jinta and Ururu alone with the Arrancars.

Allowin suddenly began facing Harribel. "Tier Harribel. Come with me to the throne room. I would like to have a discussion between just you and I" he spoke to her.

This caught the blonde-haired woman by surprise, yet she lowered her head in a formal manner, indicating that she accepted the invitation. "As you wish, my lord. You may lead the way" she said in return, and they to left the corridor.

As Ururu and Jinta watched them leave, they could still hear Yammy growl, as he felt irritated by not being able to get his hands on the teenagers. However, he sighed deeply and crossed his arms while grunting. "So you're now celebrities in El Dorado!? Bah! You're nothing but a pair of spoiled, freeloading brats!" he spat at them.

But the brutish Arrancar, as well as Jinta and Nelliel, became surprised by seeing Ururu bow her head in shame to Yammy. The meek girl was actually trying to soften Yammy's hateful soul. But could she succeed?

"On behalf of both of us, we sincerely apologize for lying to you. But we just wanted someone to help us find the road to El Dorado" Ururu said.

Jinta leaned onto her and began whispering. "Ururu what the hell are you trying to pull…OUCH!" Jinta was interrupted when Ururu smacked his face and sent him flying.

The meek girl proceeded to talk with Yammy. "But if you really want to fight Ichigo, I can give you all the details I know about him. That includes his birthday, his phone number, his favorite food, his favorite types of magazines and…." Ururu was stopped by Nelliel, who covered the teenager's mouth with her hand.

"Just stop it! You have said so much about Ichigo that even I must can't take much more of hearing it!" the sea green-haired woman said while requesting.

As Yammy stood and listened, he only shrugged his shoulders and turned around to walk away. "All this bullcrap is making me sick. But you can keep your apologies to yourself, girl. Until we meet again…...bueno suerte" he said before vanishing by using his Sonido.

Both teenagers and Nelliel were confused at Yammy's sudden change of behavior as he was usually not that brightest type of Arrancars.

* * *

 _Karakura Town, the Human World_

The summit had so far been not what Shinigamis had expected it to be. By using the Fake Karakura Town without the Arrancars' knowledge, it had proven difficult for the Dechados to trust in their counterparts. But there was more.

Squad 2's stubborn and reckless Captain Sui-Feng foolishly believed that she could assassinate at least one of the Dechados by using her incredible speed. However, she had foolishly underestimated the extraordinary talents that the paragons possessed, including the fast Sonido. She was held as a captive by Diablo Gallante, who could've cut off her head with his scythe, yet for some reason, he only sought to teach her a lesson in humility.

Hoping to save Sui-Feng, Marechiyo, Ikkaku, Yumichika and Shuhei had launched their attack on Gallante, only for Ùnico Barcellos De Oliveira, Appius Titus Caesar and Ozzy Namatjira to intervene and disrupt their attack. Soon after, the three Vizard captains decided to make their move, by using their Hollowfication to impress their counterparts. Unfortunately, the Dechados were able to dispel the Hollowfications with a unique ability.

But after handing over Sui-Feng to the captains and lieutenants, the Dechados had decided to end their summit earlier by revealing them their Resurrecciòn. Annabelle Luisenbarn, Xerrxes Rureaux and Luddenwig Van Gogh had demonstrated their true forms, which to the Shinigamis' eyes was unlike anything they had previously witnessed from the Resurrecciòns belonging to the Espadas. In fact, Luddenwig's Resurrecciòn managed was so immense that is managed to destabilize and destroy the four pillars that held up the Fake Karakura Town. Thus, the real Karakura Town was shown, as night was descending upon the town.

"Damn…" Urahara uttered out words lowly while hiding among the trees, along with Tessai, Yoruichi, Ganju and Hanataro. "The Spiritual Pressure these Arrancars carry are unlike anything I have ever seen" he added to his statement.

"Furthermore, they were somehow able to dispel Hollowfications" Tessai added warily. "I have a feeling that these Arrancars are capable of performing more tricks, based up what we have seen here!" he then said to his comrades.

But they both could notice Yoruichi, who seemed very angered by looking at Sui-Feng, as the Captain of Squad 2 was no standing on her knees. Nevertheless, Yoruichi still felt a great hint of disappointment towards her protégé. In fact, she even used Shunpo to vanish from the spot, much to her friends' surprise.

"Hold on, Yoruichi!" Urahara called out while following her.

So far, the captains and lieutenants had only stood and watched three of the Dechados unleashing their Resurrecciòns. While Annabelle, Xerrxes and Luddenwig had done that, Gallante was now removing his cover around his mouth, and it revealed everyone his Hollow-hell, which was formed like a devilish grin with evil teeth. His Hollow-shell was similar to Harribel's.

The red-skinned Arrancar with the scythe took small steps towards the line of captains, who were still standing their ground, not sure whether he and his fellow paragons were planning on attacking them. But Gallante eventually stopped and put his left hand over his eyepatch, his other visible eye narrowing cunningly.

"Now that you have seen three Resurrecciòns, I think that a last and final one would be enough to convince you not to take us lightly with. Allow me to demonstrate you the true meaning of the apocalypse itself, by witnessing my true form, created in the bowels of Hell itself!" Gallante declared loudly, his hand tightening his grip on the eyepatch. He slowly began removing it by uttering his Zanpakutou's release command. "Incinerate….Infierno!" the moment, he said that, his eyepatch was removed and a shining golden eye was revealed for everyone to see.

Fire erupted from the ground beneath him and Gallante's entire body was taken by the flame strike. However, the ball of fire that was shown began digging itself deeper into the ground Gallante was nowhere to be seen, except for the crimson fire that sprouted up from the ground. The nearby grass withered, all thanks to the flame.

The flames stopped, but something quickly jumped out from the hole in the ground and appeared for the Shinigamis to see. It was Diablo Gallante, now in his true form. He looked like an archdevil with hooves, grayish armor and two white horns sticking up. However, he was still carrying his scythe, which was now covered in flames. With his Hollow-shell gone, Gallante had black facial hair around his chin. Meanwhile, his exposed biceps and his eyes were enveloped with golden fire. Needless to say, Gallante was now resembling more of a devil than an Arrancar.

Gallante narrowed his burning eyes as he faced the Shinigamis. "Consider this a warning to you, if you ever think about crossing us when we gladly accepted your suggestion to talk" he warned them, his breath spewing forth heat in the process.

Shunsui and Ukitake were had now activated heir Shikais, as they were ready to retaliate, should the Dechados change their minds about leaving them alone. However, the head-captain still felt that all of this was his responsibility, and tried to make their counterparts see reason.

"We are dealing with a common enemy who seeks nothing but the destruction of both the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo! Surely you must understand that!" he tried to point out a fact.

Xerrxes only grunted by what he was hearing. "We have no intention of risking the lives of our brothers and sisters for the sake of the Sereitei, imbeciles. The Quincies' return is Yamamato's doing…the Shinigamis' doing….your doing" the minotaur-like Arrancar told him and the other captains.

"Head-Captain Yamamoto sacrificed much to preserve this world's continued existence!" Ukitake suddenly shot back, his voice filled with frustration. "It is also unfair to call the Wandenreich's invasion of the Soul Society our doing!" he added to his statement.

Luddenwig only furrowed his eyebrows while chuckling in amusement by the white-haired captain's words. "It astounds me that you are in denial about your order's failure, would you not agree, Jushiro Ukitake?" he asked smugly.

Ukitake's green eyes widened in shock. "But I…I never told you about my name!" he noted with surprise.

Suddenly, three Gargantas had been opened and the soldiers of the Imperio de Hierro mounted on their beasts and was about to take their leave. However, Annabelle caught wind of Urahara and his friends standing with the Shinigamis. The banshee-like Arrancar smirked by seeing him.

"Careful not to run away from us, mansion boy! You still are in our possession!" she warned him coldly. "We expect you and your friends to be returning to El Dorado soon. But as promised, you may have a few touching words with these spineless fools you call Shinigamis. But remember, do not dare cross His Highness!" she said one more time before disappearing into one of the Gargantas, as they all shut.

After the great fiasco, Shunsui made sure that all those participating in this summit had been properly taken care of. Hanataro had begun treating those who had gotten injured by the brief confrontation with the Arrancars. But for the head-captain dressed in pink kimono, it was a blow to his dignity as a leader.

He sat on a stone and sighed deeply by what he had witnessed so far. "Well, guess that we won't be getting any non-aggression pact with them" Shunsui noted with little enthusiasm in his voice.

"Captain, it wasn't your fault that it went so badly" Nanao tried to lift his spirit while assuring him.

While hearing that, Shunsui and his lieutenants took a like at Yoruichi, who aggressively grabbed Sui-Feng's collar and lifted her up, her feline eyes filled with dispassion. The blue-haired woman dared not look into her former superior's eyes.

"What the hell has gotten into you?" Yoruichi lowly, but sternly asked Sui-Feng, who was still not answering. This only irritated her any further. "Don't give me that bullshit response! Is this what has become of the leadership of the Stealth Force!? So many years, yet you still lack the compassion as a captain!" the purple-haired woman angrily scolded her former lieutenant.

Sui-Feng faced her captain with eyes that were filled with shame and humility. "But Lady Yoruichi I…I…" the blue-haired captain was interrupted by her former superior's harsh words.

"No more words out of you!" Yourichi said strictly. "And by the way, you wanted to know…..about the reason why I did not take you along with me to my exile" she said, and Sui-Feng's eyes widened in surprise. True, she had never been given the answer to it from her former captain. What was Yoruichi's answer? "I chose not to take you with me because I had faith in you…...faith in your abilities to lead as the Commander of the Stealth Force and Captain of Squad 2. I had also hoped that carrying those titles would help you mature, but I was foolishly overestimating you" she revealed with no pleasant words and decided to find a spot to think through the stress. She had decided to rest by a tree. But on her way, she passed Kensei, who merely crossed his arms as their gazes met for a long time.

"Tch, perhaps it was a mistake to make her your protégé" the grey-haired man said lowly while taking a brief glance at Sui-Feng. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think Yushiro would've made a better captain" he admitted to her.

Hearing this only made Yoruichi grunt in return, and she ignored Kensei's words. The purple-haired woman leaned onto a tree and rested, almost behaving like a cat.

At the same time, Urahara was having a conversation with Shunsui, Ukitake and Shinji, discussing about the next move. "So I take it you plan on returning to Hueco Mundo, yes?" the pink-clad Shinigami asked the blonde-haired man who only nodded in return.

"I still haven't been able to finish my research on how the Quincies were able to steal the Bankais. Therefore, I will return to my mini-lab and find out more" Urahara said before sighing deeply. "However, there is no doubt in my mind that I will be under heavy supervision from the Arrancars, given this summit's fiasco" he admitted.

"There is no hope of continuing this project" Ukitake stated grimly. "The 13 Court Guard Squads must immediately return to the Soul Society and bolster its defenses. It won't be long before the Wandenreich catches wind of what we are doing in the Human World" the white-haired man added to his suggestion.

"Tch, those bastards!" Shinji said while thinking about the Arrancars that had managed to seal his Hollowfication. "Since when did Arrancars become THAT intelligent?" he asked out loud. The Captain of Squad 5 then focused his attention on Urahara. "Whatever the hell those Arrancars are, they're worse than the Espadas, that's for sure" he admitted to Urahara.

The blonde-haired man only nodded his head in agreement. But he surprisingly fixed a smug smile while facing him. "By the way, Shinji. Is Hiyori and the Vizards beginning their job I asked them to do?" he questioned him.

Shinji only poked his left ear before replying. "Yeah, I think" he answered while not being entirely sure. "Before I attended this summit, I had a phone call with Hiyori, who kept bitching about whatever kinds of fucked up things. However, she did receive the package from you, well she told me that at least" the captain added with little enthusiasm.

"What have you hired the Vizards for?" Ukitake asked Urahara while sounding curious. "While I do appreciate their assistance, I was wondering if they would be coming over to the Sereitei to help us rebuild our defenses" he added.

Urahara only smiled smugly. "Don't worry. They'll be there once they're finished with the job. And let me assure you that what they are doing will be off great help to the Soul Society" he assured him.

Shunsui only chuckled by hearing his words. "You never cease to amaze us, Kisuke Urahara" the head-captain commented.

The usually laid-back Shinigami began heading towards Tessai and motioned for Yoruichi to come as well and they were gathered in a ring of three. "Okay guys. This is it. I didn't expect the summit to end in disaster, but we'll proceed with our plans regardless" Urahara told them and began facing Yoruichi with a smile. "Yoruichi, I want you to ho join the Vizards and help them in collecting the distortions between the realms. With your help, they will be done faster" he told her.

"Yeah, I agree with you" she said and briefly looked at Sui-Feng still being treated for her injuries. "I'd give anything to not stand here and witness more of Sui-Feng's stupidity" she said with distaste of her former lieutenant.

Tessai adjusted his glasses. "My, you seem to be a little too harsh on Sui-Feng, don't you think, Yoruichi?" he asked her.

Yoruichi only scoffed while crossing her arms. "I'll admit that I envy you sometimes, Tessai. Your mentoring of Hachi apparently surpasses that of mine with Sui-Feng" the purple-haired woman remarked before fixing a cunning grin with her mouth. "Anyway, I'll head out to wherever the Vizards are. Say hello to Xerrxes for me. I've never seen such a handsome bull before!" she said with humor before vanishing into thin air using her Shunpo.

Both Urahara and Tessai both dropped sweats by hearing what she had just told them. "Uhhhh…..what just happened?" the blonde-haired man asked while sounding dumbfounded.

Tessai only cleared his throat. "Well done, boss. Shall we return to El Dorado?" he asked him.

Urahara only smiled at him smugly in return. "Absolutely" he responded.

Toshiro, Rose and Byakuya could watch the two open a Garganta for them to enter. However, they were already having their own discussion about what to do next. Rose stroke his blonde hair.

"What an utter disappointment" Rose noted lowly. "And to think that I would allow myself to be humiliated by Arrancars" he added, as he could not believe how they were able to dispel his Hollowfication.

"None of this would've been necessary if only Captain Sui-Feng had kept her arrogance in check" Toshiro remarked, briefly looking over his shoulder to see the captain recovering from her injuries. He sighed deeply. "I never thought that we would have to fight Arrancars once again" he added to his statement.

Rose faced him smugly. "You and Capain Kuchiki were wise to not rush into battle, considering that you didn't have your Bankais. I see now why you were chosen as captains" the Captain of Squad 3 commended their patience.

"Perhaps. However, even if we had our Bankais, I can't help but to wonder if that would make us able to stand against these Dechados" the white-haired boy remarked. "Their Resurrecciòns…are remarkable" he then added. But Toshiro had other thoughts in his head at the moment. "Maybe I suspicions were true. These Arrancars may have been former…Vasto Lordes" he thought in his head.

Byakuya was not interested in joining this conversation, as his mind was drifting off to something else. The Captain of Squad 6 could not help but to recall what Annabelle had said to him. "A clan of butchers and assassins, she said" the black-haired man recalled what she had told him. For some reason, frustration began boiling inside of him, as those words had left him a grim reminder of something about his past. "Damned Hollow! How can she know about the Kuchiki clan's history?" he wondered, the words from Annabelle still haunting his thoughts.

Ikkaku, Yumichika and Shuhei had slowly begun to recover from their injuries. They could see that Marechiyo was not so fortunate, as the chubby Shinigami had been knocked out into a concussion thanks to Ùnico's immense strength.

Shuhei slightly winced in pain while rubbing his head. "Damn it, that hurts! It's almost as if a giant shield were thrown at me!" he exclaimed.

Both Ikkaku and Yumichika stared at him with little enthusiasm. "Actually, there was a giant shield thrown at you, genius" Yumichika pointed out, but Shuhei didn't seem to give much thought. The pretty man only shrugged his shoulders by seeing this. "I tried to help you" he noted lowly.

"Anyways, while I know that Captain Zaraki is capable of standing up to these monstrous freaks, I have doubts about the other captains, especially those who have lost their Bankais" Ikkaku noted while eyeing each captain that was present.

Yumichika fixed a slight smirk while hearing this. "You don't say" he said smugly.

"What in the hell were you three thinking?" the three Shinigamis could hear the voice of Izuru, as he, Momo and Rangiku was now standing before them. "Did you honestly believe that you would stand a chance against these Arrancars? I mean Ikkaku, your Bankai is broken. And as for Yumichika and Shuhei, none of you have achieved a Bankai yet" the blonde-haired man told them.

Shuhei only scoffed at his words. "Speak for yourself, Izuru. You haven't improved much yourself" the punkish lieutenant responded. "And besides, it wasn't just us three, Marechiyo was the one to charge first" he then pointed out.

Rangiku stood up and faced her fellow lieutenant with a dispassionate glance. "Who cares about which one of you started it!? You could've been killed!" the strawberry-haired woman pointed out, much to Shuhei's own surprise. "All of you were stupid enough to provoke those Arrancars and look where that got us" she added while facing the ground with a hint of shame.

"Don't feel bad, Rangiku. None of us is at fault here" Momo assured her with a smile. "I only hope that we are prepared for what lies before us" she suddenly said with a low voice.

"Momo has a point" Izuru said, agreeing with his long-time classmate. "All of us better think about what we should do now. I can feel that war is on the horizon" the gloomy Shinigami admitted to his comrades while noticing Toshiro opening a Senkaimon.

This only convinced them all to gather up their belongings and return to the Soul Society. There was no time to waste, as they knew that the Quincies would strike back at any minute. But for some captains, the summit's failure only led them to only have misgivings about Shunsui as head-captain. Hopefully, the war would make all Shinigamis, Court Guard or Royal Guard, set aside their differences and unite against their common foe.

* * *

 _Inside a study, the Conociomento, El Dorado_

Chad and Orihime had accepted Pieddot's invitation to visit them in his study at the observatory. As expected, the study housed many scrolls and books, and sometimes, it almost looked like a science lab. However, there was also a giant telescope, indicating that his study was in fact on the highest level of the building.

Both Orihime and Chad were intrigued by the fact that a place such as this even existed in Hueco Mundo. However, they would not touch anything, unless Pieddot gave them permission to do so.

"Very well, know that you are both here, I think I will start with you, Yasutora" Pieddot said, causing Chad to only nod his head as a yes. "Your membership of the organization called Xcution gave you some information about Fullbringers, am I correct?" the researcher cunningly asked Chad, as he was stunned to realize that the paragon knew about his previous dealings with Kugo Ginjo and his associates. But to answer his question, Chad simply nodded in return.

"Yeah. They told me that Fullbringers come from parents who has been devoured by a Hollow during their earlier lives" Chad slowly recalled by what he knew from his conversation with those members. "The ability I possess is called Fullbring, which allows me to manipulate the soul that rests within my body" the tall man added to his explanation.

Pieddot only nodded his head in return. "Yes I see. Now how about you demonstrate your Fullbring to us? Show us how they look like" the researcher requested him.

Chad did as he requested and then transformed his arms by using his Fullbring. He revealed both arms for Pieddot and Orihime to see. "My right arm: Brazo Derecha de Gigante and my left arm: Brazo Izquierda del Diablo. These two are what I call my Fullbring" he told them.

The masked Arrancar was curios while studying the two arms. "Fascinating. From what I can tell, your Fullbring is quite different from those of Riruka Dokugamine and Yukio Hans Voralberna. It is indeed similar to those of Hollows" Pieddot noted while commenting his ability. "You may have noticed that while in Hueco Mundo, your Fullbring becomes empowered" he added to his analysis.

"I already know that" Chad responded lowly, recalling the time he went into Las Noches along with Ichigo and the others to save Orihime from captivity.

Pieddot knew that he understood it and focused his attention on Orihime, who was just as curios as he was. "Orihime, your ability, has the power to return anything to what it previously was. It has amazing abilities" he remarked, causing Orihime to somewhat feel embarrassed over being complimented like this. "But, as incredible as your power is, it cannot return all things to what they were before. I take it you already know that, considering that Sosuke Aizen fooled you into believing that his fabricated Oken could be restored by your ability" the masked Arrancar went on, and Orihime was immediately remined about how she foolishly had fallen to his trap.

"I know" Orihime responded lowly, with a hint of sadness in her voice. But she faced the researcher with a curious glance. "But was Aizen aware of what kind of Human I was?" she suddenly asked Pieddot.

"That I am not sure of" the masked Arrancar said. "However, I do know for a fact that Kisuke Urahara, Yoruichi Shihoin and Tessai Tsukabishi, had incredible amounts of knowledge about the Interminables, even before your powers were awakened" he went on.

The orange-haired woman snapped in surprise as she knew what he meant by that. "That's right! Jinta…..and Ururu…they are also Interminables" she stated lowly. "But their powers are mostly strength-based, very different from mine" she commented.

Pieddot nodded his head as a yes. "You are correct" he said and began facing both Orihime and Chad at the same time, indicating that he wanted to talk with them both. "Listen carefully, young ones. What I am about to tell you, may be not what you expect to believe in. But in the end, it is the truth. I will tell you…..about the origins of both Interminables and Fullbringers" he revealed to them.

Both Orihime and Chad both snapped, with their eyes widening in surprise over hearing this. Could this be true? Were they gonna find out more about their powers and where their origins lied? They really wanted to know it.

"Both Interminables and Fullbringers….do not have their origins in the Human World" he revealed to them while they were stunned in return. "However, you have Human origins and you are Humans. But those two races…..were not born….but created" he then revealed lowly.

The two friends both got shocked by hearing this and only Chad had enough strength to speak up. "No….it can't be….." the tall man said lowly. But Chad still had enough strength to speak. "Fullbringers….are they from…..Hueco Mundo?" he asked lowly.

Pieddot only nodded his head as a confirmation to Chad's theory. "Yes, they are" he said and suddenly rose up from his seat and stretched out his clawed hands to show them his study. "In fact, it was in this building, the Conociomento, they were created. The first Fullbringers were legions of Human women, who had been impregnated by Hollows in the Human World. But when His Highness caught wind of it, he demanded that all those women, as well as their unborn babies be brought to El Dorado, where they could birth. But however, knowing that Humans and Hollows could never become one, these Humans were experimented and flesh-shaped…...with Hollow-blood" he explained, much to Chad's own shock and surprise. "With Hollow-blood running through their veins, these children survived and for many years, these Fullbringers stayed in El Dorado to work as laborers for the nobility, until they were told to return to the Human World, where they would continue to live" he added to his explanation.

"So Fullbringers returned to the Human World…..but for what reason?" Chad asked, while wanting to know the answer.

Pieddot nodded at him, knowing that he deserved to be heard. "Yes they were brought back to the Human World, but for only a particular reason" he said before fixing his cunning eyes at Orihime. "And that is what I am about to tell you, Orihime" he told her.

After listening to the Fullbringer's origins, Orihime had been completely stuck about how to deal with such information. Even so, she felt a desire to know the truth, as she had always been curios about her own abilities.

"Like Fullbringers, Interminables were originally normal Human beings who roamed in their world peacefully ages ago. However, they were sadly abducted. But not by Arrancars. And not even by Quincies" the masked Arrancar began his explanation while facing the young woman, who was nothing but stunned by hearing this. "Yes, young one. These Humans were abducted and captured…..by Shinigamis" he revealed grimly.

"No way…..captured…..by Shinigamis?" Orihime wondered lowly. "So that means they were brought to the…Soul Society?" she asked.

Pieddot nodded as a yes. "Correct. But how did these Humans end up becoming those we call Interminables? Remember, the Department Research and Development did not exist at that time. However, these Humans were being experimented on transformed…by infusing the blood of the Soul King" he then revealed, and Orihime's heart started to beat faster while she could not take much more of this. But something inside her told her to sit and listen. "The Soul Society had desired to create a race that would serve its citizens well, as well as fill in the gap left by the Quincies, as they already had their own home. But in order for these primitive Humans to be just as intelligent as the Quincies…the Shinigamis experimented with the Soul King's blood…and infused them into the primitive Humans, thus changing them forever. Because of their numbers growing rapidly, they were called the Interminables" the researcher concluded his explanation.

Suddenly, Orihime rose up from her seat and fixed a defiant look at the Arrancar, who only glanced at her normally in return. "You're….you're not making any sense!" the young woman shouted, as she felt herself stressed out. "Are you saying that I….have some kind of connection with the Soul King!?" she added while demanding an answer from him.

"They have, young one. But you, because of your ability, are considered the one closest to the Soul King. Now sit down and let me tell you about where your powers come from" Pieddot said and Orihime reluctantly agreed. "From the moment the Interminables were created, there was always a time when a woman would be born each hundred year. What was special about this woman…..was the fact that she had the ability to manipulate and reject what was reality and return it to the past" he told, while Orihime followed closely. "Yes, the Shinigamis believed that this was due to that woman being the one closest to have inherited what they believed to be the Soul King's abilities. Because of that, the Shinigamis decided to keep the Interminables as their servants. That woman would be considered the leader of the Interminables and was given the title of Dèesse. But the unfair treatment from the Shinigamis lead many Interminables to seek freedom, although many was not so fortunate. However, the war between the Shinigamis and the Quincies gave them that opportunity, so they used this commotion to flee from captivity, eventually returning to the Human World. And that is what you are, little girl. You are a direct descendant of the first Dèesse" Pieddot concluded his story.

While Orihime was still unsure of how to respond to this, Chad still had enough strength to speak up. "What happened back in the Human World?" he asked lowly. "What happened when Fullbringers and Interminables met?" he added another question.

"Well. You see, the Fullbringers were created in reaction to the creation of the Interminables. And originally, Fullbringers were supposed to wage war upon the Interminables once they were sent back to the Human World. But instead of fighting, the two races became friends, as they felt they shared common roots of being experimented by more powerful beings. Their friendship continued, although while we Arrancars were unable to keep in contact of the Fullbringers, the Shinigamis still had some form of contact with the Interminables" Pieddot answered Chad's question with a quick story.

"But I have a question for you" Orihime suddenly spoke up and she clenched her hands tightly. "If I am an Interminable…..does that mean that the rest of my family is?" she asked lowly.

Pieddot put his clawed fingers underneath his chin and began studying Orihime's behavior. "I would say yes" he said, but he was not finished yet. "Tell me something, Orihime Inoue. You were not born in Karakura Town, were you?" he asked her cunningly.

Orihime still remembered the words that her brother Sora had told him. "Yes, I was born in a secluded village at the other side of the Onose River. From what I recall, there was a lot of forests there" she told them.

However, Pieddot's eyes widened in surprise by what she told him. "Did you say.….on the other side of the Onose River?" he asked her, and Orihime simply nodded her head, not knowing what else to say. This caused the researcher to sigh deeply as he faced Orihime with a surprisingly sympathetic expression. "Little girl, I have read studied your history for a while. And you say that you were raised by abusive parents, is that right?" he asked her.

The young woman only nodded her head as a yes. "Well, it is what my older brother Sora always told me. He said that my father was an alcoholic while my mother was a prostitute. He feared that they would kill me one day, so when he was eighteen and I had just turned three years old, we ran away from our parents. From what I remember, it was a night in the forest surrounding our village" Orihime told her story, while recalling the only things she could remember as a young girl, what she could see while her brother was carrying her and running at the same time.

"I see" Pieddot said. "But do you recall seeing something unusual, and by that I mean something you never saw happening from your former home" he then told her, and Orihime was drifting back into the past she had almost forgotten.

"Well, I do remember when me and Sora was crossing the bridge over the Onose River…...it was red….crimson red" Orihime answered slowly while recalling what she had seen. "But there was something else I could see. As my brother was carrying me, I could see so many colors hanging above the forest around my village. I don't necessarily recall what it was…..but he light and the colors…were stunning, unlike anything I had seen" she added, slowly beginning to get a grip on her past.

Chad decided to ask Pieddot something. "What does her past have to do with Orihime being an Interminable?" the tall man asked the researcher.

Pieddot sighed before answering. "When the Shinigamis had discovered that most Interminables had settled in the Human World, they were at first tolerant of it, as they even had some of them as their servants back in the Soul Society. But when the Shinigamis discovered that the Dèesse and her offspring had settled in the Human World as well, they panicked, fearful that her powers could've been spread amongst all Humans. And since the Interminables refused to hand her and her offspring over to the Soul Society, the Shinigamis came to an end that there was only one solution to this problem: extermination" he told them while sounding grim.

Both Chad and Orihime snapped in fear by hearing this, as they could not believe what words came out of the Arrancar's mouth. But yet, they did not dare to speak up, as they were shocked by hearing the word extermination.

"For generations, the Shinigamis searched the Human World for all Interminables and once found, murdered them in cold blood. They were desperate to eradicate the entire race, as they believed that creating the Interminables was a mistake" Pieddot explained without pausing, knowing how terrifying this story really was. "14 years ago, the Shinigamis finally caught the last village of Interminables, where they had hoped to finally kill the direct descendant of the Dèesse. That village was surrounded by a forest….and also located…..near the Onose River" the Arrancar said grimly while facing Orihime.

The young woman's eyes felt lost when he told her this, and tears had slowly began streaming from her eyes. "Are you saying that…" she spoke up while sniffing.

"Yes, child. What your brother told you about your parents…..was only a story to hide you the truth. You were the new Dèesse born in a hundred years at that time. And what you were told was an escape from abusive parents…..was in fact…..an escape from genocide and murder" he told her.

Orihime was suddenly given a realization of her past. She could not truly picture what she had seen as a little girl. "That night…the river…the skies" she uttered out those words lowly. "The crimson river…was a river of blood…..the blood of Interminables. And the beautiful colors that floated above the forest, was fire" she added, while tears ran down her cheeks. When all these things came clear, the young woman broke into tears, as she had never felt so lost before.

Chad tried to comfort her, and began facing Pieddot with a wary eye. "How can you know of this!?" he demanded an answer. "How do you know for sure that Shinigamis murdered Orihime's parents!?" he added with another question.

"I knew that there would be a time when you would know the truth, Orihime. And to help you, I will tell you of the monster who led the assault on your village, authorized by Shigekuni Yamamoto himself. With only few resources, we have managed to track all the commanders responsible for these horrific purges, including that of your birthplace" Pieddot told her while leaning onto her face and fixing truthful eyes, something Orihime knew did not lie. Chad could also tell that he was not being deceptive. "The one who commanded the assault on your birthplace, as well as massacred all the Interminables including your parents….is none other than the Captain of Squad 6, as well as the current head of the Kuchiki clan: Byakuya Kuchiki" he told her and Chad the name of the murderer.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Author's note: I really hope you enjoyed this one. I spent many hours figuring it out. I will not spoil what is next, but I can tell you that this will be exciting, no doubt about that. Orihime's true past will be revealed in time, as well as more about these massacres.**

 **Infierno – Spanish for "Hell": This is Diablo Gallante's Resurrecciòn, which transforms him into a terrifying archdevil. Perhaps Gallante is himself a devil from Hell in real life.**

 **Dèesse – French for "Goddess": This particular type of female Interminable was considered to have inherited the Soul King's secret abilities. As such, she was considered the queen or princess of the Interminables.**


	10. Prophecy of Fate

**Author's note: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Prophecy of Fate**

 _Inside the majestic palace of Esperanza, El Dorado, Hueco Mundo_

Inside Esperanza's throne room, Ruler of Imperio de Hierro: Augustus Zod Allowin, was having a private talk with Tier Harribel, who had recently been inducted into the Dechados. The blonde-haired woman was now kneeling before him with respect while the ancient Arrancar sat on his throne, his elderly eyes facing Harribel.

"You seem very downed, young woman. I can even smell it by feeling your essence" Allowin noted lowly as he had begun noticing how shameful Harribel was acting as she was kneeling before him.

"I don't understand" Harribel suddenly spoke up and rose to her feet. She fixed a somewhat ashamed look on her face. "You came to me and offered a place among you, but I stubbornly rejected your offer. And as a result, I was not strong enough to hold against the Quincies and lost to them in shame. So why…why do you induct me into the Dechados, despite my previous rejection of your offer?" she asked him while explaining all that had happened so far.

Allowin only sighed deeply by hearing this, yet he did not seem irritated nor annoyed. "I know that you did it, Tier Harribel. However, as hard as it was to hear you reject us…..we could not blame you for it" he spoke up, his eyes slightly filled with sympathy.

Harribel's blue eyes widened in surprise. "What do you mean?" she wondered lowly.

The emperor suddenly rose up from his throne and took small steps towards her. "I have been watching you, young one. You may have ended up becoming a servant to that foul Shinigami Sosuke Aizen, but before that, you were known as a compassionate fighter, similar to that of Nelliel Tu Odelschwank" he began explaining while standing before the blonde-haired woman with a smile, which was incredibly different from his angry attitude towards Urahara. "While you served as Espadas, both you and her retained your sense of honor as Arrancars. It is a great shame that I did not have enough strength to make you come to our side. Because I also know that you always held Aizen in high regard…until he betrayed you on the battlefield" the elderly Arrancar went on.

Harribel could not help but to feel anger brewing inside of her. She still remembered that day, when Aizen, whom she had always served loyally, turned against her, by slashing her with Kyoka Suigetsu. That day had made Harribel realize that all this time, Aizen had only been using her, along with the other Espadas and Arrancars. However, he did not expect them to trust him, but rather using his enormous Spiritual Pressure to keep them in line, like a grasshopper keeping ants in line.

"Damn that bastard" Harribel muttered lowly, and she faced Allowin. "If I ever see him again, he will die by my blade! That I swear!" she declared.

Allowin stood and listened how bitter the young woman's voice sounded. But he then decided to continue speaking. "And because of that day, you failed to put trust in anyone, except for your Fracciòn. Because of that, I do not fault your refusal to join us at first" the emperor told her. "I knew that a proud and honorable warrior like you deserves to have second chance. And you shall be given that by eliminating all enemies of El Dorado, our true home" he went on explaining.

Harribel eventually understood what he was trying to tall her and she immediately kneeled before him with respect, it was after all, he who had decided to save her from captivity in Silbern. "I am yours to serve, Your Highness. Together, we shall eradicate our enemies from existence" she said with a slight deceleration.

"Then rise up, my daughter!" Allowin commanded her and the blonde-haired woman did as he said. Seeing her standing so firm and tall made the emperor smile at her. "You have proven your worth to redeem yourself, Harribel. And as such, you deserve a reward. Allow me to give you something in return as a token of my gratitude" the muscular Arrancar told her and looked sideways, with Harribel doing the same thing.

The blonde-haired woman's eyes widened by seeing her Fracciòn entering the throne room. Emilou Apacci, Franceska Mila Rose and Cyan Sung-Sun all ran towards their leader with overjoy.

"Lady Harribel!" they all shouted together, kneeling before her in respect. Harribel was on the verge of crying, as she had been worried about them since she was held prisoner by Yhwach.

"We were captured by the Imperio de Hierro's soldiers, but His Highness treated us with dignity and respect" Sung-Sun told her.

"Yeah, it was no big deal, really" Apacci assured her while scoffing. "In fact, we were more worried about you" she admitted.

Mila Rose only crossed her arms by hearing this. "And who's fault is it that she caught captured without assistance?" she asked while looking at Apacci, who got ticked with anger by hearing this.

"Again with the blaming game!?" she spat at him. "We all know that your lousy ass was not strong enough to hold off the Quincies!" she hit back, only for Mila Rose to come up to her face.

"Take that back, slut!" the black-skinned Arrancar said to her with venom and both women were on the verge of starting a fight once again.

Despite seeing them bicker so childishly, Harribel still didn't mind it, as she was only glad to see them being alive and well. The blonde-haired woman then turned around and faced Allowin, eventually kneeled before him with respect. "I greatly appreciate you for taking my Fracciòn into El Dorado. By my blade, I will protect the city, as well as the empire" she thanked him while swearing an oath before her superior.

Allowin continued to smile and nodded his head at her in approval. Before returning to his throne, she faced her and the bickering Fracciòn one last time. "You may do as you please for now, young ones. I will call upon you if needed" he told him and walked towards his throne.

* * *

 _In the streets of El Dorado_

Jinta and Ururu were currently sitting by a bridge, watching the canal of water that ran below it. It was surprising to see that water existed in Hueco Mundo. However, El Dorado was the only place that had water. Not even the Sereitei nor Las Noches had fountains or canals such as these. In addition to the canals, the city itself was built around a giant like at the depths of the mountains, so there was no doubt that this was the paradise for all those who wandered the endless steppes of Hueco Mundo.

Even now, the two teenagers could spot small boats that were piloted by rowing Arrancars. The boats almost looked like gondolas, only wider. Many of these boats were carrying supplies or other kinds of things.

"Where do you think those boats are heading off to?" Jinta asked Ururu, who began facing the red-haired boy, having her mind focused on something else.

"I'm not familiar with these canals" was all that Ururu could muster. "But they seem to be transporting some important supplies. I mean, look at that bridge over there" she said while pointing her finger at the bridge across from their own.

From what they saw, tall, hulking Hollows were now carrying heavy barrels and crates while crossing it. The two teenagers were eventually joined by Nelliel, who had been tasked to keep them safe from any harm.

"These Hollows seem to be carrying supplies to the markets. That place is always a busy place" the young woman noted.

Both Ururu and Jinta were surprised by hearing this. However, Jinta suddenly flashed a smug grin with his mouth, so he turned around and faced the sea green-haired Arrancar. "Hey Nelliel, do those markets sell all kinds of worthy stuff or anything?" he asked her.

Nelliel took her time to think. "I have only been there a couple of times, but I know that they at least sell some kind of gold and….." she stopped by seeing Jinta jump in the air.

"Alright! That's cool! Then it's the prefect chance for me to go look for a present to Yuzu!" the red-haired boy exclaimed with confidence.

Ururu only looked dumbfounded, despite her meek appearance. "You really think you can find something Yuzu will like in a city of Hollows?" she asked him.

Jinta only grinned at her cockily in return and then proceeded to stand on the bridge's edge. "Damn straight! I said that I was gonna ask her out once this crap was over, didn't I?" he asked her and then faced down the canal with confidence. "Well, I'm still gonna need a gift to impress her, so I'll head down to the markets and see if there is one. Later! Geronimooooo…." Jinta was about to jump down in the water, until he could feel someone holding him by the back of his shirt.

Turning around, he saw Nelliel hold him, her face filled with disappointment over seeing his reckless behavior. "That's as far as you go, Jinta Hanakari" she told him strictly.

Jinta only narrowed his eyes. "Hey. Why did you stop me?" he asked her with annoyance.

"You are allowed to row a boat in these waters, but you are strictly not allowed to dive nor bathe into it! The water that flows in these canals and fountains are the drinking water of El Dorado. All its citizens consider it valuable and is not to be defiled by your sweaty body" Nelliel strictly told him, much to Jinta's anger, as he didn't feel like he smelled bad at all.

"Could you have killed Jinta if he did that?" Ururu suddenly asked Nelliel out of curiosity.

Nelliel faced her while shaking her head as a no. "I would not. But they would have done it" she said and motioned for a group of Arrancars carrying, swords, shields and armor. These Arrancars were the El Dorado's city guard, also known as the Ojos. The one who was leading the patrol was an Arrancar with a bull-shaped skull on his head. He was very familiar, especially to Nelliel and other former Esclavos. As his gaze met hers, Nelliel smiled sweetly. "Well met, Captain Rudbornn Chelute" she said while treating him with respect.

The former Commander of the Exequias bowed his head formally in return, as did those men behind him. "The honor is mine, Lady Nelliel" Rudbornn said before noticing her holding Jinta on his back. "Have these outsiders caused enough trouble for you? Shall I dispose of them?" he asked while slightly drawing out his Zanpakutou, much to the two teenagers' shock.

But Nelliel stepped in. "No, that won't be necessary. His Highness has put me in charge of these two. I am more than happy to discipline them myself. But I appreciate your offer, nevertheless" the female paragon told him in return, trying to sound sweet and gentle.

Seeing this, Rudbornn pulled back his blade and bowed to Nelliel with respect and dignity. "Very well, if you insist" he said in return. "We best be on our way then. May the Skyfather watch over you" the skull-faced Arrancar said and he and his Ojos continued their patrol.

Jinta sighed deeply in relief. "Man, that was close!" he thought before looking up to Nelliel with an apologetic look. "Hey…..thanks for sticking up to me" he then thanked her, considering that she had stood up for him and Ururu.

While Nelliel only smiled at him and nodded, Ururu only glanced at him with a deep frown, despite her meek expression. "Why do I usually get stuck with him and his problems?" she wondered in her head.

"Who was that bull-horned dude anyway?" Jinta suddenly asked Nelliel, who had her eyes focused on the group Ojos that were on their move.

"He was once the Commander of the Exequias, as well as an Arrancar in service of Aizen. But like many of us, he answered the true call of our people, and joined the Imperio de Hierro, eventually becoming a Captain in the Ojos" Nelliel explained while recalling what she knew about him.

Ururu's eyes snapped in surprise. "Now that I think about it, he shares the same last name with the Legionario called Borddum" the meek girl recalled the time they first saw Borddum.

Nelliel nodded her head in return. "Yeah. That is because both Rudbornn and Borddum comes from the same family, which is actually of noble blood" she replied.

Both Ururu and Jinta only raised an eyebrow at her in confusion, as they did not know what she was trying to tell them. However, sooner or later, they would know more about El Dorado and its people. Perhaps Nelliel could be the one showing them?

"Now about going to the marketplace" both teenagers looked at the female Arrancar, as she was thinking about something. "You know, I think I should buy something to Ichigo, you know as a present" she began speaking about it.

Jinta immediately fixed a smug and mischievous grin, as he knew what Nelliel was planning to do. "So you plan on buying something to carrot top, eh? Well that sounds thoughtful of you. I bet you like Ichigo" the red-haired boy teasingly said, causing the sea green-haired woman to blush in return.

The blushing did not just come from Nelliel's marking running across her cheekbones and nose, but by her own sensation. She could see the deviant look on Jinta's face. "I've n-no idea what you're talking about!" she said, trying to deny that something was going on between them.

"Easy there, buster. It's okay if you have feelings towards Ichigo" Jinta said and suddenly got an idea, once again looking smug. "In fact, I think Ichigo pretty much likes you in return" he told her.

The female Arrancar could not stop blushing and she tried to hide it as best as she could. "Oh…..you think so?" she asked awkwardly.

Jinta's expression never ceased. "Sure he does! I mean, look at you. That carrot top will probably glue his eyes on you if you show yourself before him in that form. Hell, Ichigo may as well start mastur…EYOUCH!" Jinta was interrupted when Ururu suddenly stomped on his left foot and it felt painful for him.

Ururu faced Jinta with disdain as he rolled on the ground holding his sore foot. "You're such an impulsive idiot, Jinta" the teenage girl told him before facing Nelliel, who had only been stunned by seeing Ururu's action. "We will be happy if you accompanied us to the marketplace. There will probably be a lot of stares from Hollows and Arrancars, given that we are Humans" the meek girl told the Arrancar, who giggled by hearing this.

"Very well, follow me" Nelliel said and both she and Ururu headed towards the marketplace.

Jinta was jumping with one foot to catch up to them, but he accidentally fell onto the ground, much to his frustration. "I'll make you pay someday…Ururu!" he muttered angrily.

* * *

 _Outside the Conociomento_

Orihime and Chad had been escorted out of the observatory with the help of Pieddot. Both Humans had just been listening to a shocking explanation and revelation by the researcher, regarding their species' origins. Orihime had managed to gain composure, after breaking into tears over the revelations of her past.

Yet despite being told about this, Pieddot did not necessarily seem intentionally malicious or evil, as he was willing to tell them this. But Orihime was still feeing sad over the subject so the Dechado decided to help her seek peace.

Before the two Humans could depart, Pieddot decided to leave a few words of advice to them. "Now remember everything I have told you, young ones. There may be more of your people still left in the Human World. But they are rare, especially the Interminables" the masked Arrancar told them. "Now if either of you still refuse to believe me, I advise you to seek out Killaman Khan, the overseer and oracle. He may have some solutions to your depression. I have already sent word to him and he wished to meet with you at the marketplace. Until we meet again, farewell" Pieddot concluded and turned around to return to his study in the observatory.

After watching him go away, Chad decided to speak with Orihime, hoping that she would at least possess enough spirit to speak with him. "Orihime…are you feeling okay?" he asked lowly.

Despite not looking at him, Orihime did answer his question. "I am fine…..for now" the orange-haired woman said with a slight smile, before it turned upside down into a frown. "Chad…I really wanna go see Killaman Khan" she admitted to him.

Chad's only visible eye widened in surprise, as he could not believe what she just said. "Are you sure about that?" he asked both surprised and warily at the same time.

The young woman simply nodded at him in return. "I still feel that there remains a lot of questions to be answered with regards to my past. While I learned much from Pieddot, a part of me refuses to believe that…..Shinigamis murdered my parents. I must know the truth!" she said with determination in her voice.

As much as Chad wanted to open his mouth and speak against her suggestion, he understood Orihime's wishes. Acknowledging his friend's determination, Chad nodded his head as a yes. "Very well…...but let me at least accompany you" he told her.

Hearing this made Orihme force a smile, as she was grateful for having a great friend like Chad by her side, especially since Ichigo, Uryu or even Tatsuki was not here at the moment. The orange-haired woman had been secretly missing them all, especially Ichigo and Uryu.

"Okay. Then let's head to the marketplace!" Orihime said in her normally cheerful manner, which actually surprised the tall brown-skinned man.

"It's odd" Chad noted in his thoughts. "Orihime have just learned something that could be the truth of her past, yet she still feels so….happy" he added while following her to the city center.

* * *

 _In the marketplace, the center of El Dorado_

Even in a city of lost Souls, there was life in El Dorado's central marketplace, which was crawling with shopkeepers and their stands. Hollows and Arrancars alike were gathered in large crowds as they looked at what was being sold. At the same time, there was a gathering of them before a herald, as he was having a speech in front of the entire crowd. The speech was all about the recent reemergence of the Quincies, as well as the threat that Yhwach possessed.

When Nelliel had entered, some Arrancars and Hollows had knelt before her in respect while others, particularly males, whistled at her in amazement, considering how they found a female Dechado quite attractive. For some reason, Annabelle was not included in that category of attractive Arrancar-women.

"Nelliel has quickly become accepted into this society, despite her previously serving Aizen" Ururu noted to Jinta, who was only resting his hands behind his neck while huffing.

"Tch, maybe it's because of the fact that she is incredibly sexy…for an Arrancar, that is" the red-haired boy remarked while not necessarily paying attention to what Ururu said.

What both teenagers had noticed was the fact that they were given many stares by the citizens, but the Arrancars and Hollows did not necessarily seem intent on devouring them, let alone kill them on sight. They were mostly surprised by the fact that they were treated with dignity by a Dechado like Nelliel.

Jinta and Ururu eventually followed the female Arrancar to a shack, where a brown-skinned Hollow with the head of a deer as his Hollow-shell was selling stuff. He noticed Nelliel's appearance and immediately bowed to her formally.

"Greetings, Lady Nelliel. How may I be of service?" the Hollow spoke up, but soon noticed the two teenagers looking at his stuff. "Ah, so you have brought with you these outsiders today. Hmmmm…..intriguing" he added while watching Ururu and Jinta.

Nelliel exchanged nods with the Hollow. "I am glad to see you again, Ceirwutz. I am just looking for something to buy as a present" she told him.

"Oh, are you planning on buying a present to that hot-headed fool Grimmjow? Surely there must be a misunderstanding!" the Hollow asked while expressing his distaste of the Legionario.

"You've got it all wrong! I'm definitely not buying a present for Grimmjow" Nelliel insisted quickly before her cheeks started blushing, which surprised the deer-headed Hollow. "In fact, I am buying it for someone I deeply care about" the attractive Arrancar spoke up, much to Ceirwutz's own curiosity.

"Holy hell…WHAT IS THAT!?" Jinta asked out loud, as his eyes caught glimpse of a necklace that was exclusively made of gold. It was so golden that it almost shined like the sun itself.

Eventually, the shopkeeper took notice of this. "I see, so you are interested in that necklace of gold" Ceirwutz spoke up, catching Jinta's attention. "Yes, that necklace was exclusively made of the gold that exists in El Dorado. You see, I am also a goldsmith" the Hollow explained, much to Jinta's own interest.

"Really?" he asked and Ceirwutz simply nodded his head with antlers. Feeling confident about buying, Jinta pointed his finger at the necklace. "Then I'll take that necklace!" he said with enthusiasm.

"An excellent choice, young stranger. Now that will be, let's say, 100 aquñars" the Hollow said.

The young boy immediately moped by hearing this and he checked his pockets. Realizing that he was broke, he immediately fell into depression. "But I have no money!" he said while feeling let down.

Ururu became interested by realizing that even El Dorado had a currency system. "Aquñars must be the currency in El Dorado, just like Kan is in the Soul Society" the meek girl noted in her thoughts.

Jinta leaned onto Nelliel while begging her. "Hey you, you don't happen to have some money I can loan from you, do ya?" the teen asked her, much to her outrage.

"No way! My Aquñars are mine and I plan on buying a gift to Ichigo! You can always get a job and earn some yourself!" Nelliel hit back while trying to shrug off the teenage boy.

Ururu watched Jinta's antics unfazed, until she noticed Tier Harribel walk past her and talk to Ceirwutz. What was the blonde-haired woman doing in the marketplace? She watched as Harribel exchanged positive words with the shopkeeper and she handed him over some coins.

Jinta was still begging Nelliel for money, until he noticed somebody reaching out a hand to him with the golden necklace he had just been wanting to buy. Looking up, he saw Harribel facing sideways while holding the necklace before him.

"Here…take it" the blonde-haired Arrancar said while not as much as mincing words. Smiling gleefully, Jinta immediately accepted the necklace and jumped with overjoy, until he was grabbed by Harribel and lifted to her level. "Now I have done you a favor, which means that you must do something for me in return" she told him strictly, but Jinta immediately nodded his head in return as a yes.

"Sure thing! Anything to repay you for securing me a gift to a friend of mine!" Jinta insisted while nodding his head repeatedly.

Nelliel giggled by seeing this before speaking with Harribel. "So that's what you were planning on all along. You're lucky to have a servant like Jinta, he is kind of charming" she told the blonde-haired woman and both former members of the Espadas exchanged laughs between one another.

"Anyway, are you planning on buying a present to the Substitute Shinigami?" Harribel asked Nelliel, who simply nodded her head as a yes. "I fully respect your decisions Nelliel, but remember not to put him before your duties. You are still a Dechado" the blonde-haired woman remined her.

Nelliel sighed deeply by hearing this. "I know that, but I still feel indebted to Ichigo, especially for what he has done for me and my Fracciòn. He helped me when others could not" she pointed out her reasons to her comrade who listened carefully before forming a deep frown with her mouth. "Damn Aizen for abandoning me" she said, still remembering that she had been left abandoned by Aizen, as well as the Espada who had done this to her: Nnoitora Gilga.

The sea green-haired woman suddenly felt Harribel put a hand on her shoulder and they both faced each other like true friends. Even though Harribel's mouth was covered thanks to her Hollow-shell, Nelliel could read that she was actually smiling with encouragement.

"You are not alone. I too have been a victim of Aizen's treacherous antics. And I promise you that if we ever see him again….he will die…..as he is nothing but a mere Shinigami" Harribel told her while making a promise to her at the same time.

Nelliel could not help but to smile, as she also felt like the need to dispose of Aizen for his previous actions should she ever encounter him as well. But she had hoped that would never happen, as Nelliel never wanted to focus on hatred and vengeance like most Arrancars would've done it. The sea green-haired woman nodded at Harribel, and the two female paragons came into an agreement, exchanging laughs once again.

Ururu and Jinta was amazed by how the two ladies were interacting between one another. They both treated each other with respect like comrades. "Strange, I never knew that Arrancars could be so…compassionate" the meek girl remarked by what she was watching.

"There you are!" the two teenagers snapped by hearing the voice of Orihime, as she and Chad ran over to their side. From the look on her face, the orange-haired woman seemed to have returned to her same cheerful mood, even after what she had been told by Pieddot. The two Humans eventually noticed the two Dechados as well. "Oh, hello to you as well Nel…..and Harribel" Orihime added with a greeting directed towards them.

Nelliel only smiled at her in return while Harribel simply greeted her with a respective nod. "How did the meeting go? Pieddot didn't do anything reckless on you, did he?" she asked, wanting to know if the imperial researcher had attempted to misbehave.

But Chad only shook his head as a no. "He kept true to his word. He merely told us something important" the tall man explained.

Jinta was getting interested in what Chad was telling them. "Really? Then what did he tell you?" the red-haired teen asked him.

For some reason, Chad immediately regretted speaking as he felt like he didn't have the strength to let the two teenagers know of the truth about their people. He had already witnessed what it had done to Orihime and he had hoped to not see anyone else being in pain emotionally. Chad could see that Orihime was also reluctant to talk, and she had more than enough reasons for doing so. This left both Jinta and Ururu stunned, as they wanted to know why they gave them such responses.

But their attentions were caught by the sound of a staff nearing them. Turning around, they saw Killaman Khan walk up to them with his hulking body, the four spikes that served as his Hollow-shell sprouting out from his back. The white-bearded Arrancar smiled at them.

"We meet again, allies of the empire" the overseer said while briefly taking his glance at both Nelliel and Harribel. "And I see that both Nelliel and Harribel are with you as well, how wonderful" he remarked with his cunning voice.

Harribel narrowed her azure eyes by seeing him. "What do you want, oracle?" she asked sternly while crossing her arms.

The old Arrancar merely chuckled at her dispassion of him. "Save your anger, Tier Harribel. I am only here to pick up these two: Yasutora Sado and Orihime Inoue" Killaman said while pointing his finger at the two Humans, who knew what he was talking about. "Pieddot already told me about the discussion you two had with him, and he said that you needed my guidance, am I correct?" he noted while asking them whether that was true or not.

Both Humans only nodded by his question. But Nelliel stepped in between them. "Hold on just a minute. Has His Highness given you permission to have them?" she asked while wanting an answer from him.

"That is correct, young girl" Killaman said with a gentle smile. "However, you are more than welcome in accompanying us if you wish" he then offered her, but Nelliel did not seem interested in doing so.

"Fair enough, I trust that you uphold the order His Highness has given us. You are not to do anything to hurt them" Nelliel said while reminding his responsibilities.

Killaman only nodded in return before facing the two Humans with his gentle, yet cunning look. "Follow me then, visitors. The street I came from will lead us to a small canal, where a boat is waiting for us. From there, we will row the boat out of the city and on to the other end of the giant lake, where my hut is located" the oracle explained while Orihime and Chad followed him through the street.

As Jinta watched the two walk away, he could not help but to think about something he had just noticed. "I don't get it" he spoke up lowly and Ururu looked at him. "Wouldn't it be fair for us to also know what they were talking about? I mean, we are all on the same team here" the red-haired boy added while expressing his slight dissatisfaction about the subject.

"Perhaps there is a reason for especially Orihime to be silent about this subject" Ururu suddenly replied, much to Jinta's confusion, as he only raised an eyebrow. "But then again, maybe it would be best if we were not given such revelations, considering our current situation" the black-haired girl added while trying to figure out the reason.

Hearing this made Jinta think about what Ururu just said, but he was unsure about whether he should agree with her or not.

"So this is where you two are hanging out, huh?" everyone snapped by hearing a very familiar cocky voice coming from none other than Grimmjow Jeagerjacquez, as he was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "Man, don't you get tired of babysitting those brats?" the blue-haired man then asked Nelliel, who only faced him with narrowed eyes, as did Harribel.

"These so-called brats are us Dechados' responsibilities" Nelliel replied sternly. "And that responsibility also goes out to you Legionarios as well" she added.

Grimmjow only scoffed his shoulders while taking his arms in his pockets. He then moved towards the group, although he had zero interest in the teenagers. "Whatever. I could care less about them" he said while briefly taking a glance at Jinta and Ururu. Jinta felt anger brew inside of him by hearing Grimmjow speaking to them like that, but he knew better than to challenge this Arrancar, as he was indeed a deadly foe. Grimmjow eventually faced Nelliel with a smug smirk. "Hey Nelliel, in case you're free from any duties, I suggest you attend one of the matches at the Coliseo. There might be something that interests you" he then suggested to her.

But Nelliel only huffed and pretended she was not listening. "I have more important things to get than to waste money on watching some meaningless game" she told him before heading back to Ceriwutz's store to look at something.

"Pfft….so much for being nice" Grimmjow said lowly.

Ururu faced Harribel. "Is he talking about that giant colosseum in this city?" she asked the blonde-haired woman.

Harribel simply nodded her head. "Yes. It is the place where citizens of El Dorado attends to watch gladiator matches. The fighters are usually Esclavos, who have refused to acknowledge His Highness as their true ruler. In my opinion it is a fitting fate for them to die as such in a deathmatch" the former Tres Espada told her.

Jinta was about to walk away, until Harribel suddenly appeared before him, having used her Sonido to block his way. This caught the red-haired boy completely by surprise.

"Where do you think you are going? Haven't you forgotten the debt that you owe me for giving you that golden necklace?" Harribel reminded him sternly.

Hearing this caused Jinta to snap in embarrassment, as he started regretting accepting the necklace from her. Swallowing, he looked up at her and smiled awkwardly. "So…...what do I give you in return?" he asked her.

"You don't owe me anything, expect for your service" the female Dechado told him. "Follow me and I will tell you what to do next" she said and even grabbed Jinta's shirt to drag him along with her.

Ururu felt like she needed to see how this would end, so she quickly followed the blonde-haired woman and her friend she was tugging.

Feeling kind of bored, Grimmjow vanished also by using his Sonido.

* * *

 _Outside the city of El Dorado, inside a hut_

Lying on a cliff overlooking the city was a hut belonging to Paragon Killaman Khan. It resembled a giant Native American tent, while it was decorated with skulls, mostly from those belonging to Hollows, as well as feathers and paintings.

Orihime and Chad had been rowed on a boat from the canals of El Dorado to this place, which they found the way with the help of stairs. They never knew that someone actually lived outside the city.

But inside the hut, the two friends were now sitting across Killaman on their knees. Fortunately, they were all sitting on a carpet. Between them lied a green crystal ball which apparently belonged to the overseer. It was dark inside the hut and the crystal ball began glowing greener. Both friends were awed by seeing this light, and eventually the ball began floating slightly above the carpet.

"What are you planning to do?" Chad asked lowly, his eye still stunned by seeing the crystal ball.

Killaman faced him with his bright eyes. "I am beginning to communicate with the spirits, asking them for what will happen in this world that will define the future" the white-bearded oracle said lowly, while holding his hands before the crystal ball. "I have brought you two out here, because I believe that you will know the prophecies as I do. Before I can help you with personal matters, you must listen to what they are" he added to his explanation.

Orihime was filled with curiosity. "I don't believe it. Can this Arrancar tell us about the future?" she wondered in her head while noticing that Killaman was now shutting his eyes while trying to "communicate" with the crystal ball.

Chad had similar thoughts. "While I admit that he does seem superstitious, I am reluctant to actually take everything he says seriously" the tall man noted inside of him. "I mean, can we really trust these…..prophecies of his?" he wondered.

Killaman was sighing deeply as the crystal ball began spinning around, almost like a globus. It became apparent that he was in some kind of trance and could not even see or hear what Orihime and Chad were either saying or doing. Therefore, it was fruitless for the Humans to even think about interrupting him by touching.

"Maybe he can help me with what I desire the most" Orihime noted, watching the overseer sitting and meditating with the crystal ball nearing his handpalms. "But I need to be patient" the orange-haired woman added while sitting still.

All of a sudden, Killaman opened his eyes with a snap and he was finally out of the trance, thus forcing him to catch his breath. Both Chad and Orihime could never imagine what kind of visions the Dechado had managed to see while being in that trance. In fact, Killaman was now taking deep breaths to gain his composure. He then faced the two friends with wary eyes.

"These prophecies…they are…warnings" the oracle told them, much to their surprise.

"What did you see?" Chad asked him lowly. "Can you explain to us what they are about?" he then added.

Sighing deeply, Killaman agreed and after regaining his composure, he decided to let them in on what he had been told by the spirits. "In my first vision, I saw a young raven-haired Quincy, born of both pure and impure blood, dressed in a majestic uniform as he stood beside the throne belonging to the Father of the Quincies. That young Quincy wore glasses, his eyes stern and focused, as if he was iron itself. For he is the one who will be the Wandenreich's next emperor. He is the Prinz von Lichts" the oracle told them as they listened.

Both Orihime and Chad immediately knew who Killaman was speaking off, but they got confused and uncertain. It was like they simply refused to take his words seriously. "What is he saying? Uryu…..joining the Wandenreich…becoming a servant of their leader?" Orihime wondered, her thoughts lost in confusion.

"No…..why would Uryu ever do something like that?" Chad wondered in his head while sweating a little. "He knows the consequences of destabilizing the balance in the world, he knows how it will destroy us all" the tall man noted in his head, still remembering how intelligent Uryu was to even consider joining the Wandenreich on their crusade.

Killaman decided it was time to move on to the next prophecy. "In my second vision, I saw the Linchpin of Existence, being stabbed by the blade belonging to his own son. The son would then wait until his father's savior came to disrupt his actions. One of the father's saviors, a young man with the spirit of a guardian living inside of him, rushed to the father's side and pulled out the son's blade. But the moment the savior held the son's blade, anger and hatred took hold on his arm and he unwillingly cut the Linchpin of Existence, thus making way for the end of the world" he told them while they were listening.

"The Linchpin of Existence….." Orihime thought before recalling something Rangiku had told her once. "Of course! He's talking about the Soul King, the one who controls the regulations of souls into and out of the Soul Society" the young woman added while remembering what the strawberry-haired Shinigami had told her.

But Chad had different thoughts to this. "The saviors…from what I can tell, he must be talking about Ichigo. But who is this son he speaks? The one who first stabbed the Soul King?" he wondered, but suddenly moved on to thinking about Ichigo. "Wait…...this prophecy…...is it telling us that Ichigo will…destroy the Soul King?" he then wondered, his head lost in thoughts and speculations.

"In my third vision, I saw a frail Shinigami captain, his hair white as the snow itself. The captain could see that the world was going under and a sacrifice had to be done. Therefore, he chose to take the place of the Soul King, with the help of a black one-eyed hand. But while most of his comrades believed that he had made a sacrifice to save the world from destruction…...they failed to realize that the captain was in secrecy…..aiding the son of the Linchpin of Existence, doing this as a means to help the son become the new Lnchpin of Existence" Killaman told them.

"A white-haired Shinigami captain…...but also frail…he's talking about Captain Ukitake!" Orihime felt shock within herself, as she still remembered Ukitake's kindness. "Is he saying that…Ukitake will die?" she then wondered with fear building up inside of her.

"A giant one-eyed hand" Chad noted in his thoughts about what Killaman just told them. "But this does not make any sense. Ukitake…...aiding the enemy? I find it hard to believe that he would do something like that" the tall man added, still filled with uncertainty.

Killaman could understand how the two teenagers were thinking about what the prophecies could mean, but decided to tell them about his final vision to his visitors. "And in the final vision, I saw…a figure enveloped in darkness…his power equal to the gods of old. After realizing his true destiny, the son decided to take his place as the Linchpin of Existence, by absorbing the powers of his father…thus emerging as the new ruler of the Soul Society…as well as the worlds beyond. He then began creating a new world…...the true world. His former order of knights was then suspended…thus paving the way for a new order of knights….one that will serve him as his followers and commanders…..against any who would threaten the rule of the true Soul King" the elderly paragon was finished, while Chad and Orihime sat still and listened to what they had been told.

"A new world….is this what the Quincies desire?" Orihime Inoue wondered. "But I don't understand, why would the Quincies support a new Soul King?" she added to her thoughts.

Chad was also having many thoughts about this subject. "From what I hear from Killaman's prophecies, the Soul King, happens to have a son…someone who will succeed him as the King of the Soul Society. But who could that son be…" the tall man noted in his head, until he felt some kind of realization in his thoughts. "No…it can't be…that's absurd! Could this "Yhwach" be…...the son of the Soul King!?" he wondered while thinking about the Father of the Quincies, although he had only heard about his name and never seen him.

Killaman suddenly reached for his bony staff and held it up in the air, much to the confusion of his visitors. The elderly Arrancar specifically faced Orihime with cunning eyes, as she felt herself stunned. All of a sudden, the oracle slammed his staff onto the dusty ground and things around the hut began to change. Orihime and her friend looked around with slight distress, yet they remained seated. The world around them began transforming itself.

But as soon as things settled, the two friends found themselves sitting by the bushes in the Human World. By looking around, they could see that they were in the forest during the night.

"These trees….I remember them" Orihime said softly.

The orange-haired woman's eyes met the glowing eyes of Killaman once again. "You said you wanted me to assist you with finding the truth? Well, we are currently in the forest on the other side of the Onose River, 14 years ago. I believe you know this small village standing right next to us, do you not?" he asked while pointing his finger to the east.

Orihime and Chad looked towards the direction Killaman was pointing his finger at and their hearts stung by what they were seeing. Sneaking up to the bushes, they could see every building in sight being ransacked by none other than Shinigamis. Out from these houses, many Humans were being thrown out, or worse killed on sight. There were both adults and children, though boys most of them. But they were no ordinary Humans. They were Interminables.

"These people…...they're….being ransacked for now reason!" Orihime said while feeling very uncomfortable.

"You are wrong, little girl" Killaman told her lowly. "They are being ransacked like this for a reason: they are trying find the one and only direct descendant of the first Dèesse, which is only a young and defenseless girl at that time" he went on and told her.

As the ransacking of the villagers continued, Orihime was given a shocking glimpse when she could see a young woman with orange hair, just like herself and a man with short black hair, similar to her older brother's, being towed in line by the Shinigamis, along with other Interminables. Both of them are facing the ground with sadness and despair.

"Orihime…that woman…..she looks like…" Chad spoke up, his only visible eye widened by seeing the striking similarities between that woman and Orihime.

"She must be…...my mom….and that man beside her is my dad…...they're my parents!" the orange-haired woman called out, realizing who they were.

But that was just not all the shocking view Orihime and Chad were seeing. Soon, the Shinigamis set the houses on fire, and it eventually spread out towards the nearby trees. All the Shinigamis were standing in a line, as they were expecting someone. They saluted as a group of figures were heading towards the Interminables that had been lined up. Four members of the Kido Corp were accompanying four important members of the 13 Court Guard Squads. The two in the middle were the late Head-Captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads: Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto and the Captain of Squad 6: Byakuya Kuchiki. Orihime and Chad's eyes snapped by seeing those two walking amidst this violence. Accompanying them were the former Captain of Squad 9 before his defection with Aizen, and the Captain of Squad 2: Sui-Feng.

"What the hell's going on!?" Chad asked out angrily, even though no one could hear him. "Why are those captains lining up those Interminables!?" he asked Killaman, but he white-bearded paragon did not respond.

The four captains suddenly stopped before the line, staring at them with no remorse. Yamamoto eventually faced Byakuya with a nod. "You have done well in finding out the location of this village, Captain Kuchiki. Your perception never cease to amaze me" he told the black-haired Shinigami wearing the white scarf, also known as a Kuchiki-heirloom.

"I had not difficulties in finding the whereabouts. I have both Sui-Feng and Tousen to thank for assisting me" he said lowly in return while mentioning the two captains with them.

Yamamoto only grunted and suddenly turned around to walk away, but not before leaving some words to Byakuya. "Very well, we will leave you in charge of these Interminables. Do what you must in finding the descendant" he told him before facing the two other captains. "Sui-Feng, Tousen, you come with me! We will wait outside the forest and wait for Kuchiki's return" he commanded and the two captains followed him without question.

Byakuya bowed his head formally before speaking up. "As you command, head-captain. And what if the descendant is not found here?" he suddenly asked, causing Yamamoto to stop on his tracks.

The elderly man did not turn around to speak, only facing the direction he was headed towards. "If the child is not here and if these vermin refuses to cooperate…eliminate them" the old man said before continuing on his way.

Hearing what he felt was needed, Byakuya set his piercing eyes on the defenseless Interminables. None of them had enough strength to even run from the attackers. "Interminables. I have come here seeking only a single favor from you. I believe you all know of the direct descendant of the first Dèesse. You are to bring that child to me immediately" he told them.

So far, none of them had dared to speak up, and they were mostly covered by fear of the Shinigami captain. However, the young woman with orange hair gritted her teeth in frustration by hearing the demand, and she could not stand idly by and be treated like this. Her husband noticed this and tried his best to restrain her.

"You damned monsters! You have no right to take away our children!" she shouted at Byakuya, who remained mostly unfazed. Her husband held her tight as possible, while the other Interminables only stared at her with shock by seeing her defiance. "You and that accursed guard of yours can all burn in Hell!" she added to her angered words.

But before she could continue verbally attack him, Byakuya drew his Zanpakutou and faced everyone with eyes of displeasure. "I grow tired of your insolence. And since none of you wishes to cooperate, you will all be punished for your sins" he told them and he was actually intending on killing these people. "Scatter, Senbonzakura" he said lowly, and the blade began disintegrating into many smaller cherry blossom blades.

Orihime and Chad both cried by seeing this as the cherry blossom blades danced in the air and around the Interminables. Soon, they descended upon the people like a storm of blades, eventually killing them all in an instant. No Human being could survive the horrors of Byakuya Kuchiki's Shikai and one by one, the Interminables fell onto their deaths, with nothing but blood covering their bodies.

Seeing her parents falling onto the ground lifelessly, Orihime let out a shout of sadness and it was a shout of despair and sadness. She was now finally witnessing the truth and it had broken her emotionally. While she was doing that, the world around her began to change, as she was soon returned to the place she was before being able to witness this great atrocity.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Author's note: That was chapter 10. I hoped some of you found this interesting. It was also very dramatic in writing it as well. How will Orihime look at the Shinigamis know that she knows the truth, or perhaps more specifically, is she willing to forgive Byakuya? Only time will tell how this terrible genocide will be brought into the Soul Society' history books.**

 **Coliseo – Spanish for "Colosseum": This is the place for citizens of El Dorado to visit if they wish to see "violent" entertainment. Nobody knows much about these brutal games, but they have been given full backing by Augustus Zod Allowin himself, as he too finds pleasure in seeing Esclavos fighting for his amusement.**

 **Aquñars - Spanish for "Coins": This is the currency used in the Imperio de Hierro and it's capital: El Dorado. The golden coins only reflect the status of the city.**


	11. Der Untergang 1

**Author's note: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Der Untergang 1**

 _Inside Squad 5's barracks, the Sereitei, Soul Society_

After the fiasco of the meeting summit between the 13 Court Guard Squads and the Imperio de Hierro, the Shinigamis had immediately returned to the Sereitei, hoping to prepare their defenses while repairing the buildings that had been reduced to rubbles during the Wandenreich's previous invasion. Because of the summit's failure, the majority of the Shinigamis knew that they were now forced to contend with two empires, although it was the Quincies who appeared to be their greatest threat at the moment.

Even now, reconstructing happened all across the Sereitei, and people were doing so while covered with bandages. Many had yet to recover from their injuries, while many Shinigamis' lives had been lost.

It also did not help the situation any further when the relationship between the Court Guard and the Royal Guard was strained. Sooner or later, Squad 0 would've been notified of their Court Guard's independent action, but Head-Captain Shunsui Kyoraku did not seem to care about such. He had rather encouraged his fellow captains to focus on the threat before them than being thrown under the bus by their "upper peers".

In Squad 5's barracks, Captain Shinji Hirako had called together a meeting to face all members of his squad, with his lieutenant: Momo Hinamori at his side. Since returning to Squad 5, many members still recognized him when he was the captain, and Sosuke Aizen was his lieutenant. In fact, Shinji's return had boosted the morale in the squad.

"Listen up, folks! I'm glad that all of you could meet up to this gathering. Because believe it or not, I have some tragic revelations to tell ya. So for your own safety, shut up and listen carefully!" the blonde-haired man told them with little enthusiasm and gentleness. "Our negotiations with the Imperio de Hierro failed miserably, all thanks to somebody's stupidity! But even though that failed, we ain't gonna give up defending the Sereitei, are we!?" he asked out loud and all the members whispered amongst themselves. Shinji knew that he would have to passionate. "Don't forget that we as members of Squad 5 still have a job to do as long as we're standing here on our feet! When those Quincies come back, we're gonna stand tall and whoop their asses until they're bleeding like pigs! That's what we are! Cause we are Squad 5!" he told them loudly and all the members shouted praises to him in return.

"Captain! Captain! Captain!" they could be heard shouting in support of Shinji's leadership.

Shinji grinned with satisfaction. "Glad to hear your enthusiasm! Now get your asses back to your posts! And remember: we are Squad 5. We fight together or die alone!" he ordered them and the vast crowd of squad members returned to their posts.

The captain faced his lieutenants, who nodded at him with respect and formality. "Your speech was inspiring, Captain Hirako. I am glad that there is at least some of us whose spirits are not dead yet" Momo praised him.

Shinji only shrugged his shoulders. "Tch, no big deal! It's part of my duties as a captain of the Court Guard Squads" he told her smugly.

"Captain Hirako!" a familiar voice called out to Shinji, and he turned around to see two familiar members of Squad 5. The first one was a young girl with light blonde hair kept in a ponytail on top of her head, as well as a headband with a flower attached to it. The second was a young boy looking similar to the girl, only that he had dark blonde hair while having two hairpieces and a red ribbon resting on his left shoulder. Shinji and Momo smiled by seeing them. They were the Kudo-twins: Matsuri and Fujimaru. "What a terrific speech you had, captain!" the girl named Matsuri added with admiration of their captain.

The captain only chuckled smugly in return. "Easy there, Matsuri. I am already flattered by the comment Momo gave me" he said, causing Momo to giggle in return.

Matsuri Kudo was currently the 3rd seat of Squad 5, having rose up the ranks while serving under him, Aizen and the captain before Shinji, Seigen Suzunami. She was actually good friends with Momo and Toshiro, considering that she along with Fujimaru grew up on the same district as them. This even made them attend the class together at the Shin'o Academy, where the twins along with Momo were inducted into Squad 5. Fujimaru Kudo was now serving as 4th seat, and while he wanted to surpass his twin sister so badly, he accepted the position nonetheless. Like Momo, he and Matsuri used to admire Aizen as a captain, but their opinions changed after his defection. In their eyes, Shinji was the perfect captain of the squad since Captain Sugunami.

"Captain, is it true what you're saying, did the summit fail?" Matsuri suddenly asked his superior, who sighed deeply in return.

"It is as he said" Momo spoke up while facing the floor with shame. "We failed to secure a non-aggression pact and the Arrancars rejected our offer" she told the twins.

Fujimaru only shrugged his shoulders. "Tch, I told you guys it was a bad idea, didn't I?" he asked his captain. "I mean, did you honestly believe that they would become allies to us?" he then asked him smugly.

"Fujimaru what are you…." Matsuri was stopped by Shinji raising his palm at her.

The Captain of Squad 5 only faced the young Shinigami with a deep frown. "No need to get so damn cocky, junior. And to correct your statement, we never wanted to seek out an alliance with the Imperio de Hierro. No, we only desired a non-aggression pact with them, and we failed because of Sui-Feng's fucked up antics" he answered with a sneer at the mentioning of his fellow captain.

"But there is something you haven't told us yet, Captain Hirako" Momo said and Shinji fixed his eyes upon her. She seemed very worried. "Back in the Human World, why did you, Captain Mugurama and Captain Otoribashi launch an attack at the Dechado holding Captain Sui-Feng hostage?" she then asked him while her superior could tell that she wanted an answer.

Shinji could also see that the Kudo-twins were keen knowing it as well. Sighing deeply, he decided to be as honest as he could. "We tried to save her so that we would not lose a valuable asset in the Court Guard. Yes, she is a reckless leader, and her actions clearly proves it. But still, the Soul Society will need her talents against the upcoming battle with the Quincies. Truth be told…we need everyone we can get our hands on. However, the only Shinigami I would NEVER use in a time like this…is Sosuke" he answered while mentioning his former lieutenant at the end, thus shocking his three subordinates.

Momo had perhaps been the one most traumatized by Aizen's actions, especially during the final battle, when he switched places with her by using his Shikai. This had resulted in Toshiro stabbing her instead, and she had almost died by that attack. In the aftermath of the battle and her recovery, Momo had struggled with paranoia and depression because of that moment.

Even now, the young lieutenant felt uncomfortable by even hearing Aizen being mentioned by her superior and Shinji could see that. But he never blamed her for behaving as such, considering that he too, once considered Aizen as a valued friend and comrade, especially when they served under Captain Seigen Suzunami together.

Matsuri tried her best to comfort Momo while Fujimaru slammed his fist onto the floor. "That son of a bitch! He ruined everything our squad stood for!" the young Shinigami said while cursing. He then faced his superior. "Why the hell did Central 46 so much as let him stay alive in prison!? We all know what motives he has for us!" he then demanded an answer.

"Calm yourself, Fujimaru!" Shinji commanded him, forcing the young Shinigami to stop his anger. Truth be told, he, Matsuri and Momo were surprised by seeing their captain acting so strict. The blonde-haired man sighed deeply before speaking. "Look, all of us, and I mean all of us, have suffered many fucked-up things thanks to Sosuke" he said while suddenly moving his right hand across his face, thus activating his Hollowfication. His subordinates were stunned as they saw their captain's face hidden behind the Hollow-mask. "I myself was a victim. And I wanted revenge almost as much as those who had suffered thanks to Sosuke's actions. But in the end, I realized that vengeance was no good motivation. All that I wanted was justice for the crimes he committed. And that's what he ended up being. Therefore, I am fine with that" Shinji concluded as his Hollow-mask disappeared, showing everyone his smug-looking face.

His subordinates could not help but to accept his opinion, as they realized that there was truth in his words. For Momo, she had finally seen her spirits lifted, when she could see how similar Shinji was to Aizen in terms of compassion as a captain, although Shinji was known to be more laid-back and easygoing. However, she was slowly starting to acknowledge him as the better captain than Aizen, as he had actually helped her getting over Aizen's betrayal.

* * *

 _In the gardens of the Kuchiki clan's manor, Soul Society_

Byakuya Kuchiki had since his return to the Soul Society spent his time at the Kuchiki clan's mansion. While he had been training while being there, he suddenly found himself wandering around in the manor's gardens. It was also in these where the graves belonging to his parents were located, as the gardens also served as a graveyard for the deceased Kuchiki clan members.

The black-haired Shinigami was currently standing before the one belonging to his late father, Sojun Kuchiki. For some reason, Byakuya felt sadness fill inside of him, as he began to lament how little he knew his father. He still recalled the day when his grandfather Ginrei Kuchiki had appeared before him, and told about the devastating news that his parents had been killed. That day left him a black hole, even though he had not known him that much. Because of Sojun's death, Byakuya was trained by Ginrei to succeed him as the head of the Kuchiki clan.

"Father…...I know that it is too late for me to be saying this…...but I have a confession" Byakuya spoke lowly before looking up at the memorial. "I…...I spent most of my time with grandfather because he had deemed you too frail and soft to be training me…...and I allowed myself to be taken control by him. But being trained by grandfather…only lead me to commit something as atrocious" he admitted while speaking over his father's grave.

For some reason, Byakuya began gritting his teeth, as he struggled to compose himself. This was very unusual of the infamous Captain of Squad 6, who was considered to be among the strongest of them all. Feelings of regret were slowly starting to take hold on Byakuya, who had always considered feelings to have no value.

"I…...I only sought to follow the law…serve the law….but in the end…I ended up committing serious mistakes" Byakuya said while his eyes shut tightly. "Ever since I lost my Bankai…I've been plagued by nightmares…...nightmares about those terrible mistakes I committed, since I believed it was done in the name of the law" he admitted, suddenly falling onto his knees.

The law-abiding Shinigami captain had indeed been plagued by nightmares about the mistakes he had done, but not just his failure to uphold his promise to his late wife Hisana. No, those mistakes stretched many years back, at the time when Byakuya was made the Lieutenant of Squad 6 by his grandfather. During his days as a lieutenant, the Kuhciki clan was the strongest proponent for the elimination of the Interminables living in the Human World. Both Ginrei and Byakuya had lead squadrons to the remaining communities of Interminables, and exterminated them, one by one. After Byakuya succeeded Ginrei as both Captain of Squad 6 and head of the Kuchiki clan, the elimination had continued.

"You disappoint me, my son" Byakuya's eyes suddenly opened, as he quickly recognized that voice. Looking beside him, he could see a young man with shoulder-length black hair while wearing a single kenseikan on the left side of his head. He also wore a standard Shinigami-outfit. Byakuya's eyes widened, as the man before him crossed his arms in disappointment. "I am sad to see of what has become of my son" the man then said.

Byakuya could not believe it, but that man was his own father: Sojun Kuchiki. "Father…." Byakuya said lowly as his usually stern eyes looked right into those of his father's. "How…how can you…" he was interrupted by the voice of his father.

"Do not speak to me as if I am alive to you!" the man suddenly snapped at him. "I stopped being that when you willingly submitted yourself to your grandfather's teachings, long before me and your mother's deaths! As such, I was never allowed near you!" he said while looking away.

But the young captain as not backing down. "Tell me everything! Why did you die? Who killed you and mother!?" he demanded an answer.

This caused Sojun to look at him with a raised eyebrow. "Hmm.…...why are you asking me that? Don't you believe in what your grandfather told you, considering that you always favored him over me?" he asked surprised. Sojun sighed deeply in return. "Truth is, only you can find the answer, since you are a Kuchiki after all" he answered, surprisingly forming a slight smile directed at his son.

"Father…what are you…" Byakuya was out of words while staring at his father.

Sojun smiled at his son. "Byakuya…me and your mother feel ashamed for not being there at your wedding. I also want you to know that if I was the head of the Kuchiki clan at that time…...I would've blessed your marriage to Hisana, unlike your grandfather. Marrying someone you deeply care about is not breaking the law" he then admitted to Byakuya, who was only stunned to hear this. "Byakuya…whatever you do…never let the law control your emotions, like it did with Ginrei…...follow what your heart wants. That is all that can make your own father proud" he then told him, before chuckling lightly. "And say hello to Kisuke, Yoruichi and Tessai for me. Tell them that I still remember those happy days when they were kids. Farewell, my son" Sojun said and light began enclosing Byakuya's eyes.

The black-haired man suddenly found himself awake at the grass in the gardens. Byakuya rose up and noticed that he had been lying near his parents' graves. All this only made him realize something.

"What was that?" he wondered and began facing his father's grave "Was this only a dream, father?" he then thought, while walking slowly towards the memorial.

Byakuya was beginning to see the picture. His father had only been able to speak with him, when Byakuya had made his confession before him. He still remembered the time after Hisana's death that he would never break the law again. He even swore it upon the graves of his parents. But after speaking to his father, Byakuya could now realize that Sojun never cared about him breaking the law. It was only about doing what his own heart told him.

Fixing a slight smile, Byakuya bowed his head before the memorial. "Thank you…..father" he said lowly.

As the Captain of Squad 6 walked away, the nearby trees felt winds blowing, and some of the leaves fell down on the memorials. Byakuya knew that the spirits of his parents would always be with him, both his father Sojin and his mother: Miyazu.

* * *

 _Inside Squad 13's barracks_

Captain Jushiro Ukitake was now having visitors in the form of Toshiro Histugaya, Rangiku Matsumoto, Kensei Mugurama, Shuhei Hisagi, Rose Otoribashi, Izuru Kira, Sajin Komamura and Tetsuzaemon Iba. The many visitors were stunning to the members of Squad 13, but Ukitake agreed to having them over at the barracks. In fact, his fellow captains had been frequently talking with him since the failed summit in the Royal Realm.

Komamura was wearing a strange and unfamiliar helmet, which covered his entire face. When asked about this, the captain would simply reply that the helmet was a gift. As such, he refused to take it off.

"We are sorry that we could not accompany you to the summit in the World of the Living" Komamura said through his helmet while speaking to his fellow captains. "I had to deal with some unfinished business with my family, and I needed Tetsuzaemon at my side" the tall Shinigami said while facing his lieutenant.

Ukitake smiled at them in return. "You did what you had to do, Komamura. We only agreed to join Shunsui as his protectors during the meeting with these Arrancars" the white-haired man assured them.

"Tch, the summit was only a waste of our time" Kensei sneered while crossing his arms. "Worse, I was left humiliated by those Dechados" he added with dissatisfaction.

Rose chuckled by hearing this. "It would seem that we underestimated their abilities" he remarked smugly before facing Izuru. "And I almost forgot to tell you this, Izuru. But I salute your calmness during the summit" the blonde-haired captain commended his lieutenant.

Izuru only nodded without hesitation. "Right…...thank you, captain" he said in return.

Kensei shrugged his shoulders by seeing this and faced Shuhei sternly. "Our next lesson will be how to restrain your anger" the grey-haired Shinigami said to him.

Shuhei only nodded his head in return, knowing better than to speak out against his strict captain, as Kensei was someone who could be dangerous if pissed off. "Whatever you say…..Captain Mugurama" Shuhei thought with little reluctance inside of him.

Suddenly, a coughing sound was made by Toshiro, as he caught everyone's attention. They fixed their eyes upon the young captain. "Let us not forget about the reason we came to Squad 13's barracks" he told them while facing Ukitake with his blue eyes. "Captain Ukitake, ever since you told us about this "Lord Mimihagi", we cannot help but to be plagued by some hidden voices in our heads. I do not know if it revolves around the loss of my Bankai in my case, but all of us have heard them" the white-haired boy said.

Ukitake's green eyes widened in surprise. "You don't say. But how can this happen?" the white-haired captain wondered.

"That's what we would like to ask you" Kensei spoke up while facing his fellow captain. "We thought that sine you know so much about it, then perhaps you would've had some answers" he added.

"Just a minute, Kensei. There is no need to be in such a rush" Rose told his fellow Vizard before facing Ukitake. "Tell me, Ukitake. Besides from us sitting here, have you told anyone else about this Lord Mimihagi?" the elegant Captain of Squad 3 asked him cunningly.

Ukitake knew that he had no reason to hold anything hidden from his fellow captains, so he decided to tell them. "The only ones who I have spoken with about this are Sentaro and Kiyone. I have yet to tell Rukia. However, Shunsui knows about it as well" he told him in return and then realized something. "However, I am certain that both Captain Kurotsuchi and Urahara possesses some knowledge about Mimihagi, as does Aizen, considering that it involves around the Soul King" the white-haired captain added to his answer.

Rangiku could not help but to face the floor as they heard what Ukitake said, as did Izuru and Shuhei. They still thought about their fellow lieutenant, as Rukia was training in the Royal Realm alongside Renji. Izuru went in the same class as those two, so he had been thinking about them for a time. But each of the lieutenants were careful not to let it control their thoughts.

"But do you any clue on why these voices still invades our heads?" Toshiro asked his fellow white-haired captain.

Ukitake took his moment to think about that question. "I am not entirely sure. But I do remember that I told you a little too much about Lord Mimihagi and his connection to the Soul King. Maybe an answer lies somewhere there" the white-haired man expressed his opinions.

"That figures" Rose remarked while facing the white-haired man. "Anyway, do you suppose that this Lord Mimihagi knows the truth of this world? I mean, has he the answer for everything" he then questioned Ukitake.

This time, Komamura spoke up, feeling kind of sidelines in this conversation. "It's not that he has the answer for everything" he told Rose and all the captains faced and lieutenants faced him. "It's like….it is trying to tell us something. I sometimes feel like that deity knows us" the tall Shinigami spoke through his helmet.

Tetsuzaemon faced his captain. "But do you really think that we can trust whatever this thing tells us?" the man with sunglasses asked his captain.

"I don't know yet, Tetsuzaemon. I have been more focused on the upcoming battle than to worry about hidden voices" Komamura told his lieutenant.

All of a sudden, Ukitake rose up to his feet and faced everyone with determined eyes. His fellow captains and their lieutenants faced him with confusion, as they did not know his reason for standing up.

"I am afraid that we will have to end this visit a little earlier" he told them, much to their surprises. But the white-haired captain fixed a reassuring smile upon his mouth. "I know that it sounds very unusual of me to do so, but I am needed outside the Sereitei for a while. You see, to achieve an answer to your questions, I will have to go to Lord Mimihagi's shrine personally and then seek his guidance. Only then can you know the reason for hearing these voices" Uktiake told them and eventually, the captains understood his words. But Ukitake was not finished yet. "But for now, I advise you to return to your barracks and wait for further instructions from the head-captain. I fear that the upcoming battle will determine the fate of the Soul Society itself" he suggested to them, while feeling wary about this whole situation. But he was not alone, as even his comrades felt the same way.

All of them exited the barracks and Ukitake waved farewell to them all, greatly apricating their visit. But beside the entrance to the barracks stood Sentaro and Kiyone, each looking very concerned about what their captain was planning. As soon as the visiting captains and lieutenants were out of his sight, Ukitake turned around to face them with a smile.

"Ah, Sentaro, Kiyone. Let us take a walk in the forest outside the Sereitei for a while. I need to reflect on something important with regard to our future" he told the two stalwart members of Squad 13.

They both seemed uncertain if this was a good idea. "But captain, isn't it risky to leave the barracks at a time when the Quincies could strike back at any moment?" Sentaro asked while feeling insecure.

But Ukitake faced both reassuringly. "I can assure you that this trip will not take long. And besides, it would be very beneficial to seek advice from Lord Mimihagi in light of the upcoming battle against the Wandenreich. The head-captain himself also agreed to let me do that" he told them as honest as he could.

Knowing better than to question the wisdom of their captain, Sentaro and Kiyone reluctantly agreed to accompany him. However, they still felt worried about his intentions, as they were worried about his health. Neither of them wanted to lose either him nor Rukia, as they were probably the strongest members of Squad 13.

* * *

 _At the entrance of Squad 2's barracks_

After recovering from his concussion and returning to the Soul Society, Lieutenant Marechiyo Omaeda had noticed that his captain had once again disappeared from sight. With nothing else to do than to prepare for the upcoming battle, Marechiyo had decided to bring along his youngest sister Mareyo Omaeda to the Squad 2 Barracks. They were currently standing before the entrance, which was a long stairway towards barracks, which was located on the top.

The chubby Shinigami sighed deeply, as he still remembered what had happened in the World of the Living. "Damn it! How could I've allowed myself to be so easily defeated!?" he wondered in his thoughts. "My captain's life was on the line, and I tried my best to save her as Squad 2's lieutenant. But those Arrancar bastards…humiliated me!" Marechiyo thought bitterly, still recalling the humiliation he had to endure.

But Sui-Feng had felt herself even more humiliated after being held at Diablo Gallante's mercy and the scolding from Yoruichi had not helped her regain her confidence as a captain. In fact, after returning to the Soul Society, she had immediately left the Sereitei to undergo immense and physical training. Being humiliated two times, was something that she had begun to dread.

"Captain…" Marechiyo thought about Sui-Feng while looking up towards the sky. "Wherever you are, please come back soon. You know that I'm not the best guy to rally the Stealth Force" he added to his thought.

"Why are you acting so calm, big brother?" Marechiyo snapped out of his thoughts, as he could hear his sister ask him out of curiosity. He faced her cute and innocent look. Of all his siblings, Mareyo was perhaps to one who differed most in terms of appearance, as she was not overweighed, nor did she possess the typical Omaeda facial expression. Her appearance was just…..unique by her family's standards. "You haven't said much since we entered the Sereitei" she told him.

Hearing this caused Marechiyo to immediately chuckle while scratching his neck, pretending that he was not worried and that everything was fine. "Oh yeah, sorry about that, Mareyo. I was just thinking about something important, you know in relation to Squad 2" he told her with an assuring smile. "Being the Lieutenant of Squad 2 and the Patrol Commander of the Patrol Corp in the Stealth Force sure has many responsibilities" he told her.

While confused at first, little Mareyo quickly smiled gleefully at her dull-headed brother. "Wow! You are so cool, big brother! I bet that you are one of the strongest lieutenants of the 13 Court Guard Squads" she told him with enthusiasm in her voice.

Marechiyo continued to take in the praise with pride, happy to know that there was at least someone who looked up to him as a Shinigami. But he snapped as he could see both Toshiro and Rangiku walking on the road he and his sister were currently standing on. Soon, Mareyo also got a glimpse of the Captain of Squad 10 and his lieutenant.

The chubby lieutenant did his best to look dignified and cool in front of not just Tohsiro, but his younger sister as well. "Captain Hitsugaya! What a surprise" Marechiyo told him with a smile while saluting him.

Toshiro only glanced at him with no enthusiasm, as did Rangiku. "Oh, I see you have recuperated from your concussion" the white-haired boy remarked lowly. He then looked around. "And I see that your reckless captain is not present as we speak" he added.

Marechiyo snapped by hearing this and pointed his finger at the young captain. "Hey! You take back what you just said, you little twit!" he hit back, not caring who he was speaking to. "Captain Sui-Feng almost died back in the Human World, remember!?" he added.

Toshiro narrowed his blue eyes. "And whose fault is that!? Herself, of course! She had been advised not to do anything reckless since she lost her Bankai, yet she completely ignored it!" he replied.

Rangiku stepped up. "And by the way, what were you thinking, attacking the Dechados when you haven't even achieved a Bankai yet? I mean, that's insane, Omeada!" the busty strawberry-haired woman scolded him.

While Marechiyo felt being attacked by them both, he refused to back down and stepped up his attack. "And who are you to judge me!? You haven't achieved a Bankai either!" he snapped at Rangiku while pointing a finger towards her. "Therefore, you have no reason to throw me under the bus, you whore!" he added.

Rangiku could not stand being spoken to like that, so she reached for her Zanpakutou, only for Toshiro to hold her hand, thus stopping her. Rangiku faced his captain, as he only shook his head to make her stop. Realizing her rash mistake, Rangiku nodded her head in respect for Toshiro.

"We best get back to the Squad 10 Barracks, Rangiku" the white-haired captain said, but as they both walked past the Omeada-siblings, they stopped. Toshiro even looked over his shoulder to face the chubby lieutenant sternly. "Listen Omaeda. If you have doubts about your own confidence in your abilities, then you might as well go back to your family's mansion along with your sister and stay there during the battle. Like your captain, you are nothing but an incompetent fool in our ranks who inspires no one, only focusing on expanding his own personal wealth. You will do well to remember that fact" he concluded his analysis of Marechiyo, and he and his lieutenant continued their walk towards the barracks.

As he saw them walking, Marechiyo almost lost his cool, but decided not to let his temper get the best of him, for his younger sister's sake. But the chubby Shinigami could not help but to reflect on the words he heard from both Toshiro and Rangiku. Mareyo saw this and became concerned for his older brother.

"Big brother…..you look so sad" the little girl told him.

But Marechiyo eventually faced his youngest sister with his usual flashy smile. "Don't worry about it, Mareyo. It's all part about being a member of the 13 Court Guard Squads" he told her.

* * *

 _Inside the Squad 1 Barracks_

Shunsui Kyoraku was having a meeting with both Ganju Shiba and Hanataro Yamada. He had waited for them to return to the Soul Society, where they could be given some time alone to be speaking about certain things, including what the two friends saw in El Dorado. And of course, Shunui was joined by his two lieutenants.

"So I take it that you were safe from any harm" Shunsui noted while resting his hands underneath his chin. "But what strike me the most was the fact that there was water in that city. Intriguing" he then admitted with a smug smile.

Ganju nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, there were fountains, canals, even a colosseum. We never expected to run into something like that in Hueco Mundo" the Soul admitted while scratching the back of his head. "Hell, these Arrancars even have their own currency in that city, considering all the shopkeepers we saw" he added with amusement in his voice.

Hanataro sighed deeply before speaking up. "But even though what he saw was fascinating, there were also some things that gave me the chills" the timid Shinigami admitted. "The emperor of the Imperio de Hierro…...his Spiritual Pressure…...is enormous!" he remarked, still shivering by speaking of this.

Shunsui only eye was filled with surprise, as he got interested in what Hanataro was speaking of. "You don't say. I have heard that both the Dechados and the Legionarios hold him in high regard. Now tell me, did any of you get what his name was?" he then asked both Ganju and Hanataro.

Ganju nodded his head in return. "We did, but I don't think that you may know of him. I mean, that guy must be like…ancient or something" the long-haired man admitted.

The head-captain started to find this more interesting. "Ancient you say?" he wondered in his head. Shunsui then faced his visitors seriously. "So tell me: what is his name?" the flamboyant Shinigami asked them.

"His name is…...Augustus Zod Allowin: the Skyfather" Hanataro spoke up lowly.

When hearing that name, Shunsui's only eye snapped in outrage, as he could not believe what just came out of Hanataro's mouth. He started to feel an immense uneasy grow within him. "No….it can't be…...how can…...how can that man still be alive!?" he wondered in his thoughts.

Nanao could see the unease within her superior. "Captain, does that name sound familiar to you?" the four-eyed lieutenant asked, wanting to know an answer.

"Actually…it does" Shunsui admitted to the young woman and then began facing his desk. "Old Man Yama had faced and defeated many fighters before in his past. However, before he even faced Yhwach and Aizen…there was only one man that Old Man Yama almost lost his life to, as that man was indeed his strongest adversary to date. It was the former ruler of Hueco Mundo: Augustus Zod Allowin" he then went on explaining to those around him.

Ganju only raised an eyebrow. "Hey, how come you know this? I mean, didn't Central 46 declare that all literature seen as a threat to the code of the Shinigami was to be burned?" Ganju asked the head-captain. "I mean, all literature about the Soul Society's earliest history was burned to ashes" he added with an explanation.

Shunsui nodded his head in return. "I know. But Old Man Yama was willing to share his truth with those he felt like he could trust the most. As a result, he told this to two young rookies at the Shin'o Academy, two newbies who would later go on to become captains of the Court Guard" he revealed.

Ganju, Hanataro and all those around the head-captain gasped, as they were beginning to see the bigger picture. "Hold on. You were one of those students, weren't you head-captain?" Hanataro asked.

The man with the eyepatch simply nodded as a yes to his answer. "That's right. Only me and Captain Ukitake were trusted with this story by Yamamoto himself. But others like Urahara for example, learned the story from Bansui Amatsuki, former Captain of Squad 3" the head-captain replied to his question. "However, I never expected Allowin to be still alive after the War of the Three Souls. Even Old Man Yama believed it" he admitted to those around him.

"But anyway" Ganju interrupted Shunsui. "Shouldn't the Sereitei be more concentrated on the Quincies? The Imperio de Hierro has stated that it has no interest in involving itself in the battle" he spoke up.

The head-captain nodded in agreement. "Yes. But still, I can't shake off the feeling that with Allowin still alive, he will seek revenge against the Soul Society for its involvement of the previous Arrancar-empire's downfall. Nevertheless, we should be ready for any assault" he said in return.

Hanataro realized that it was now time to give his superiors some other newly discovered information. "Oh, we almost forgot to mention something. It involves one of Ichigo Kurosaki's friends: Orihime Inoue" he spoke up.

Shunsui became surprised, and fixed a smile by hearing this, as he felt like he could always trust Ichigo and his friends from Karakura Town. "Well, what is it?" he asked friendly.

The timid Shinigami scratching the back of his head before speaking. "Well, over the years, many Shinigamis, including us medics from Squad 4 has always been curious about Orihime's ability" Hanataro spoke up. "Because you see, these Arrancars apparently knew what kind of Human she really was, and it really astounded us. From what the Dechados said, Orihime was an Interminable. Do you have any idea of what that is?" he asked his superior.

The moment Shunsui heard the word Interminable, his only eye was filled with shock. Both Ganju and Hanataro could see that even Nanao and Genshiro were stunned as well. "Umm…...did Hanataro say something wrong?" Ganju suddenly asked them with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh no! Absolutely not! To be honest with you, I have never heard about what you call an Interminable" Shunsui insisted while waving his hand whimsically. Nanao and Genshiro also came back to their senses. The head-captain then fixed a serious glance upon his visitors. "Anyway, you both did a terrific job serving as observes from the Soul Society to the Imperio de Hierro. I commend you for that" he complimented them. "Hanataro, you may return to the Squad 4 Barracks. Isane could have some use for your talents in healing. And you Ganju may return to the Shiba-manor. You both deserve some time off. Leave the preparations for the attack to us" he told them.

Both Ganju and Hanataro smiled by hearing this, so they both bowed to him formally before being escorted out of Shunsui's office. With no visitors in his office, the head-captain were free to speak with his lieutenants on more pressing matters.

"Captain Kyoraku" Nanao spoke up lowly. "Back then…...you did not tell them the truth, did you?" the four-eyed woman asked while adjusting her glasses.

Shunsui faced his desk, his thoughts drifting to the past, especially back at the time when the Interminables were declared a threat to the Soul Society. "I did lie. But it was for a good reason, Lil' Nanao" the head-captain told them. He even pressed his palm against his eyepatch. "Our enemies may have committed great atrocities. However, we of the 13 Court Guard Squads are no different. While the extermination of the Quincies was sad but necessary….the extermination of the Interminables was….totally unnecessary" he spoke up.

"But head-captain. You know the reason why that had to be done. It was all because of the sake of preserving peace in the…." Genshiro slowly spoke up.

However, his superior faced him with a surprisingly stern glance, indicating that he did not welcome Genshiro's words. "You think committing a genocide against a people that had not killed a single Shinigami was necessary?" he asked while facing Genshiro, who backed down from what he just said. Shunsui's expression softened, yet he was still feeling not happy. "Orihime Inoue…..I always believed that your own ability was unique….but I never expected you to be an Interminable. I expect you to find out about the truth sooner or later" he thought in his head while recalling the kind-hearted woman who would not do anything to harm someone.

Nanao adjusted her glasses while facing the head-captain. "Captain, if Ichigo and his friends found out about this….do you think they will still help us?" she asked his superior.

Shunsui faced his desk while being lost in thoughts, but he decided to reply to his lieutenant's' question. "I don't know, Nanao. Maybe they will, or maybe they won't. But one thing's certain. The 13 Court Guard Squads owes them an explanation to its participation of this genocide" he the admitted to his subordinates.

* * *

 _Inside the Department of Research and Development_

The Soul Society's Department of Research and Development had seen some of its structures repaired, having previously been destroyed by the invading Quincies. With that taken care of, as well as some of the researchers recovered from their injuries, the Department's president, as well as Captain of Squad 12 Mayuri Kurotsuchi had ordered them to begin researching anything related to the Quincies.

Mayuri and his lieutenant Nemu had already gone to begin an experiment of their own, thus leaving Vice-President Akon in charge of getting the labs operational. Mayuri had strictly told his subordinates not to interrupt him and Nemo on their experiment.

Akon was working on the computers while having his head covered in bandages. While doing so, he could not help but to recall a meeting he had with his superior and it still bothered him, even though it happened the day after the invasion.

"Akon, you imbecile! How could you have acted on your own without my permission!?" Mayuri had questioned him impatiently.

"It could not be helped, Captain Kurotsuchi! You were out in the battlefield and only we could contact Ichigo Kurosaki! There was no other way!" Akon had fought back while defending his independent action.

But his superior was not pleased with that answer. "Remember that I am the President of the Department, not you! As such, I decide what to do, especially when making a call to Urahara!" the captain had warily reminded him, but Akon did not back down from this conversation.

"You may be the president, but that sure as hell does not mean that you can do anything as you please!" Akon had then snapped back.

Saying this had caused anger to brew inside Mayuri and he went as far as to draw out his Zanpakutou. "Another treasonous word from you and I will put you in your place, Akon! And by that, I mean a graveyard!" the captain had threatened him, and Akon was forced to withdraw what he had just said.

Akon was still thinking about how terrible that meeting ended, and it only ended up causing strain between him and Mayuri. But for what reason? Those two were always on the same page before the Quincy invasion. Was it perhaps due to the fact that he and his associates felt themselves being sidelined by Mayuri? That could perhaps be the case.

"The Sereitei has need for us both, so I won't make any problems for both the Department and the squad" Akon thought to himself while remembering what he had said to Mayuri before he was off to start his own experiment.

Suddenly, he and his colleagues could hear a large bam and they turned around to see the clumsy and meek Chief Operator named Rin Tsubokura loose a box with candies and energy drinks. He chuckled nervously while facing his comrades.

"Oh, I'm sorry about that, guys! I'll pick it up!" he told them.

"For the love of God, Rin! Do you really have to goof off with your….."Akon was already expressing his dissatisfaction, until he could see the cans of energy drinks rolling out of the box. This caused him and the others to raise eyebrows. "Hold on…since when did you get hooked up on energy drinks? I mean look at them! Akaushi, Moyasu and even Alien Energy" the vice-president exclaimed in surprise while picking up the cans.

Other prominent researchers like Hiyosu, Kuna and Torue helped Rin with picking up his stuff, while Rin sincerely apologized to his superior. "Sorry about that, sir. But in light of what's been happening, I feel like these energy drinks will help me stay awake and focused during both day and night" he then explained his reasons for having those.

Akon only moped with his mouth, as he could not believe what he was just hearing. "Keep him awake and focused? More like keeping him paranoid and insane" he thought in his head. But the vice-president got back to his serious persona. "Whatever. Now get rid of that box and return to your place, Rin. I will require everyone one of us standing here if we are to find out more about the Wandenreich and their agendas" he then strictly told Rin who saluted in return.

"Yessir!" Rin said before doing as he was told.

Hiyosu, who was also the Primary Giga Expert, was beginning to read the radars while slowly reflecting on what had happened. "First the Department gets attacked by Jidanbo and for some particular reason, Rin stabs me with a knife!" the weird-looking researcher thought while recalling on what had happened in the previous invasion. Hiyosu sighed deeply. "This can't possibly get any worse" he added to his thoughts.

But the eccentric researcher was interrupted in his thoughts, as he could read something on the radars before him. It caught him completely by surprise, and he looked closer to see what it was.

"Hey Akon! Come take a look!" Hiyosu called out to his superior and Akon was standing right beside him. "Look at these disturbances in the radars. They are telling us something!" he added with slight unease.

Akon was beginning to feel the same way, as did the other researchers who got to his side. "This is no disturbance. The Sereitei…it's vanishing!" the vice-president exclaimed with shock while seeing how all the buildings inside the Sereitei was being consumed by something hidden. "Damn it! Just what the hell is all this!?" Akon wondered in his thoughts in distress.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Author's note: This chapter was focusing solely on the Soul Society. It is also the first part of the Der Untergang chapters. The second part will take us back to Hueco Mundo and tell us how Urahara and the others are doing. And as told, this story will feature both canon and non-canon elements. Fujimaru and Matsuri are from a Bleach: The 3** **rd** **Phantom, by the way. Hoped you liked this chapter.**


	12. Der Untergang 2

**Author's note: This is the second and final part of the Der Untergang chapters. The title is inspired by a biographical move about Adolf Hitler's last days of the same name. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 12: Der Untergang 2**

 _Somewhere hidden in the shadows, the icy palace of Silbern_

The undisputed ruler of the Wandenreich Yhwach, was now standing on a balcony surveying everything before him, which was the Sereitei. Standing by his side was his most trusted advisor and Sternritter Grandmaster: Jugram Haschwalth and his successor to the throne: Uryu Ishida. Together, they watched as the world around them began opening.

The emperor smiled with satisfaction upon seeing what was happening before him. "Our last invasion of the Sereitei was a success" he noted to his confidants.

Outside Silbern's courtyard, the shadows began consuming the entire Sereitei. All the Shinigamis inside were confused and lost about what was happening. Inside the ball-formed Shakonmaku, changes began developing and it replaced the Japanese buildings with icy Western-style architecture, with towers, apartments and even clock towers, similar to Big Ben. The entire Sereitei was braced for a transformation and even the Squad 1, as well as the Sokyoku Hill were transformed by the shadows. For the Shinigamis, this was like being caught without even being spotted, as the felt like being inside a trap.

As he watched the transformation with delight, Yhwach could not help but to focus his attention to Uryu. "Uryu, do you still remember the lyrics of the Kaiser Gesang?" he asked the Prinz von Lichts.

The raven-haired boy nodded his head in return before speaking. "Of course. The sealed king of the Quincies regained his heartbeat after 900 years, regained his intellect after 90 years and regained his power after 9 years" the young man responded while recalling the sacred lyrics in memory of Yhwach.

"There is a sequel to that song" the emperor suddenly said and faced the entire environment. "The sealed king of the Quincies regained his heartbeat after 900 years, regained his intellect after 90 years, regained his power after 9 years and regained the world after 9 days" he concluded while explaining the lyrics.

As he had done that, the transformation was complete. What was once the Sereitei was no more, only the Wandenreich and the Wandenreich alone. The entire city was a city of ice, it's buildings pale white as the winter itself. Yhwach set his eyes upon this environment, watching all the Shinigamis scurrying around the streets like rats.

"Let us go, Uryu, Haschwalth" he told his subordinates as he gazed upon the new urban battlefield. "The world will end in 9 days" he added, and the Wandenreich's second invasion of the Soul Society…had begun.

* * *

 _At the Shiba-mansion, Rukon District, Soul Society_

Ganju was about to enjoy his meal at the Shiba-mansion, until he was interrupted by someone entering his room. It was his older sister Kukaku Shiba, who immediately slammed the door open. She was breathing to catch his breath while Ganju only stared at her with food in his mouth.

"Ehhhh, what's wrong, sis?" he asked while eating.

"This is no time to be sitting here eating! Come with me to the top pf the cannon! And hurry!" the black-haired woman angrily told her and Ganju immediately ran after her.

The Shiba-siblings eventually climbed to the top of their infamous Kukaku cannon, which could give them a clear view of the Rukon District, as well as the Sereitei, although they were living a mile from it. The two siblings were now standing on the top of the cannon alongside the Shiba clan's gatekeepers: Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko. In fact, Kukaku had ordered them to open the cannon so that they all could be given a perfect view on what was going on.

"You might wanna take a look at this" Kukaku told her brother while handing him over a pair of binoculars.

As Ganju was seeing through them, his mouth almost dropped, as he could not believe his own eyes. "Holy shit…." Ganju cursed lowly while seeing the changes. "The Sereitei…...it's gone!" he added.

"Yes. And based upon what's been happening lately, this is without a doubt the work of the Quincies" Kukaku noted grimly.

Ganju returned the binoculars to his sister and gritted his teeth in frustration. "But how…how the hell could they have managed to do this while being locked inside the Shakonmaku!?" he angrily demanded from Kukaku.

"I think there is more than there is to it, Ganju" she suddenly responded and both Ganju and the gatekeepers looked at her stunned. "From what Head-Captain Kyoraku told me, the Shakonmaku should've been able to protect the Sereitei from outside threats, yet the Quincies were able to invade it and almost lay it to wastes" the black-haired woman recalled the conversation she had with Shunsui a couple of days ago.

Ganju and the gatekeepers all gasped in shock at her words. "No…you don't suppose that…." The long-haired man began uttering out words.

Kukaku simply nodded her head. "Yes. The Quincies were always inside the Sereitei….and they been hiding in there throughout the ages!" she concluded her analysis with frustration in her voice.

This caused Ganju to be given a shocking reminder. "So all this time…back when Uncle Isshin was captain…...back when Kaien was lieutenant…...during our rescuing attempt in the Sereitei…they were always there!?" the long-haired man began to realize the truth and his mind quickly drifted into something else. "Damn it! Hanataro!" he was suddenly reminded of his friend who was previously headed towards the Squad 4 Barracks. But like many other buildings in the Sereitei, all the barracks had disappeared thanks to the Quincies' actions. And now, Hanataro was currently in the viper's nest. Ganju faced his elder sister. "Hey, we really need to do something about those who cannot fight. Think about it, Squad 4 are technically leaderless without a captain" he pointed out to her.

Kukaku nodded her head at him. "I agree with you on that statement, Ganju. However, we can only hope that the other squads do well in protecting the medics. However, getting inside the Sereitei will have to wait, not until Urahara and Yoruichi have entered the battlefield" the busty woman told him, only to snap in realization. "While you're at it, send word to Yushiro Shihoin from the Shihoin clan, it is obvious that the 13 Court Guard Squads will require all the help they can get from those living outside the Sereitei" she commanded him.

Ganju immediately saluted in return. "It shall be done, sis! I'll be on Bonnie's back in a minute!" he declared and began climbing down from the cannon.

As he was doing that, Kukaku suddenly faced above the transformed Sereitei, towards the skies, as she was aiming for the Royal Realm. "Ichigo…...whatever you do…take your time before heading back to the Sereitei. This battle will be unlike you have ever fought before" she thought about the orange-haired man.

* * *

 _At the entrance of the Royal Realm called the Vestibule Road, high above the Sereitei, Soul Society_

News about the Wandenreich's second invasion of the Sereitei quickly spread up to the higher and upper citizens of the Royal Realm and their worries started to take shape. Luckily, the 72 barriers that protected the space between the Sereitei and the Royal Realm would give them some form of relief, yet the threat of the Quincies still lurked underneath their feet.

At the entrance of the Royal Realm called the Vestibule Road, the five members of the Royal Guard had gathered to assess this unexpected but troubling development.

"So it begins" Ichibe said lowly while gazing towards the skies, noticing how quickly they moved. "The winds of war have spoken, and the Sereitei is once again under attack" the black-bearded man added to his worries.

"Tch, those cocky bastards of the Court Guard better not fuck this up!" Kirinji said while crossing his arms, as he was talking about the 13 Court Guard Squads. "There's an entire warzone happening below us. The Sereitei has been replaced by a city of ice" he added.

"How in the world could they have pulled off something like that?" Senjumaru wondered in disbelief. "The Court Guard have definitely been caught off guard by a surprise attack such as this" she noted warily.

"But we need to have confidence in them" Kirio pointed out to her comrades. "Yamamoto may be gone, but we have no reason to doubt Kyoraku's abilities as a tactician and a strategist" the chubby woman added while expressing confidence in the newly-appointed head-captain.

Ichibe nodded his head at her in return. "Well said, Kirio. And just remember, we of Squad 0 are the last line of defense between the enemy and the Soul King, if the Court Guard falls. As such, we will never back down from our duties!" the monk reminded them all about their duties.

Nimaiya only adjusted his fancy glasses while sighing. "Speaking of which, does any of you know the status of Ichigo and his homies training here?" he asked his comrades.

"Renji and Rukia are almost finished with their training, so they should be able to return to the Sereitei shortly. But Ichigo still needs more time in order for him to complete his training" Kirio answered sweetly.

Kirinji only shrugged his shoulders by hearing this. "Those lazy bums below us can't just expect Ichigo to come and save them! Until he has returned to the battlefield, the Court Guard need to get their shit together and fight off the invaders! And besides, the captains and lieutenants are not that weak, are they?" he asked them while commenting about the situation.

"We know that already. Therefore, we must have faith in the Court Guard, even though they are unproven" Senjumaru noted sternly.

"But what do we do now?" Nimaiya quizzed his fellow members of the Royal Guard. "At this point, it ain't wise of us to leave the Royal Realm to go help the Court Guard against the Quincies" he pointed out.

Ichibe stepped away, before turning around to face his comrades. True, he was after all considered to be the de facto leader of the Royal Guard, even though all members had equal power. "No. Leaving the Royal Realm would be a terrible mistake. We must stay here and protect the Soul King's Palace. However, as soon as Ichigo and his friends are finished with their training, we will send them back to the Sereitei, in hopes of helping them turn the tide against our enemies" the black-bearded man declared, making sure that everyone got what he said.

Realizing that Ichibe spoke the truth, the proud members of Squad 0 returned to their own cities, while still taking great caution because of the new Quincy Invasion taking shape below. As they were walking, Ichibe was now beginning to think about those who were currently fighting against the Quincies.

"With Captains Kuchiki, Hitsugaya, Komamura and Sui-Feng without a Bankai, only 6 captains still possesses their Bankais: Head-Captain Kyoraku and Captains Ukitake, Hirako, Mugurama, Otoribashi and Kurotsuchi. The only notable exception is of course Captain Zaraki, but he is more than capable of handling himself in battle. His strength alone is enough to deal with the enemy soldiers" the monk was now analyzing the battlefield, as well as the captains. "I don't know how many of those Sternritters exist, but some of their powers are equal to or even greater than that of a Shinigami captain. However, I expect the Court Guard to focus on them, before challenging Yhwach. Rushing to fight him…would only be great and reckless mistake" Ichibe added to his thinking.

* * *

 _Inside the central place of El Dorado, Hueco Mundo_

The commander of El Dorado's city guard known as Ojos: Borddum Chelute was now inspecting the troops, who had been lining up in the city's central place. The city guards saluted as they saw their skull-faced superior approach, as they were actually gathered near a fountain. He inspected all the troops, until he could stumble upon four Arrancars that were standing at the end of the line. Like the troops, they also saluted to Borddum in return.

"Brothers and sisters of the Ojos! When I approach before each of you, state your names and ranks!" the skull-faced Arrancar with glowing purple eyes commanded them.

"Captain Rudbornn Chelute" the former Commander of the Exequias said while nodding to him with respect. "I am glad to see you again, cousin" he told him. Borddum simply nodded in return and moved on to the next captain

This was a young light black-skinned boy similar to Tirrador, only that he had long, twisted black hair as his hairstyle and even had a tint of goatee near his chin. That small tint was actually his Hollow-shell. However, what was noticeable was the fact that he wore shades as if he was chilling. Seeing this made Borddum only annoyed, yet the young Arrancar noticed his superior's presence and saluted.

"Captain Zeppelin Webster at your service, bro!" the young Arrancar said, much to his superior's irritation.

"I have told you many times, already! Take off those damned things!" Borddum demanded and the one named Zeppelin did as he was asked and put away his shades, thus revealing his blue eyes, and fixed an easygoing glance in return. Borddum sighed in annoyance. "You're just a pain in my ass like your cousin" he thought before moving on to the next captain.

This captain was actually a woman and she looked like pretty lovely, having azure blue eyes and a big bust. Her hair was long and blonde, and she even wore hairpins, that seemed to be her Hollow-shell. She giggled by seeing her superior standing before her and saluted in return. "Captain Ebbaline De Navarro at your service, Commander Borddum" she said while beaming with pride.

The commander could feel satisfaction inside of him, and it was more proven when he chuckled in amusement of the female captain. "I am always glad to know about your reliability, Ebbaline. You never fail to amuse me" he admitted and moved on to the next and last captain.

This one was had pale-grey skin, as well as white hair tied into a ponytail. His eyes were lime green and his Hollow-shell appeared to be that of a crown tied around his head. Even now, he was holding onto his Zanpakuto, which was that of a blade with gargoyle wings as decoration. The blade was even glowing lime green.

Sighing deeply, the grey-skinned man faced his superior with a respectful nod. "Captain Yzyurqq Goltzius. And by my blade, I will protect El Dorado" he spoke up with formality while slowly but steady bow his head in front of Borddum.

Borddum was happy to know that the captains in the Ojos could be trusted, so he decided to simply move on to the next subject. The captains were following closely. "Captains, you have all done a terrific job with keeping the peace within these streets. Even now, the Skyfather himself watched you with nothing but pride over seeing you bear such responsibilities. However, I was recently told about shocking news from my fellow Legionarios" he told them, much to the captains' interest.

"What has happened, commander?" Ebbaline asked with curios eyes.

"The Wandenreich is on the move again. They have begun their second invasion of the Soul Society. As we speak, the Sereitei is in disarray, all thanks to the actions of the Quincies" Borddum went on explaining.

Zeppelin simply yawned by hearing this, much to the irritation of his comrades. He took notice of it and simply shrugged. "Don't blame me. Whenever the commander is telling something, I kind of get bored quickly" he said, only for him to feel two blades being almost placed at his throat. The young Arrancar snapped by seeing that both Rudbornn and Yzyurqq had pulled out their Zanpakutous.

"You have no reason to speak to the commander like this, brat!" Rudbornn said without remorse. "You will withdraw that remark immediately!" he demanded.

"I advise you to do as he says, kid" Yzyruqq told him.

Zeppelin immediately threw up his hands in the air. "Chill, I was just being sarcastic. No reason to get all hissy here" the young captain insisted.

Borddum knew that this was just a waste of his time. "Let us move on to more pressing matter" he insisted while changing the subject. "His Highness has commanded that we as the Ojos do not neglect our duties as the city guard. All of us must be careful" he told them, and they all listened closely. All the captains saluted to him with loyalty in return, as they knew that the commander spoke the truth. "Great. Any more questions before we begin our patrols?" he then asked the captains.

Only Zeppelin seemed to have his hand raised in the air and Borddum reluctantly gave him the word. "Just out of curiosity: what will be our empire's next move?" the young Arrancar asked his superior.

This made Borddum change his mind about him, and he gladly answered his question. "For now, we do not make any reckless moves, as to involve ourselves in the battle between the Shinigamis and Quincies. We are all to stay here and protect El Dorado from any invading army, wether it be the Wandenreich, the 13 Court Guard Squads…..or even the dwellers from Hell itself" the skulled Arrancar told his subordinates as they got his answer.

* * *

 _In the streets of El Dorado_

Orihime and Chad had been wandering through the streets ever since their meeting with Killaman Khan. The oracle had been so kind as to help the young woman with discovering about her roots as an Interminable. But since learning the truth, including how her parents really died, Orihime was not feeling any sense of love. Deep inside of her, only sorrow and anger could be seen.

Chad could see that based upon her expression, as she was constantly facing the dirty road beneath them. Killaman had been so kind as to transform them back to El Dorado, so that they would have no need to row by boat. But nevertheless, he had not said a single thing, and neither had Orihime.

"When was the last time I saw Orihime feeling so bitter?" Chad wondered, as he could not recall that he had ever seen her so depressed and downed. "Maybe…it was perhaps a mistake of us to visit Killaman Khan and ask for his guidance. But he only wanted to help Orihime find the answers she was looking for…and that is what she got" the tall man noted in his thoughts.

Suddenly, Chad snapped when Orihime spoke up. "Let's just return to Urahara's tent, I just wanna close the whole day" she said, her voice sounding completely emotionless.

"Hey there, princess! Where have you been?" Orihime suddenly stopped in her tracks, yet she did not change emotion nor express surprise by hearing that voice. However, Chad turned around and saw a teenaged Arrancar with her black-hair tied into two pigtails. It was formerly one of Aizen's suitors, Loly Avirrne. She was having her arms crossed while slowly walking towards Orihime. "It's been a long time. I hope you still remember me" she said, her voice filled with dispassion.

Chad could see that Orihime was still facing the ground, not even as much as turning around to face the Arrancar. "Who is this girl? I have never seen this Arrancar before. Does she and Orihime know each other form Las Noches, like me and Gantenbainne?" he wondered while watching the scene, as Orihime still didn't move a muscle.

"Hey, you can least look at me when I'm talking to you!" Loly stopped right behind Orihime, and got irritated by how she was not facing her. Therefore, she decided to make her turn around and grabbed her right hand. "Don't be stupid, I know you still remember…." Loly was shocked by seeing Orihime simply swat her hand away.

"Don't…...touch me" Orihime said lowly, her voice not even filled with the cheerfulness she was usually known for. It even bore a hint of anger and bitterness.

However, Loly was not finished and once again tried to grab her. "Maybe I'm not being clear. You and I still have some…" Loly suddenly stopped when Orihime finally turned around to face her.

The teenaged Arrancar was stunned to see an angered and provoked Orihime, as the orange-haired woman angrily confronted her. "I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!" Orihime yelled and to Chad's surprise slapped Loly's right cheek, nose and mouth, thus leaving an ugly and sore mark. Loly even fell on the floor, her only eye filled with shock over experiencing this. Even now, small trails of blood ran from her mouth.

As Loly's gaze met Orihime's, she could see anger in the orange-haired woman's eyes. Furthermore, while rubbing her face, she saw blood on her fingers. Seeing this, only made Loly angry in return and she quickly got up while rubbing her sore cheek.

"You bitch! What the hell was that for!?" Loly angrily asked and angrily reached for her Zanpakutou, only for Orihime to throw a punch into her only eye and she howled in agony by seeing this" ARGHHHH MY EYE!" she yelled while holding her left hand over it, although she could still see with her Hollow-shell.

Orihime only faced her with no regret over her actions. "Go home" she told her, causing Loly to only stare at her with disbelief. "I am in no mood to be wasting time with you! So unless you want me to make you half-blind, stay away from me!" she spoke up, her voice surprisingly filled with hatred.

Chad was stunned by seeing this. "Orihime…I have never seen her so…...angry before" he noted while suddenly coming up with a realization. "Wait…Orihime has never been such a violent person, has she? I mean, she just managed to physically assault an Arrancar. However, that Arrancar's Spiritual Pressure feels weak compared to others" he wondered while commenting the scene.

Loly removed her hand from her sore eye and she glared at Orihime angrily holding her daggers tightly in the process. "You think you're such a bigshot, just because you were given so much love from Lord Aizen!? You are nothing but a spineless whore without any clue of what's really going on! Lord Aizen should've treated me with respect for my service!" she snapped at her.

But all of a sudden, Orihime got close to Loly's face, her own grey eyes filled with hatred. "TO HELL WITH AIZEN AND TO HELL WITH YOU!" Orihime angrily spat at her.

Loly could not take this any longer. "I'LL KILL YOU!" she yelled and was about to attack Orihime, only for somebody to grab a hold on her shoulder. Looking back, it was a friend of hers: Menoly Mallia. The blonde-haired Arrancar was looking at Loly with a worried expression. But Loly only gritted her teeth in anger by seeing this. "Let go of me, Menoly! I'm not done with her!" she yelled at her only friend.

"Just let it go, Loly! You know this will only destroy yourself" Menoly tried to convince her.

But Loly only loosened herself from Menoly's grip and faced her with anger. "You're just pathetic, Menoly! If you don't have any guts, then I will….." the teenaged Arrancar stopped speaking, when she could suddenly feel something pass by her. However, it became clear that her left arm was cut, and the flesh began tearing itself apart. "ARGHHHH MY ARM!" Loly screamed with pain and agony.

Both Chad and Orihime could hear a female laughter and steps coming towards them. Menoly widened in shock, while Loly was hulking in pain over losing her left arm. The one who approached them was one of the infamous Legionarios.

"I'm sorry. Am I interrupting something?" the voice came from Ssutze Briffa, as she was approaching the group, while holding a sword in each hand, indicating that those two were her Zanpakutou. The black-haired woman with pale skin laughed sadistically by seeing what her actions had brought to Loly. "I could not help but to feel the presence of filthy Esclavos lurking around the streets, especially you two" she noted while brandishing her blades.

The two Human could already see that blood were dripping from her blades, indicating that she had been the one who cut off Loly's arm. "That woman…I was never able to sense her Spiritual Pressure…...even while she performed that attack…...such incredible speed" Chad noted while seating, wondering if Ssutze had plans for them as well.

"Ssutze Briffa…." Menoly said lowly, her only eye covered in fear.

The pale-skinned woman only smirked at her. "That's Mistress Ssutze Briffa to you, vermin" she schooled the teenaged Arrancar. "Now why are trash like you roaming these streets of freedom? Scum like you deserve to live beneath the Coliseo!" Ssutze added cunningly.

"You fucking bitch!" Loly suddenly yelled, her arm bleeding endlessly. Loly held onto her daggers and faced the Legionario with a threatening glance, although her entire body was trembling. "One more move…...and I'll release my Resurrecciòn!" she spat out.

But it was too late for her, as Ssutze used Sonido to appear right before her. The woman dressed in revealing clothes then proceeded to deliver a powerful kick that sent Loly up in the air for only five seconds, before landing onto the ground by her stomach. Soon after, Ssutze stood over the body of Loly and then laughed sadistically.

"Heh, how amusing you Esclavos are. You call that misbegotten form of yours a Resurrecciòn? Idiot, compared to us, yours is nothing but clothes on a naked body" she mocked Loly's claim. "However, I think there is more than there is to it with regards to your past" Ssutze noted and suddenly used one of her blades to tear up Loly's outfit, so that her upper back was revealed. But the Legionario was suddenly surprised by seeing what kind of symbol was written on her upper back, as were Chad and Orihime. "What the…..this must be a joke…" she commented.

On Loly's upper back, there was a black kanji that looked like this: 隷. This was no ordinary kanji. It was the kanji for slave, servant and also bondage. The two Humans could see the expression on Ssutze's face, and it was that of disgust. She immediately faced Menoly, who was shivering with fear.

"You….." she spoke lowly and threateningly. "Turn around and lift up your dress" she demanded, yet Menoly seemed to be somewhat defiant. Gritting her teeth in anger, Ssutze pointed one of her swords at her to make her change her mind. "TURN AROUND AND LIFT UP YOUR DRESS, SHINIGAMI PET!" she angrily demanded, this time sounding very threateningly.

Reluctantly, Menoly obeyed and showed the Legionario her back and lifted up her dress. To Ssutze's disgust and the Humans' surprises, she too had the same kanji as Loly written on her upper back.

"You…DISGUSTING WHORES!" Ssutze lashed out. "I…..I can't believe this was really going on in Las Noches!"

Chad slowly approached her and wanted to know why she was acting so furious with them, despite the fact that she didn't even know the two teenaged Arrancars.

"Who implanted that symbol on these girls? And why are you referring to them as whores?" Chad asked calmly to not provoke Ssutze.

The black-haired woman slowly turned around, her face still furious as ever. "You mean to tell me that you have been to Las Noches, but have never discovered what kind of man Sosuke Aizen really was to his underlings?" she asked lowly, but eventually sighing to put a hold onto her anger. However, both Chad and Orihime felt like they really wanted to know why she was being so secretive. "Aizen may have viewed the Arrancars under his service as expendable, but you have no idea what kind of man he really was, especially to some of his servants…...like his suitors" she told both Chad and Orihime.

However, Chad was slowly starting to get the picture, as he began studying the symbol written on Menoly's back. Orihime, who could care less about the two former suitors, was rather interested on knowing why they were given such symbols instead of numbers.

"This may sound ridiculous to your outsiders. But these Esclavos were more than servants or suitors to Aizen back in Las Noches" Ssutze told them while facing Menoly, who had just turned around and was whimpering like a coward backed into a corner. She could also see that Loly had gotten on her feet, although she was actually crying in agony, but not just because of losing her left arm. "These brats were also…sex slaves to Aizen!" Ssutze revealed to them grimly.

Both Chad and Orihime snapped by hearing her words. They could not believe what the Legionario had just told them. How could this be true? Was Aizen really that incredibly perverted? Both of them refused to believe this at first, but they were eventually convinced by seeing how both Loly and Menoly broke into tears and those tears were real, even for an Arrancar. By seeing them like this, there was no doubt about it. Aizen had in fact molested Loly, Menoly and other Arrancars that once served as his suitors.

"My god…" Chad spoke lowly while standing beside Orihime. The tall man was suddenly given a shocking realization. "At that time…when Orihime was living in Las Noches as a captive….did Aizen ever…." Chad suddenly grabbed Orihime by her shoulders and faced the young woman with a serious glance. "Orihime! Be honest with me! During your captivity in Las Noches, did Aizen ever do something atrocious to you like that!?" he demanded an answer.

Orihime, who was surprised by hearing this, quickly shook her head as a no, and only faced him with honesty. "Of course not! He never put his hands on me!" she insisted but suddenly, began facing Loly and Menoly. "But those two on the other hand, did in fact put their hands on me! And they went as far as to torment me emotionally and physically!" she spat while pointing a finger at hem.

Menoly could no longer stand being labeled as the villain, so she faced Orihime. "Listen…Orihime…." Menoly spoke to her in tone of regret. "I…we knew that what we did to you back there was inexcusable and I sincerely regret it…but we were just jealous…jealous by the fact that you were never…never…..." The teenaged Arrancar could no longer hold back her tears. "It's true! All us suitors were molested by Lord Aizen, even me! And he did that to us from the moment we were torn off our masks! To us, we were only his playthings! But what could we do!? Such was our fate!" Menoly continued defending herself.

"This girl is not lying" Chad commented lowly. But he felt like asking them something. "But if you already knew that Aizen never cared about you nor treating you like his subordinates, then why did you stay with him!? Why did you prolong your suffering under a man who has been mistreating you!?" he demanded an answer from.

"Shut up, Human! Don't speak as if you know the truth, you don't know a damn thing!" Loly spat, tears still streaming from her eye. "We spent our lives as Arrancars serving Lord Aizen, yet all we got in return…...was ingratitude and abuse! DAMN IT!" she added, suddenly falling onto the ground, sobbing. "I always thought that Lord Aizen loved me when I give him my body freely….BUT IT WAS ALL JUST A LIE! HE NEVER GAVE A RAT'S ASS ABOUT ME! ALL THAT HE WANTED FROM ME WAS PUSSY!" she screamed in anger and sadness, feeling very shattered emotionally.

It was becoming abundantly clear that both Loly and Menoly were nothing but poor, unfortunate souls who only desired to be respected and loved by Aizen like the Espadas, only to be treated as toys and playthings by their leader they so greatly admired, but at the same time, feared. Chad and Orihime knew more about Aizen than perhaps Ichigo and Urahara did. But that didn't change their views on the fallen Shinigami. That man deserved not to walk underneath the sun, as he was not destined to be a hero. Sosuke Aizen was a malicious, despicable, abusive, manipulative, evil and perverted madman, who could become a horrid creature, if he ever had become a god. But maybe Aizen had already achieved such status already. All this only made Mayuri look like a normal guy, even though he technically was a mad scientist.

Orihime had been reflecting on what this confrontation had brought her and she knew that he needed to make a decision. After facing the ground for a few seconds, she faced both Loly and Menoly with a look of disappointment and distaste. "So this is it? This is your story? I'm sorry, but I cannot waste my time dealing with insignificant trash like you! You're nothing but a pile of skeletons to me!" she concluded in a surprisingly cold manner and turned around to walk away. "You may do with them as you please, Mistress Ssutze" she told the Legionario.

The pale-skinned Arrancar mused by hearing this in return. "I like you already. Leave the Aizen-whores to me" she said to the orange-haired woman before facing the former suitors of Aizen with a deadly glance. "Now, where were we?" she asked lowly while licking off the blood on her blades.

"Wait, Orihime!" Orihime stopped once again by hearing Loly's voice, but did not turn around to face the teenaged Arrancar. "Can you bring my arm back, please? I mean, surely you believe in compassion, don't you?" she surprisingly asked her in a friendly manner, although it was fake.

Orihime looked over her shoulder and fixed a stern eye upon Loly. "No" she replied lowly. "I don't believe in compassion towards people like you or Aizen" the orange-haired woman told her before continuing moving, with Chad tagging along.

Therefore, Ssutze caught both former suitors by knocking them out and then carried them onto the Coliseo.

As they were on the road, Chad was stunned when Orihime suddenly began speaking to him in a more positive manner. "Hey Chad" she said and the tall man began facing her with surprise. The reason was because Orihime immediately fixed a gentle smile on her face, just like she was known for. "I'm sorry if I acted rather cold back there, but I needed take a stand for my own sake now. I told myself that I would no longer be the helpless damsel in distress. And I will need the help of my friends, including you, Ichigo, Uryu and even Rukia and Renji" she told him while apologizing at the same time.

While Chad was surprised at this by first, he quickly formed a smile of his own. "Orihime….." Chad noted in his thoughts. "I don't know if this is just because of the revelations…but you have really grown emotionally. You're a different woman now, I must admit" he added to his thoughts.

* * *

 _At the giant ziggurat called Maravilloso_

This giant ziggurat, inspired by Sumerian architecture was known to the citizens of El Dorado as Maravilloso. Nobody knew why this ziggurat existed. But similar to Esperanza, Maravilloso was a testament to the great civilization of El Dorado. Citizens of the city would frequently visit the place, in order to pay respect for those who built it.

Right now, Jinta Hanakari was now stuck there cleaning the stairways before the ziggurat, with Harribel and her Fracciòn watching over him. This was part of the returning the favor for Harribel buying him the golden necklace. The red-haired boy immediately regretted ever accepting it, as he was now stuck doing her a favor, which was much harder than what he was used to back at Urahara's shop.

"Damn it! Why do I always end up in such mess!?" Jinta wondered while tears of frustration were streaming from his eyes.

"Hey you!" the young boy snapped by hearing the voice of Emilou Apacci, as she was now standing right beside him. She faced him strictly. "Lady Harribel thinks that you are not putting more effort into this! Now quit being lazy and start working for real!" she commanded him.

Jinta saluted at her in return. "Yes ma'am! It shall be done!" he insisted, with Apacci feeling confident about herself and walking away. But Jinta slowly muttered underneath his breath. "You bitchy fatass" he said lowly.

Unfortunately for him, Apacci managed to hear those words, and she angrily turned around and walked towards him once again. Her face was filled with anger. Jinta could see this and only snapped in fear.

"Is there something you wish to say to me!?" Apacci angrily asked while confronting Jinta, who fell on his back while watching the angry woman glare at him. The dark blue-haired woman also cracked her knuckles, as she was willing to teach him some manners. "Tell me, does my ass really look fat to you!?" she angrily asked while wanting to attack Jinta.

The red-haired teenager was trembling with fear over seeing this and faced Ururu, who was sitting on one of the steps reading a book. "Hey Ururu…a little help, please!" he requested, but the young girl did not seem interested in getting involved.

"You brought this upon yourself, why are you asking me to clean it up?" she asked, not even taking away her glance from the book.

"HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT THIS WOULD'VE HAPPANED!?" Jinta snapped at her in anger, but was suddenly grabbed on his collar by Apacci, who lifted him up to her level. "Okay! I take it back! I'm sorry for insulting you, it won't happen again!" the red-haired boy insisted pleadingly.

"Let him go, Apacci" the Arrancar heard the voice of her mistress as Harribel was now standing a few meters from her. "If you don't mind, I would be more than happy to discipline this boy. He's my responsibility after all" the blonde-haired Dechado added to her explanation.

Huffing and grunting, Apacci handed over Jinta to Harribel, albeit reluctantly. The youn boy sat before the blonde-haired woman and faced her stern eyes. This only made him sweat.

"Well…thanks for not killing…...OUCH!" Jinta yelped as Harribel slammed his head with her fist and it made him land on his stomach.

Harribel crossed her arms and faced the teenager with annoyance. "Remember what I told you. You are to treat me and my Fracciòn with dignity and respect. Therefore, I will not tolerate any backtalking about us, are we clear?" she told him while warning him at the same time.

Jinta simply nodded his head as a yes, not having enough guts to open his mouth and speak.

"Oh, so there you are" the voice of Nelliel could be heard as the sea green-haired woman was now standing by the stairs alongside her Fracciòn. She smiled as she faced her fellow paragon. "Thanks for taking care of them while I was shopping" she thanked Harribel, who simply nodded in return.

Pesche and Dondochakka waved at the teenagers happily. "Hello again, Renji Abarai and Rukia Kuchiki! It's been a while since we last met, huh?" Pesche exclaimed happily.

"Yeah, I still remember all the fun me and Renji had in Las Noches" Dondochakka remarked while facing Jinta.

However, both teenagers were dumbfounded by hearing this, as were Nelliel, Harribel and her Fracciòn. Apparently, those two Arrancars had confused them for someone else, as they were always known for.

"You gotta be kidding me!" Jinta snapped at them angrily. "Do I look like I have a pineapple as a hair!? You know that I'm not Renji!" he lashed at them.

But Dondochakka only fixed a wondering expression while scratching the top of his head. "Huh, but you do have red hair, like Renji Abarai, don't ya?" he asked in a dim-witted manner.

"And what about you!" Pesche suddenly asked Ururu, who was only left dumbfounded by seeing him acting like an idiot. "You have black hair and a flat bust, just like Rukia!" he added, causing the young girl only to drop a sweat in return.

But both Arrancars stopped, when they could hear Nelliel's coughing sound. The two bowed to her formally, as she walked up to Harribel and began a friendly conversation with her, something which Harribel gladly accepted.

However, Pesche suddenly got a glimpse of Franceska Mila Rose and began flirting with her by whistling in amazement. "Woah, has someone ever told you that you look incredibly hot?" he asked her smugly.

While Sung-Sun and Apacci only gave him disapproved glances, Mila Rose was stunned when she heard what the silly Arrancar had just told her. In fact, she started to feel more confident about herself. "You really think that?" she asked Pesche.

"Dream on!" Apacci interrupted the conversation and faced the brown-skinned Arrancar. "Why would anyone ever bother falling in love with you? I mean, you look like a shemale without a manhood, for crying out loud!" she then began verbally attack her.

Mila Rose immediately got pissed by hearing this. "Who are you calling a shemale, you fatass!?" she hit back and the two followers of Harribel began clashing once again.

Sung-Sun only sighed deeply, as she stood beside Pesche and Dondochakka. "Sometimes, I wish that you two were my comrades instead of them. And by that, I mean it" she admitted to them.

But all arguments stopped when those standing by the stairs to the ziggurat could feel steps coming towards them. Turning around, they saw both Urahara and Tessai standing there, while being accompanied by Captains Rudbornn and Yzyurqq, and the Dechado Durran Lupinus. Ururu quickly ran towards her boss and Urahara went down to her level.

"I'm so happy that you are okay, boss" Ururu exclaimed while the blonde-haired man smiled in return.

Jinta was running towards his boss and he was crying with joy, as he had in fact been missing both Urahara and Tessai. In fact, he even fell on his knees and begged them. "I've missed you so much! I swear, I will never slack off during the job, I swear!" the teenaged boy begged.

While Urahara was stunned by seeing this, Tessai secretly formed a smirk underneath his mustache. "Hmmm I'm glad to see how you have changed" Tessai noted in his thoughts.

"We're glad that you're both safe in El Dorado. Yoruichi has gone off to the Vizards to assist them, so she's not joining us" Urahara told the teenagers before looking around. "I take it that both Orihime and Chad are at the tent" he noted while noticing that they were not seen with Jinta and Ururu.

Durran suddenly stepped forward and faced both Nelliel and Harribel. "Ladies, our presence is required at Esperanza this instant. His Highness has demanded that a discussion amongst us Dechados will take place to determine our plans for the future" the black-haired Arrancar told them and both Nelliel and Harribel appeared right before him by using the Sonido. They both nodded their heads as a yes, and it made Durran smile. He then faced both Rudbornn and Yzyurqq. "Captains, make sure that Urahara and his group return to their tent and make sure to surveil it" he commanded them, before he, the ladies and the Fracciòn disappeared.

Rudbornn and Yzyurqq stood before the group that had gathered, with city guards eventually surrounding them from both sides. "Remember what Lord Durran just said. Go back to your tent and wait for further instructions. But do not try anything funny. His Highness will not tolerate any disobedience" Rudbornn told them strictly.

Urahara only waved his hand at them in return. "Easy there, mister. We have no intention of running away from El Dorado, so we will gladly stay at our tent" he told them in return. "And besides, it really has been a hard day for us all, so staying here is much better than staying out in the empty desert" the blonde-haired Shinigami said, and he and his group were escorted back to the tent by the Ojos. Urahara had hoped to see both Orihime and Chad, although he could feel a hint of uncertainty about it for no reason. Why was he feeling like that?

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Author's note: This chapter was telling us on how Ganju was doing when the Wandenreich's invasion started, as well as the Royal Guard. In Hueco Mundo, we were introduced to a more reserved Orihime than her usual happy persona. And to show off her willingness to be bitter, I included both Loly and Menoly as interesting foils. And of course, I have given them a reason for hating Orihime so much, due to the fact that Aizen molested them (something he never did with Orihime). I know this may sound random, but I also want to show you the twisted and devious side of Aizen's personality. Who knows, Aizen would make Mayuri look like a normal guy. XD. Here is the new term that we were introduced to in this chapter.**

 **Maravilloso – Spanish for "Wonderful": This is the giant ziggurat that is located in the city of El Dorado. Nobody knows what reason it was built for, but it stands as a testimony to the achievements of the Arrancars.**

 **And by the way, here are some of the voice actors I have given to the new and original Arrancars we were introduced to. Rudbornn already has one (Michael Lindsay, I think).**

 **Zeppelin Webster – Matt Hill**

 **Ebbaline De Navarro – Erin Fitzgerald**

 **Yzyurqq Goltzius – Dameon Clarke**


	13. Endless Sorrows

**Author's note: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Endless Sorrows**

 _Inside Urahara's tent, El Dorado, Hueco Mundo_

As Urahara, Tessai and the two teenagers entered their tent, they found out that Chad and Orihime were already inside, alongside Riruka and Yukio. But the blonde-haired man could notice how sort of sad Orihime felt, while Chad was trying to calm her down. Urahara had wanted to know what had happened to her and Chad while they were gone. Since all of them were gathered in one place, Orihime and Chad felt like sharing what they had been told by both Pieddot and Killaman, including the visions the oracle had told them about.

Both Urahara and Tessai were stunned once they heard Orihime's explanation. "No way…it can't be…you are the direct descendant of the first Dèesse?" Urahara asked in disbelief. "I mean…..I know only limited information about the Interminables….but I always thought that she died without leaving any children" he added to his beliefs.

Jinta and Ururu had also been intrigued by the explanation about the origins of the Interminables, considering that they two were also the same species as Orihime. "Interminables…so we're actually…created?" Jinta asked lowly as he glanced at his hand. "Perhaps this explains why I may have this hidden strength within me" he thought in his head.

Ururu faced the ground. "I've always thought of myself as different from other girls at my age" she admitted. "Maybe that's what this is why I felt that way" she suggested.

Orihime sighed deeply, before continuing speaking. "I know this is interesting and all, but to me, finding about the origins of the Interminables was not the most shocking revelation. It was the death of my parents at the hands of the Shinigamis" she told everyone while facing the ground. "I saw everything. A village burned to ashes, innocents forced out of their homes…" the orange-haired woman felt tears stream from her eyes. "And my mother and father murdered by Captain Kuchiki…...how could he have done that?" she added while feeling shattered emotionally.

Urahara and Tessai felt themselves surprised by hearing this, although they could not help but to feel somewhat ashamed of themselves. In fact, Urahara began facing the young woman with a sympathetic glance.

"Orihime" the young woman lifted up her head to view the blonde-haired man, who did not seem to be in denial. "If you are beginning to hate us Shinigamis…I…I mean we will not fault you for that" Urahara told him, while Orihime continued to stare at him with tearful eyes. The blonde-haired man eventually sighed deeply. "Yes, the 13 Court Guard Squads had always feared that the Interminables would spread their powers through other Humans, so they began a campaign of exterminating them, due to the fact that they were created by mixing the Soul King's blood with Humans. But most specifically they were after the direct descendant of the first Dèesse" the former Shinigami captain went on explaining.

"And of course, the Kuchiki clan and Squad 6 were the strongest proponents for this extermination" Tessai admitted while adjusting his glasses. But everyone became surprised by seeing the tanned-skinned man bow before Orihime, who was left stunned by his behavior. However, tears began streaming from Tessai's glasses and he was actually sobbing along the way. "It is also true that…...the Kido Corps had been involved in those vile campaigns…...even during the time when I was its captain" he went on confessing to Orihime and the tall man lifted up his head to face the orange-haired woman, who along with her friends had never seen Tessai express such emotion before. "Young Orihime…on behalf of the Kido Corps as its former captain…...I sincerely apologize for our involvement on these atrocities, that eventually resulted in the death of your parents" he apologized while sniffing.

Urahara watched his long-time friend crying. "Tessai" he said lowly as he saw Orihime eventually approach the tall Shinigami and hugged him. Everyone was surprise by this actions, but they eventually saw this as a sign that Orihime was forgiving Tessai. Seeing this made Urahara smile. "Off course you are willing to forgive Tessai. He always knows when to make amends" the blonde-haired man thought while seeing them like this.

"Hey boss" Urahara focused his attention on Jinta, as he and Ururu had their glances fixed upon him. While Jinta's looked kind of demanding, Ururu's was still as meek as ever. "Back when you first found us, did you know that we were Interminables" the red-haired boy asked his superior.

The blonde-haired ma only faced the floor and sighed deeply before facing Jinta again. "To be honest, no" he said, much to Jinta's own surprise. "However, me, Tessai and Yoruichi realized that you were not just ordinary Human-children, considering that you were able to see both Pluses and Hollows. But we did not know that you were Interminables" Urahara told him as honest as he could.

Ururu smiled weakly at him in return. "We appreciate your honesty, boss" the meek girl told him. However, she was briefly taking a glance at Orihime, who was currently facing the ground while holding around her legs. "Orihime…I wish there was something me and Jinta could do to help you…...we are all the same people after all" she admitted in her thoughts while noticing how lost she seemed.

Tessai had released himself from Orihime and was now facing the group, wiping off his tears. "Thanks to the story both Orihime and Chad told us, all of us have learned something very interesting. In fact, now that I think about it, I believe there exists at least one more Interminable in Karakura Town" he noted and suddenly began forming a trademark pose by crossing both arms over his chest. Those around him were dumbfounded by his action. "I believe you know who I am speaking off. BOHAHAHAHAHA!" he said while suddenly coming up with a laughter.

Chad, Orihime, Jinta, Ururu, Yukio and Riruka could not believe what Tessai was saying, while Urahara only forced a slight chuckle by seeing this. "Of course, you're talking about Don Kanonji!" he spoke out the name of the infamous spirit medium, who had his own TV-Show back in the Human World.

"Don Kanonji…that spiritual moron!?" Jinta asked in disbelief. "Is that idiot also an Interminable!?" he added, not willing to accept the fact.

"I always thought there was something strange about him" Chad admitted to his friends. "But then again, Don Kanonji did indeed possess a great deal of knowledge about spirits, not to mention that he was able to see both Pluses and Hollows, even before me" the tall man admitted to his friends who listened closely.

But Yukio and Riruka only focused attention on something else, with Riruka crossing her arms while huffing. "Heh, was never a big fan of Don Kanonji anyways. That doofus always pissed me off" she said before pulling on her hood from her sweater. Yukio started playing on his PSP as a means to stop listening to what he considered to be uninteresting to him.

Urahara made sure that everyone got his attention. "Alright everyone, listen up. Back in the World of the Living, I dispatched Yoruichi to assist the Vizard with the task I gave them. I've already told that to Jinta and Ururu, but I figured that it would be best if you also knew about that as well" the blonde-haired man said while specifically facing both Chad and Orihime. He suddenly held up a Sternritter's medallion. "I'm almost finished with my examination of how the Quincies were able to steal the Bankais and how the captains who lost them can get them back. When I'm finished, I plan on heading back to the Sereitei and assist Squad 12 with whatever they need" he then revealed to them all.

"Shall me and Orihime accompany you?" Chad suddenly asked, while facing the blonde-haired man, who immediately shook his head in return.

"No, you two along with Ururu and Jinta will accompany Tessai to the Sereitei when I give him a call" Urahara told them, and it was not a suggestion. "In the meantime, I want both you and Orihime to train here and prepare yourself for battle. And this time…...both of you will head to the frontlines" he suddenly revealed to them in a serious tone.

Orihime felt confused by hearing this, yet decided to ask Urahara about it. "Where will be training at? Is it at the Coliseo?" she asked him lowly.

But Urahara simply waved his hand at her whimsically. "Of course, not! You won't need to train there!" he insisted to her. "In fact, you will be training outside…..in the Negal Ruins" he revealed to them and they both looked surprised. Urahara smirked by seeing this. "It assure you, it will be the best place for you to be training. It's quiet, fresh and also safe from all harm. In fact, I have arranged for one of the Dechados to actually be keeping an eye on you while you're doing that" he then revealed.

All of a sudden, the entrance to the tent opened and right outside stood none other than Diablo Gallante, the Arrancar still wearing the cape, as well as the eyepatch that covered his right eye. However, Gallante was not alone as Ozzy Namatjira, his partner Lizzie and the mysterious woman named Belladonna Luisenbarn were standing behind him. The red-skinned Arrancar fixed his glance on the blonde-haired man, his eye piercing through him like an arrow.

"I am here to take both Orihime Inoue and Yastutora Sado out to the Negal Ruins for their training" Gallante spoke up, although his eye eventually narrowed sternly. "But I want you to remember this, mansion boy. The only reason I am agreeing to this…..is because these two Humans took care of Nelliel and helped her" the paragon suddenly revealed to him.

Both Orihime and Chad were stunned by hearing his reasoning. Could it be true? Had Nelliel somehow changed Gallante's view of them? Such answers remained to be seen. Nevertheless, they rose up and followed the red-skinned Arrancar, who was still facing Urahara suspiciously.

"Don't worry, I have no desire to be torn to shreds by either you nor Allowin" the blonde-haired man insisted while waving his hand at the two friends. "You two take care now, until we meet again" Urahara told them and Orihime and Chad followed the Dechado.

Once they were outside, they were introduced to the two Legionarios, who had decided to accompany Gallante on keeping an eye on the two Humans. Belladonna, the one dressed like a harem lady bent down with formality. "Pleased to be of acquaintance, Yasutora Sado and Orihime Inoue" the bruenette told them while demonstrating her flexibility. "I am Legionario Belladonna Luisenbarn, younger sister of Annabelle Luisenbarn and proud member of the House of Luisenbarn" she introduced herself.

Both Humans snapped by hearing this. "Wait..…...you're that old woman's sister? But how come you look so…younger?" Chad asked lowly, causing Belladonna to glare at him with dispassion.

"Careful with whom you speak to, outsider. If you wish, I can demonstrate to you on why I am not to be trifled with" she warned him sternly.

But the brunette was interrupted by Ozzy and Lizzie standing before her, much to her annoyance. "Easy there, love! No need to be spewin with these swaggers" Ozzy told Belladonna and fixed his eyes on the two friends before him. He faced them with an easygoing smile, while both Chad and Orihime were slightly confused about him. "Never mind Belladonna. She always yabber about her noble lineage and stuff. Anyway, the name's Ozzy Namatjira. Like this figjam beside me, I'm also a Legionario. And this little ankle biter on my shoulder is Lizzie Namatjira, my partner" he introduced themselves.

Lizzie waved her hand at them in a friendly manner. "G'Day to you!" she told them sweetly.

"Why do you two sound so…Australian?" Orihime quizzed them while raising an eyebrow at them.

But Ozzy only waved his hand at her whimsically. "Now, now, Sheila, we'll have you know that not all Arrancars are cranky crooks and clucky dipsticks. Some are even mugs and dags like us two" the orange-haired Arrancar pointed out.

"Well, we expected you two to be at least speaking with Spanish accents" Chad suddenly pointed out.

"Us, Spanish accents?" Ozzy pointed his finger at themselves, before he and Lizzie busted out into laughter. "Sorry about that, ocker. But we are already fine with what we are" he insisted to them.

But all the nonsense ended when Gallante slammed the butt of his Zanpakutou onto the ground, catching everyone's attention. "Let us not waste any more time. Shall we go to the Negal Ruins?" he asked them and began walking, with Orihime and Chad tagging along. The two Legionarios followed them suit.

"Tch, I was wondering when we would be leaving" Belladonna remarked with sarcasm while crossing her arms. The brunette then faced her fellow Legionario and his partner, who eyed her back. "Listen you two. When we're outside, please don't disturb me while I'm doing my exercise, are we clear?" she told them sternly, making sure that they were both listening.

Ozzy simply grinned in return. "No worries, Belladonna. Me and Lizzie will use the opportunity to enjoy the dark outback we have in Hueco Mundo. We'll leave you alone" he insisted to her in return.

Sighing, Belladonna shut her eyes while looking forward to be able to do her exercise in fresh air, underneath the eternal moon.

Seeing that those two were gone, Urahara returned to his examination of the medallion, with Tessai assisting him closely. "Alright, my time in Hueco Mundo will give me an answer sooner or later. And I better hurry up, time's running short back in the Soul Society" the blonde-haired man noted while watching the screen on his computer.

* * *

 _Inside the transformed Squad 1 Barracks, the Soul Society_

The entire transformation of the Sereitei had taken Head-Captain Shunsui Kyoraku completely by surprise. He had expected the Wandenreich to attack soon and had prepared both defenses and traps for the Quncies. However, he did not expect the enemy to be attacking by using such methods.

As Shunsui and Nanao were gazing out at the transformed cityscape, they were confronted by Jugram Haschwalth, who firmly told them that the orders he was given to by his superior was to eliminate the enemy army, meaning the 13 Court Guard Squads. This only started a confrontation between the two commanders.

But before Haschwalth could officially launch an attack, he noticed that a barrier had been erected between him and the two Shinigamis. He eventually found out that it was a Kido-spell named Hakudan Keppeki, which could stop Quincy-powers only temporarily. Nevertheless, it did not stop Haschwalth from reaching the two.

"Such ignorance" the blonde-haired man remarked while holding his sword tightly. "You say that only you know this spell, and yet you haven't fully mastered it, let alone allowed other captains to learn it" he added with dissatisfaction.

Nanao only adjusted her glasses while sweating. "I never expected to be schooled by a Quincy" she noted warily while looking at her superior. "Captain, I feel that Captain Kurotsuchi's Spiritual Pressure is still intact. Somehow, Squad 12 and the researchers must still be alive, despite this transformation" she told Shunsui.

The flamboyant Shinigami only faced her with a smug smile in return. "I see" he noted smugly. "Then it was a good thing that we let him stay there. As long as we have the Department of Research and Development operational, we should be able to communicate freely with each other" he noted with satisfaction.

"And do you suppose that it will make a difference?" the two Shinigamis were interrupted by the stern voice of Haschwalth, as he was still standing with the sword in his hand. The expression on his face looked as if thing did not matter to him. "Whatever you may be planning, you cannot hope to succeed. The Sereitei has vanished. All that remains is the Wandenreich and Silbern. In this battle, we fight you at our own terms" the Sternritter Grandmaster went on explaining.

Shunsui only faced his opponent smugly. "Well, I don't know whether that makes a difference or not. But nevertheless, we are still gonna protect the Soul Society" the Shinigami in kimono declared while holding his Zanpakutous tightly.

Haschwalth was only unfazed by hearing this. "You are one, delusional Shinigami. I can see how the "so-called" Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto fell before His Majesty so easily" he spoke with venom in his voice. "Since there are only us three alone here, I may as well share with you a little secret" he then suggested.

"Like hell we will listen to you!" Nanao barked and faced Shunsui. "Captain, don't be fooled by his words, he may be…." She stopped once she saw her superior's serious glance.

"I will take care of here, Nanao. You stay behind me and watch my back" he suddenly suggested to her in a friendlier manner, and Nanao did as she was told. The head-captain then focused his attention on Haschwalth, his only eye filled with suspicion. "What do you mean by that? And don't you ever dare speak about Old Man Yama in such negative manner!" he lowly but sternly told the Quincy.

Haschwalth was still glancing at him with no remorse. "Why, is it because that you are afraid to admit to the truth? To admit that Yamamoto was nothing but a spineless fool without any moralities?" he once again spoke negatively about Shunsui's predecessor.

But instead of being pissed off at that statement, Shunsui found calm within himself and fixed a slight smirk with his mouth. "Moralities? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think you Quincies have a clue on what the word means" he told Haschwalth sarcastically.

"I believe there is no use in educating an ignorant scum like you" the blonde-haired man suggested before holding his blade up in the air and close to his face, so that his eyes could be seen. "Yes, His Majesty did win by stealing your previous leader's precious Bankai. However, as powerful and destructive Zanki no Tachi is, it pales before the true power of His Majesty" he then came up with a revelation.

Shunsui stood his ground with his lieutenant standing behind him. But while he was doing that, he briefly looked over his shoulder to feel the various Spiritual Pressures out in the transformed cityscape. He was thinking about his fellow captains, as well as the other lieutenants.

"Alright captains and lieutenants of the 13 Court Guard Squads, this is it!" Shunsui noted while returning his gaze upon Haschwalth. "Wherever you may be, stay strong…...and don't lose hope" he thought while silently praying for his subordinates.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, in an alleyway in the icy cityscape_

Three lieutenants, Shuhei Hisagi, Izuru Kira and Tetsuzaemon Iba were currently hiding in an alleyway, hoping to find a way to get a better perspective, as they were currently lost amidst this transformation. On both sides, tall, icy buildings closed in all around them.

"Damn, it's impossible to know where we are, let alone feel the Spiritual Pressure to another Shinigami!" Tetsuzaemon remarked while adjusting his sunglasses. He then looked up towards the sky. "Even now, I can barely see the sun" he added.

"That's not just it" Shuhei said. "Just listen to the entire environment. You can hear explosions and cries almost everywhere if you're out of these alleyways" he pointed out to his fellow lieutenants.

"Yeah, I have done it myself" Izuru noted and then fixed his eyes on both sides. "But we shouldn't be standing here for much longer. Sooner or later, the enemy will come searching for targets in alleyways such as this" he then told his comrades.

Before Shuhei could open his mouth, he stopped as he could hear the sound of Reishi enveloping around them. Looking at the road ahead of them, they were stunned to see a long line of Quicny archers standing there while readying their Reishi-bows, also called Heilig Bogen.

"We have targets in sight, men! Ready your arrows!" a commanding Quincy could be seen directing orders and the archers did as they were told.

"Shit! They sure are many!" Shuhei exclaimed with distress in his voice.

But Izuru had his eyes fixed on the road behind them and he was equally distressed. "Look over there! They are blocking us from both sides!" he told his comrades and they eventually got the picture by seeing another line of archers blocking the road behind them.

The three lieutenants got closer to one another by their backs while holding their Zanpakutous. "Tch, those bastards think they can overrun us by mere arrows!? Heh, I'll show them!" Tetsuzaemon exclaimed with pride.

"You're an insane fool!" Izuru lashed at him. "It's too late to act reckless now, Tetsuzaemon!" he added.

But the man with the moustache faced the blonde-haired man with a glance of his own. "Then you tell me what is right, you coward!" the machoistic Shinigami barked in return.

"Hold on tight, guys!" Shuhei suddenly shouted as he dragged the two along with him. They headed straight towards three windows on a wall and they each dived into them, thus shattering the glasses. By doing this, they had avoided the arrows that flied through the alleyway like small planes.

As they tried to brush off all the pieces of glass on their clothes, the three lieutenants quickly found themselves in a living room or some sort, with all kinds of furniture and other objects. It was a typical Western living room. But they three comrades snapped as they could hear the sound of Quincies coming from the alleyway.

"Quick! Through that door!" Izuru suddenly pointed his finger at a door standing right at the end of the living room, and the three lieutenants ran straight towards it. They slammed it wide open, only for them to see that they had now entered another alleyway, expect for the fact that was only one way in. A tall wall blocked the end of the alleyway.

"Great! Where to now?" Tetsuzaemon asked while crossing his arms.

But before they could come to a decision, they snapped by hearing another sound of Reishi being used. Turning at the only entrance, they snapped by seeing more archers blocking their way with their Heilig Bogen.

"There are more of those archers!?" Izuru exclaimed in shock by what he saw.

"We've got them cornered now! Fire at will, men!" the commanding Quincy told his subordinates.

"Through that door! Now!" Tetsuzaemon suddenly said as he pushed against a nearby door with all his strength. Luckily, it broke and the three comrades ran as quickly as they could through the entrance, eventually finding themselves in a long hallway. "Argh! This is so confusing! Where do we go know!?" he wondered while sounding stressed.

But Izuru suddenly ran straight towards the stairs at the end of the hallway. "We'll go up there, hurry!" Izuru told his comrades and they followed suit.

"Why do we need to go upwards?" Shuhei asked his comrades as he was panting.

Eventually, they reached the second floor, which was also a long hallway and had stars at its end. Izuru ran straight towards it as well. "If we can get on the rooftops, it may help us in giving a better perspective on where we are and what is happening!" the blonde-haired man told him in return as they once again walked up the stairs.

Eventually, they reached to the rooftops after walking up a final stair that lead to a single door. Once exiting, they could see high they really were on these buildings. But as soon as they stood out in the open, the three lieutenants watched themselves, wary that Quincy archers had been stationed on the roof tops as well. Surprisingly, they didn't see anything on the rooftops belonging to the nearby buildings.

Shuhei sighed deeply in relief. "Well…...we're safe…at least for now" he noted.

Izuru and Tetsuzaemon were trying to figure out where they were but it was difficult for them to get a clear shot, considering that the entire city around them was icy white, and some of the buildings resembled one another. However, they could notice a giant and imposing palace in the middle. The two were eventually joined by Shuhei.

"I can still feel how difficult it is to sense Spiritual Pressure belonging to friends and foes alike" Tetsuzaemon noted lowly while facing the icy palace. "However, from what I can see, there is no doubt in my mind that this we see is the Quincies' headquarters, I can feel it" the man with sunglasses added grimly.

"So it its true then, everything is gone, including the Squad 1 Barracks and the Sokyoku Hill" Izuru noted grimly as he got a glimpse. "Damn it, these Quincies have once again been one step ahead of us" he noted bitterly, as he still recalled the previous invasion.

"How they managed to pull it off doesn't matter to us anymore" Shuhei spoke up as his eyes narrowed in his view. "I say we use the rooftops to find our way and head straight towards that palace in the middle. Once there, we will confront the Quincy Emperor and end this madness!" he told his comrades seriously.

"Wow, that sounds like a spectacular but unlikely idea, wouldn't you agree?" the three lieutenants snapped and immediately turned around, only to find a young, black-haired girl sitting on the rooftop door like she was interested in what they were speaking off.

Shuhei brandished his Zanpakutou while facing her demandingly. "Who are you!? And how long have you been sitting there listening to us!?" he demanded an answer from the young girl, who was without a doubt, a Quincy.

The Quincy girl only sighed while standing up on her two feet. "Like, since when you first entered the rooftop. None of you bothered to notice that I was actually sitting here the entire time" she revealed to them while grinning cockily. "And as for your earlier question, I'm Sternritter E: Bambietta Basterbine" she introduced herself while standing proudly before them.

While Izuru and Shuhei remained warily of her, Tetsuzeamon quickly felt stunned when his eyes caught a glimpse of this girl. "You…." he said lowly, and suddenly pointed his finger at her directly. "You're that little brat who stole Captain Komamura's Bankai!?" he angrily lashed out at her.

However, Bambietta only raised an eyebrow at her in confusion by seeing the lieutenant's angry outburst. "What? I don't recall ever meeting someone as tasteless as you!" she remarked while commenting on Tetsuzaemon's appearance.

But the man with sunglasses gritted his teeth in anger, as fire boiled inside of him. "You fucking whore…" he cursed while brandishing his Zanpakutou. "You'll give back Captain Komamura's Bankai, or else I'll carve your eyes open!" Tetsuzaemon angrily threatened.

Bambiette was growing irritated by Tetsuzaemon's outbursts, so she began floating in the air, crossing her arms with dispassion. "You know, I really don't understand a thing you're saying! And who the hell is this Komamura-dude you keep whining about!?" she asked.

Izuru drew his Zanpakutou warily. "If what Tetsuzaemon says is true, then this girl must be carrying Kokujo Tengen Myo'o! She is one of those Sternritters who managed to steal a captain's Bankai" he noted in his thought.

"Careful! She may use the Bankai she has stolen!" Shuhei told his comrades and they all agreed on this together. The punkish Shinigami gritted his teeth in frustration. "I know that a captain should've done this, but since we accidentally stumbled upon this Sternritter, we have no choice but to fight. But we're three and she's alone. It shouldn't be a problem" he thought to himself with confidence.

Bambiette snapped in surprise by hearing what Shuhei had just said. "Wait! How did any of you know that I had stolen a Bankai!?" she angrily demanded, but eventually gave up by sighing deeply. "Well it doesn't matter. Because against three vermin like you, I don't even need to use it" she told them with confidence.

None of the lieutenants seemed to take her seriously enough. "You're getting way too cocky with us, Quincy! We three are lieutenants of the Court Guard! You should know better than to underestimate us!" Shuhei told him and suddenly held his Zanpakutou to activate his Shikai. "Reap, Kazeshini!" the black-haired man added while reading his stance.

"We will teach you how to know humility!" Izuru said while activating his Shikai. "Raise your head, Wabisuke!" the blonde-haired man activated his Zanpakutou.

Tetsuzaemon only grinned cockily and held his katana up high. "Now you will see what it means to be a part of the 13 Court Guard Squads!" he said and began calling out his Shikai belonging to his own Zanpakutou. "Brandish…Haken!" he exclaimed, finally revealing the Shikai of his mysterious Zanpakutou.

Despite being confronted by these lieutenants, Bambietta didn't necessarily seem surprised not enthusiastic about them and even mocked them by yawning at them. "You don't impress me for a minute. However, I'll make this quick and blast you all off" she told them while suddenly reaching out her hand towards the trio.

The three lieutenants stood their ground, wondering if Bambietta was attempting to launch an attack on them. Surprisingly, they could not see any Reishi come out of her hand and the young girl continued to face them smugly.

"Is she for real!?" Shuhei wondered in his head while feeling frustrated over seeing this.

But it did not take long before Bambietta began giggling with satisfaction. "Sorry Shinigamis, but this is where it ends! BOMB VOYAGE!" she told them and suddenly clenched her hand together.

Before the three lieutenants knew it, a giant explosion appeared from underneath them, and they were each sent flying towards each direction. The building they were previously standing on was almost reduced to a rubble. Bambiette was smiling by seeing her work and gradually began lowering herself down to street level.

"Heh, His Majesty gave me a Schrift, the letter E – The Explode. With this, I can create bomb of my own, as long as they're made of Reishi. Those three jackasses were probably caught by surprise when I showed them" Bambietta thought to herself with satisfaction, only to snap by realizing something. "Wait! That rude man with the sunglasses…he was with the doggie when I stole his Bankai!" she suddenly recalled seeing him during the Wandenreich's previous invasion.

In her anger, Bambietta sent a Reishi-bomb heading towards a nearby building. The young girl could not believe herself. If she had only spared Tetsuzaemon, then she would've found the whereabouts of his captain, whom she wanted to humiliate by using his Bankai.

"Damn it! I guess I better continue my search for the doggie on my own" she muttered angrily and began continued searching for Komamura's whereabouts. But she paused as she heard a familiar voice calling to her.

"There you are, Bambi. We've been looking all over for you" the young girl turned around and saw fellow female members of the Sternritters. Bambiette smiled by what she was seeing. They were Sternritter T: Candice Catnipp, Sternritter P: Meninas McAllon, Sternritter G: Liltotto Lamperd and Sternritter Z: Giselle Gewelle. "We couldn't help but to notice how angry you were" the black-haired girl named Giselle said.

Bambietta sighed in annoyance. "Spare me the bullcrap, Gigi. Now where were you girls?" she slightly demanded an answer from them.

The small girl named Liltotto pulled out the ice cream she was chewing and faced her sternly in return. "We were just searching for some Shinigamis. Don't get your panties in a twist or anything" she told Bambietta.

"But screw all this! You know all know what His Majesty just ordered us to!" the blondie named Candice told them while stretching out her arms. "Let us continue our search for enemy troops" she suggested to them.

"It's no use in getting angry here, Candy" the tall and calm-headed girl named Meninas said to her comrade. She then faced Bambietta. "Shall we go?" she asked her.

Rolling her eyes in irritation, she agreed with them. "Fine, but remember to not lose track this time, okay!?" she told them strictly and the five girly Sternritters were on their way to find more Shinigamis to kill.

But unbeknownst to Bambietta, the three Shinigamis she had just bombed were actually alive. But for Izuru, who had nearly been killed in the previous invasion, it was very critical for him to stay alive. The gloomy man with blonde hair found himself lying against a tall white wall, coughing out blood in the process.

"D-Damn it!" the Lieutenant of Squad 3 cursed while panting between his breaths. "I can't die…not just….yet!" he said stubbornly, once again coughing out blood, considering that the explosion had taken quite a toll on him.

But as Izuru slowly began moving itself, his only eye had caught something horrific stand right before him. Someone was shadowing him as he was sitting against the white wall. Izuru could not believe his eyes. "You're…." he said lowly.

"I see that you have found your way to the walls of Silbern, Izuru Kira" the voice came from none other than Yhwach himself, as he now stood before him, his mouth forming a slight smile. However, there was no hint of maliciousness in his red eyes as he was always known for. "First, you managed to survive against Bazz-B's blast and now, you have managed to survive against Bambietta's bomb. You intrigue me, young one" Yhwach surprisingly commended him.

Izuru quickly reached for his Zanpakutou, only for Yhwach to sit to his level and put a hand on his artificial shoulder. By doing so, the blonde-haired Shinigami suddenly found calm within himself, as Yhwach continued to stare at him with a proud smile.

"Do not fret, Izuru Kira. I am not here to take your soul away from you, despite your weakened condition. In fact, I am here to bestow a piece of my soul to you" the black-haired man suddenly told him and put his fingers before the blonde-haired man's face. "You have no reason to fight me, or a reason to doubt me, all that you deserve is a deep sleep. You will sleep for eternity, but when the time comes, you will awaken, this time as a new warrior…a new fighter…...a new knight. So close your eyes and sleep, because when you wake up…...all that you will see is peace" Yhwach told Izuru and surprisingly, the blonde-haired man fell into sleep, his eyes shutting completely.

The Father of the Quincies stood on his feet while smiling at the sleeping lieutenant. However, he began pointing his handpalm at Izuru, who was unable to do anything at the moment. What was Yhwach trying to pull on him?

"Sankt Traum" Yhwach said, and Izuru was suddenly transported away by magical means. The Emperor of the Wandenreich faced the battlefield he had made and narrowed his eyes. "Let us see if there are others who deserves to know the truth" he noted to himself.

* * *

 _In the Negal Ruins, in the Valle de La Salvaciòn, Hueco Mundo_

These ancient ruins were standing below the tall mountains that dotted the landscape of the Valle de La Salvaciòn. They did not have to necessarily exit the mountain to reach the ruins, but went another way in the system of tunnels. What was noticeable with these ruins were the fact that they seemed to be inspired by those of Ancient Greece and Rome. Furtermore, there was nobody to be seen, even Hollows. The Negal Ruins lied completely deserted on the mountain.

Orihime was currently sitting while drinking fresh water from El Dorado, as she was sweating from all the training she had been through. Somehow, the training had actually helped her take off all the stress on her shoulders and her spirits had somewhat been lifted. However, as she drank water, her eyes were curious fixed upon the crescent moon hanging among the black skies. It was apparent that she somehow had been taken interest by it.

But there was something else on her mind right now. "I hope you are doing okay out there, Ichigo, Uryu" she noted in her thoughts while drinking.

"Orihime" the young orange-haired woman could hear the voice of Chad as he was facing up at her from below. The tall man had also been training intensely, which would explain why he was also sweating. "Are you feeling tired? Shall we stop training for now?" he then went on asking her.

The orange-haired woman turned around to face him with a smile of her own. "Oh sorry about that, Chad. I didn't mean to make you feel worried" Orihime apologized and retunred her gaze on the environment that lied before her. "I just couldn't help but to notice how peaceful it feels here" she told him.

Chad walked up the stairs to be where she was, but he felt dumbfounded by her question. "Peaceful? We are training for war" the tall man pointed out to her.

This forced Orihime to chuckle slightly. "Well that's true but I….." the young woman was at loss of words while gazing out towards the landscape. She sighed deeply. "You know, the fact that we Humans are here in Hueco Mundo on our own free will, assisting the Arrancars, doing what we can for the Soul Society, it kind of feels peaceful to me" Orihime admitted to her friend.

Chad could not help but to feel the same way, but he was also slightly surprised to see how relieved she sounded. Therefore, he decided to ask her something. "Do you wish there could be peace?" he then asked her wondering if this was the right answer or not.

Orihime faced the ground while resting her head near her legs. "More than that, Chad. I wish it could go on forever. But I know that such thing is impossible" she told him. "But I really want all this bloodshed to stop. I don't want more lives to be wasted" she added to her explanation.

Chad had understood what his friend was trying to say. "Orihime. Even though you have found out about the history of the Interminables, as well as the true death of your parents, I notice that you refuse to let your heart be poisoned by anger. But that is unavoidable. Sometimes, all Humans does carry hatred within, but only until he or she discovers something that will change you and clear away all the hatred" the tall brown-haired man told her. Chad could not help but to smile lightly. "Even Ichigo does carry a small tint of hatred within him, but even so, he will not allow it to take control of his conscience. You may have failed to see it, but I have" he went on explaining to her.

As Orihime sat and listened closely, her thoughts drifted to her recent confrontation with Loly and Menoly. True, she did resent them for their previous actions, but she never had any desire to kill them. All that she had wanted, was to make a stand for herself and not be the usual damsel in distress. But still, a small aura of fire began burning inside of her and she felt slight determination as well.

"I am angry and upset with Captain Kuchiki for his actions, but that does not mean that I will seek his death nor will I pursue vengeance against him" Orihime suddenly revealed to Chad who was surprised by hearing this. The orange-haired woman fixed a slight smile with her mouth. "No, but I will hear everything from him and all the other captains involved in those horrific purges. Tessai was willing to ask for my forgiveness and wants to atone for his involvement, and so did Urahara. Maybe Captain Kuchiki will do the same thing. But it's too early to conclude, and I still am uncertain about his allegiances" she then explained while sharing something important with her friend.

While stunned by hearing this at first, Chad eventually formed a smile of his own. "Very well, whatever you think is best for yourself" he noted.

While the two Humans were conversing with each other, they failed to notice that Gallante could hear what they were saying, considering that his hearing was incredibly. He could hear even if he was distant from them. But he was currently sitting beneath a ruined statue and meditated. His only visible eye was shut as he did that.

"Peace" he uttered lowly. "I wish the same thing as you, Orihime Inoue" he admitted to himself while sitting in silence.

Gallante's opinion on the Humans had changed since he stumbled upon Nelliel, who was only in her child form at that time. The red-skinned Arrancar could still remember all the things little Nel had told him when they were out for a walk.

"And after Nnoitora cut Nel's mask, Nel and her brother were thrown out of Las Noches, and Lord Aizen never dared to send someone to help us" the words of little Nel came back to his mind. "Nel and her brothers were playing out in Hueco Mundo, until we met Itsygo, who was kind enough to bring Nel and her brothers back to Las Noches" the little child had told him.

At first, Gallante had been uncertain about whether to believe her story, but when Nel suddenly told her about the cut Nnoitora had given on her Hollow-shell, Gallante had decided to repair it by using his own Spiritual Pressure. With careful adjustments, the cut on Nel's Hollow-shell was gone and she quickly reverted back to her former adult form.

Once she was back and could speak maturely, Nelliel began telling the story from her own eyes. "What I previously told you is correct, Master Gallante. Aizen abandoned me when he allowed Nnoitora to do as he pleased with me. Instead, I was saved by Ichigo, who was a Human, yet he took me and my Fracciòn in as friends" Nelliel had told him while they were wondering the dunes.

Gallante remembered that he had then asked. "Even though he was the Substitute Shinigami, he never laid his Zanpakutou on you or your Fracciòn?" he had asked him with interest.

Nelliel giggled by hearing this. "Off course not. Ichigo never did that to us, he only did that to Aizen's servants, those who blindly followed him to their own doom" Nelliel had told him back then.

In fact, hearing this Ichigo Kurosaki from Nelliel reminded Gallante about someone and he reached for something underneath his cape. Pulling it out, he held a small lotus flower that had surprisingly never withered to death, despite not being watered for many millennia. The red-skinned Arrancar's only visible eye changed into that of slight sadness and he eventually shut it to prevent himself from crying.

"Haya…..you will always be remembered in my soul" Gallante said, meaning that this lotus flower had some meaning to the devilish Arrancar.

But he put away the lotus flower when he could hear a loud noise coming from the two Legionarios that were accompanying him. "Get back here you little twerp!" the angry voice of Belladonna could be heard, as she chased after Ozzy and his partner by jumping from pillars to pillars. "I told you not to disturb me!" she added to her yelling.

Ozzy panted while running from the angry brunette. "It's not my fault, Sheila! Lizzie was only playing with one of our boomerangs!" the orange-haired Arrancar told her while Lizzie found humor in this and stuck out her tongue at the brunette. He eventually fixed his eyes upon Gallante. "Hey Master Gallante! Belladonna's spewin again! Mind if you be an offsider just a second or two!?" he then asked the red-skinned Arrancar.

But Gallante only sighed in irritation and rose up from his seat to figure out a way to end this. However, he suddenly got an idea and decided to make both Arrancars stop this immaturity.

"Ozzy Namtjira and Belladonna Luisenbarn!" Gallante suddenly called out their names commandingly and they both stopped with what they were doing. Gallante held onto his Zanpakutou tightly. "You still remember how His Highness hates when Legionarios such as yourself bicker over something as stupid as this, do you not?" he reminded them. He suddenly began facing Belladonna. "And what if I were to tell your older sister about how immature you behaved out here" he pointed out to her.

Both Legionarios snapped by hearing this and immediately fell onto their knees begging their forgiveness, thus making them stop this senseless chasing.

"I sincerely apologize, Master Gallante! Please don't tell Annabelle about this, please!" she begged him while treating him with dignity and respect.

But Ozzy did not seem to be that concerned, and only gave Gallante an assuring nod in reply to his statement. "I'll behave. The honor is mine" the orange-haired Arrancar told him, before facing Lizzie annoyingly. "Hey Lizzie! You better apologize to Belladonna!" he told her sternly.

The young girl faced the brunette with her usual normal glance and Belladonna faced her in return. "Sorry about that, wowser. I was just trying to have fun with ya" Lizzie told her.

Despite hearing this, Belladonna only focused her attention somewhere. "Whatever you say, you little koala" the brunette thought as she was getting tired of those two. "I may as well start doing these exercises here alone" she then concluded.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Author's note: That was chapter 13. We have seen what Orihime and Chad going out to train while the Soul Society are dealing with their invasion. And of course, some of these scenes, like that with Orihime and Chad training by the Negal Ruins is loyal to the canon part, as is the scene with Hascwalth being blocked by the barrier. What will happen next? And by the way, considering that Tetsuzaemon's Zanpakutou is never named, I decided to give it myself. And here it is:**

 **Haken – I simply combined the Japanese words for blade and sword respectively. I came up with that by just looking at the shape of his Shikai. And the Release command is "Brandish".**

 **We also saw Yhwach do something very unusual to Izuru, who was once again near his deathbed. What happened there? Yhwach even performed a unique technique that is completely original to this story.**

 **Sankt Traum – German for "Saint Dream": Somehow, Yhwach can transport someone to another location. But where did he take Izuru?**


	14. Ministry of Lost Souls

**Author's note: This chapter was inspired by a song from Dream Theatre with the same name. I'm sure you have heard it. It's a long, but fantastic song. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Ministry of Lost Souls**

 _Inside Urahara's tent, El Dorado, Hueco Mundo_

"Are you sure, you're ready, boss?" Tessai asked his longtime friend, as he was now carrying a basket with him as if he was going somewhere.

Urahara faced his longtime friend and smiled cunningly. "I sure am! My time here in Hueco Mundo has given me an answer to how to return the stolen Bankais" the laid-back Shinigami said and reached something for his pockets. He then held small black pills in his palm for Tessai and the others to see. "These pills allow Hollow Reishi to infuse with the soul it comes into contact with. I call them Shin'eiyaku. When the captains take those, their Bankais should be Hollowfied, but only temporarily. I have been careful not to put in too much Hollow Reishi in these pills. I don't wanna turn them into complete Hollows" the blonde-haired man explained.

While Tessai was stunned to hear it at first, he eventually came to a realization and faced his friend with a slight smile underneath his moustache. "I now see the what you've planned. And I get it now. If these Quincies are able to steal a Shinigami's Bankai….." he then spoke up cunningly.

Urahara nodded at him in return. "They should be able to steal an Arrancar's Resurrecciòn as well. But from what I have discovered from seeing those in service of the Wandenreich, none of them have had their Resurrecciòns taken away. I believe you remember the rest" the blonde-haired man told Tessai who nodded his head in return.

"Off course I know, how can I forget?" he said while adjusting his glasses. "Then I will stay here with Jinta, Tessai, Orihime and Chad and wait for your call" he then told him.

The laid-back Shinigami smiled and then fixed his eyes upon Riruka Dokugamine and Yukio Hans Voralberna, who rose from their seats to join up with him. "Okay, you two. We'll leave Hueco Mundo shortly. But once we're inside the Garganta, you will do what we talked about, yes?" he informed the two Fullbringers about their plans and what they agreed on.

Riruka only huffed in anger and crossed her arms. "Fine. But remember, I'm only doing this out of self-preservation, not to help the Soul Society!" the magenta-haired girl said in return.

"Same here, only that I simply wish to not wanna fight" the blonde-haired boy with the suitcase spoke up. "Anyway, are we going or what?" Yukio then asked.

Urahara nodded and used tapped on some buttons on his computer, something which made a small Garganta appear inside the tent, although it was relatively little compared to a normal Garganta.

"This is a small Garganta that should be able to take us all in" Urahara told the two Fulbringers and then fixed his eyes upon Tessai and the two teenagers. "You three take care now while I'm gone. And remember, don't do anything stupid while here in El Dorado. We all know that we'd prefer dealing with Yamamoto instead of Allowin" he suddenly reminded them.

Ururu saluted to him in return. "We will do our best! Be careful out there, boss!" the meek girl said in return.

"Yeah…...whatever" Jinta replied with little enthusiasm as he was crossing his arms. But Tessai did not welcome his tone and proceeded to bang the red-haired boy's head with his fist. "EYOUCH! WHAT THE HELL, BUTTHOLE!?" he angrily asked Tessai.

Urahara only mused by seeing his group and he decided to enter the small Garganta. "Farewell, friends. Until we meet again" he told them, as he, Riruka and Yukio disappeared through the Garganta, as it eventually shut.

This left Tessai and the two teenagers alone in the tent with Ururu facing the tanned-skinned man with slight concern. "You think the boss will be okay?" she asked him.

Tessai faced her with his fancy glasses. "I am confident that he will, Ururu. There are no Quincies lurking inside these Gargantas, and the boss has just the perfect method of entering the Soul Society while being inside" he assured her.

While he was doing that to Ururu, Jinta was rubbing the bump on his head, having been given that thanks to Tessai. At the same time, he watched Tessai reassurance with less than enthusiasm. But despite feeling that way towards them, he still couldn't help but to worry about what his boss' plans were, especially since he had decided to head back to the Soul Society. He had also wondered about what he and Ururu could do, since they had both found out that they were Interminables.

"Just don't screw up with whatever plans you have, boss! I still have something I wanna enjoy in my own lifetime" he thought about Urahara.

But Tessai and the two teenagers could suddenly hear someone entering the tent, as Orihime and Chad had returned from their training. The three seemed happy to see them again.

"I'm so glad that you returned" Tessai told them while fixing a brief smile underneath his moustache. "The boss just left alongside the two Fullbringers" he then revealed to them, much to their surprises.

But Chad eventually showed understanding with a nod. "So Urahara is headed for the Soul Society? Good. The Court Guard could have great need of his assistance" the tall brown-haired man said in return.

"Yes. However, as soon as the boss gives us a call, we are to head to the Soul Society without delay. Who knows, when we arrive, Ichigo may as well be on the battlefield as well" Tessai revealed to them while hinting to Ichigo.

Orihime smiled lightly by hearing this, as she felt like seeing him again. True, she had missed the young hotheaded but good-natured man, who had previously rescued her from Aizen's clutches. "Yes…I also hope we get to see Ichigo" the orange-haired woman admitted to those around her.

But all of a sudden, a whistle could be heard from outside the tent, as they knew that somebody was standing outside. But that was not all. "Wow, you Asian folks sure hold this "Ichigo" in high regard, don't ya?" that voice belonged to the paragon named Tirrador Webster, as he was now entering the tent like he owned it. The gang before him only glanced at the Arrancar with dumbfounded looks. "What? Oh, I get it! Konnichiwa! Konbanwa! Whatever you guys say when somebody enters. Or is it okaerinasai?" the young paragon then quizzed while speaking some words in Japanese.

However, Tessai was not impressed. "How long have you been listening to us?" he asked sternly while having his arms crossed.

But Tirrador only waved a hand at him whimsically in return. "Easy there tough-guy. I just happened to spot both this tall Mexican-dude and that…" he suddenly stopped when noticing how busty Orihime's appearance was up close. This caused Tirrador to whistle in amazement once again. "Damn…besides from being Japanese, you look hot as shit! I mean, are those tits even real!?" he suddenly exclaimed out of the blue, much to everyone's outrage.

Orihime did not if she should've laughed or slapped at Tirrador for his comment, but it made her feel somewhat uncomfortable. But Jinta suddenly confronted Tirrador, his expression that of anger.

"I don't care about who you are, but you have no right to speak to Orihime like that you arrogant….." the red-haired boy suddenly stopped moving and snapped, as he could almost feel a dagger near his throat. The young Arrancar smirked while holding another dagger in his right hand. The two daggers functioned as his Zanpakutous.

"Uh, uh, uh, no need to be all aggressive, little man! Doing that against someone like me would be a fatal mistake on your part" Tirrador pointed out while Jinta slightly twitched by hearing his taunting. But the black-skinned Arrancar eventually lowered his dagger by Jinta's throat and the young boy breathed out a sigh in relief. However, Tirrador was finding entertainment in this. "Relax little street boy, I'm under no authority to kill you" he insisted and was about to exit, only for him to stop and quickly turn around and point a finger at the group. "But that doesn't mean that I have to like you bunch of ass-sniffers! See ya!" he called out and then left.

The whole group could not understand what his deal was, as they had never expected a member of the infamous Dechados to be THIS overly immature, sarcastic and xenophobic. But they tried their best to brush off what he had told them as he seemed to be more of a prankster than a paragon.

Tirrador was on his way to the markets, until he could sense a very familiar Spiritual Pressure lurk behind him. Sighing deeply, he turned around and faced Zeppelin Webster, a cousin of his, as well as one of the captains in the Ojos. The Arrancar with twisted long hair and shades only did a pistol sign at him in return.

"Hey there, cuz! How's it goin'?" he asked in a laidback manner, although Tirrador seemed less than pleased to see him. Even so, Zeppelin let out a cocky chuckle in return. "Always so smug. What were you doing over at that tent, anyway?" he noted and suddenly asked his cousin.

"I happened to drop one of my daggers near the Conociomento, so I went over there to pick it up" Tirrador answered as simple. But he could still see Zeppelin forming a smug smile, much to his annoyance. "Fine, I just wanted to get a closer look on those outsiders, since I've heard both Nelliel and Harribel talk much about them" he then admitted to the truth.

Zeppelin whistled in amazement. "Wow, it sure is weird for someone like you to be curious about strangers like them, especially since you basically dislike anything…Asian" he remarked while pointing it out to Tirrador.

Tirrador sighed once again. "You're just beginning to sound annoying as Ozzy and Violetta, and by that, I mean it" he noted with slight distaste. But the afro-haired Arrancar decided to change the subject. "Anyway, aren't you supposed to be on guard duty?" he suddenly quizzed Zeppelin.

"I am, but since Rudhornn is away on an important affair, I've been charged with patrolling this district, you know, until he gets back" the young Arrancar told him in return and adjusted his shades. "I don't know the reason, but from what Commander Borddum have told us, all citizens who were once loyal to Aizen have been asked for an important meeting with His Highness himself. That's the only thing I heard" he went on explaining the reason.

Hearing all this made Tirrador only shrug his shoulders and he gave his cousin a respective nod. "Well, I better go see what Ozzy and Violetta is up to. See you around" the afro-haired Arrancar proceeded walking before vanishing before Zeppelin's sight using Sonido.

Seeing his cousin disappearing, Zeppelin only lifted up his shades and raised an eyebrow. However, he soon let out a chuckle. "Even though he's a Dechado, he still has a long way to go before becoming like one, on a physiological basis that is" he noted to himself.

* * *

 _In the icy cityscape, inside the transformed Sereitei, Soul Society_

Toshiro Hitsugaya, the wise and bold captain of Squad 10 was now on his deathbed. When the Sternritter H – The Heat: Bazz-B began burning loya Shinigamis to a crisp, both him and Rangiku rose up to challenge him by using a new form for tactics. By creating ice in vacuums thanks to the combined efforts of his Zanpakutou Hyorinmaru and Rangiku's Zanpakutou Haineko, they were surprisingly able to stand against the aggressive Sternritter, but not for long.

As impressive as his newfound tactics was, it was no match against the destructive Reishi-fire belonging to Bazz-B. But before the punkish Quincy could continue to torture him, Sternritter I – The Iron: Cang Du interrupted his fight and asked that he's be the one to deliver the final blow. Bazz-B stubbornly refused at first, but when Cang reminded him of Yhwach's orders, that only those Sternritters who had stolen Bankais could execute the Shinigami captains, the Quincy with Mohawk reluctantly agreed to step aside. Cang then began confronting Toshiro, even demonstrating his intent on finishing him off by throwing Rangiku to the ground beside him. The strawberry-haired woman had somehow been badly injured by Cang while she was floating up in air.

But as Cang used Toshiro's Bankai: Daiguren Hyorinmaru before the white-haired boy's eyes, he thought all was lost, until he managed to grab one of Urahara's handmade Shin'eiyaku, which enabled him achieve his Bankai back. The reason for that was because since the Bankai had become affected with Hollows, it would be nothing but poison to Cang, because everything that was composed of a Hollow, was nothing but poison to Quincies, as they could never Hollowfy like Shinigamis could.

Cang was caught in surprise by this and he stood up to confront the young captain, who had been given back his strength thanks to Daiguren Hyorinmaru. Using what he had learned during the intense training, Toshiro created a giant frozen cross, with Cang being stuck in the middle. Toshiro lied beside his lieutenant, as he believed that he had defeated the Sternriter, but he was all wrong.

A pale light began glowing inside the frozen cross and to Toshiro's own despair, Cang was still alive and he was furious over being humiliated like this.

"Insolent whelp! Did you think that you could best me because of you re-possessing your Bankai!?" Cang yelled and noticed that both Toshiro and Rangiku no longer had strength to resist his attack. The black-haired man saw this as an opportunity for retribution. "I will have your head, Toshiro Hitsugaya!" Cang shouted as he flew towards the pair in all his furiousness.

Toshiro watched this with great despair as he knew that this was the end of both him and Rangiku. But as the young white-haired boy shut his azure eyes, a great shadow began enveloping all over him. He could feel an enormous amount of Spiritual Pressure, and it did not come from Cang, he knew it.

Slowly opening his eyes, the fatally weakened Captain of Squad 10 was in shock over seeing Yhwach standing before him and Rangiku while blocking Cang's attack. The young captain was at loss for words, but he was not the only one to feel this way.

The moment Cang saw his liege block his attack, his heart stung. "Your M-Majesty…." Those were the only words the Sternritter could come up with as he faced his superior with widened eyes. "W-Why are you…" he once again spoke up lowly.

Yhwach only glanced at his underling with dispassion. "Lower your weapons, Cang Du" he slowly but firmly commanded him and Cang did it without hesitation. The black-haired man was still feeling uneasy about what Yhwach was up too, yet he only stared at him as if the Sternritter had done something wrong. "Allowing your emotions to get the best of you. I must say that I am disappointed, considering that you were always so calm, even in battle" he then went on scolding the Sternritter, who only stood and listened carefully. "Now you may leave us alone and return to Silbern. I will deal with you once I get back there" the emperor strictly told him.

"But Your Majesty, you are in a warzone! Standing alone with these Shinigamis is too risky for you! How about I…." Cang's words fell on deaf ears as Yhwach angrily lashed out at his underling.

"Do not question my decisions, misguided fool! Now return to Silbern and wait for your punishment!" Yhwach barked and Cang quickly did so without hesitation and use Hirenkyaku to disappear from the roof top they were all standing in. With him gone, Yhwach slowly turned around and looked at the white-haired captain and the dying lieutenant with a surprisingly pleased expression. "I know all about you, Toshiro Hitsugaya" the black-haired man told him.

Toshiro was very uncertain about what to do. This was the same man who had almost decimated the Sereitei, as well as murdered Yamamoto in cold blood. And yet, he was now standing before him and Rangiku, having just saved them from certain death. But why? Confusion consumed the white-haired boy's thoughts, as he began facing the ground

"I…..I hate to say this…..but I must thank you" Toshiro said lowly, yet bitterly. He the lifted up his head to face Yhwach with anger. "Just stop this torture and kill us already!" he angrily commanded him, his eyes slowly streaming with tears of despair.

Yhwach only glanced at him with a slightly raised eyebrow. "You wish to die in such a shameful way?" he asked the Captain of Squad 10, before crossing his arms to demonstrate his disapproval of such. "I am afraid that I have to refuse your request" the emperor then answered plainly.

Toshiro could not help but to feel anger boil inside of him, as he felt tired of being tortured like this, let alone treated like an injured animal. "Quit bullshitting with me…" Toshiro spoke lowly, tears still streaming from his eyes. "Why do you treat me like a child!?" he then angrily demanded.

"Treating you like a child? Preposterous!" Yhwach suddenly spoke up and faced the young captain with a mild-mannered smile. "I can never forgive myself if I kill a heavenly guardian like you, Toshiro Hitsugaya" he then revealed, much to Toshiro's surprise, as the young boy felt stunned by what he just heard.

"A heavenly…guardian?" Toshiro lowly uttered, as his thoughts drifted to the past, when he had once clashed blades with the former Captain of Squad 3: Gin Ichimaru. He then recalled what he told fellow captains at numerous times. The azure-eyed boy faced Yhwach with slight curiosity. "What is a…...heavenly guardian?" he then asked the emperor.

"Yes, young one. You are the true reincarnation of the heavenly guardian that has existed since the birth of all living things in this world, since the ages of the Soul King" Yhwach revealed to him, going as far as to sit down to Toshiro's level. Even though the young boy felt the urge to swing his Zanpakutou, he could not obey, as his mind was completely focused on what the Emperor of the Wandenreich was telling him. "You have always desired to become the heavenly guardian in it's true form and I see that you carry great potential. Therefore, I will bestow a part of my soul to both you and her. Even your lieutenant show promise" the emperor then told him

As much as Toshiro wanted to open his mouth to protest, he remained silent, and did that as Yhwach reached out his fingers across his face. Once he did that, the young captain managed to open his mouth, only to ask a question lowly. "What will you do to me?" he then wondered, feeling himself calmer in the process.

Yhwach was still smiling by seeing him finding his inner peace. "You have no reason to fight me, or a reason to doubt me, all that you deserve is a deep sleep. You will sleep for eternity, but when the time comes, you will awaken, this time as a new warrior…a new fighter…...a new knight. So close your eyes and sleep, because when you wake up…...all that you will see is peace" he explained and all of a sudden, the young boy fell into eternal sleep, his eyes shut completely.

Standing up on his two feet, Yhwach eventually looked over to Rangiku's body, which he could notice was on the verge of death. However, he had other plans for her and was now facing both lying bodies. "I will make you the better knights than you ever were as pets of Yamamoto. Even you have potential to become something great, Rangiku Matsumoto, as you had managed to brave against starvation. For that I will be honored to let you become my knights! Sankt Traum!" Yhwach declared and both bodies were transported away.

Seeing how the battlefield was ongoing Yhwach looked upon the horizon and could see fires and ashes rising up towards the skies. All of this made him amused and he even took a glance at the sky, realizing that night had not arrived yet. But Ywach's thoughts was interrupted by a giant figure made of Reishi standing amidst the icy cityscape. By seeing this, Yhwah was filled with satisfaction.

"Nightfall has not arrived yet, therefore I have still enough time to open one's eyes to the truth before going to sleep" he said to himself and vanished with the help of his Hirenkyaku.

But not far from him, Bazz-B had been watching Yhwach's actions and he was only leaning against a tower with his arms crossed. While being a member of the Sternritters, Bazz-B was not necessarily blindly loyal to Yhwach. The punkish Quincy then proceeded to move out, searching for opponents to kill.

"Tch, what a giant pain in my ass" Bazz-B muttered angrily to himself. "Always thinking he's such a bigshot, the "so-called" almighty Yhwach. Pfft…dipshit!" he added to his opinion of Yhwach.

* * *

 _Not far from the walls of Silbern_

Bambietta Basterbine had been causing havoc for the Shinigamis, and Captains Shinji Ikari and Sajin Komamura had stepped up to end her rampage. But with Komamura repossessing his Bankai, Bambietta had lost Kokujo Tengen Myo'o, but this did not mean she was giving up so easily.

In fact, when the Sternritters possessed a Bankai, they were unable to perform a Quincy: Vollständig, their strongest equivalent to a Shinigami's Bankai. With the stolen Bankais retunred to their former owners, the Sternritters were then able to perform a Quincy: Vollständig as they pleased. And that happened with Bambietta.

Bambiette had now unleashed her own Quincy: Vollständig called Syrisen, which to the Quincies' won language meant Bomb of God. She then proceeded to toy with her opponents, until Komamura bravely stood his ground and allowed Shinji and Momo to recover their injuries. One of Bambietta's Reishi-bombs had managed to hit Komamura's helmet and when it exploded, the young girl had hoped to see the captain's infamous lupine face, but that did not happen.

Instead, she was treated to view Komamura's humanoid form, but that was not just it. The there was a hole inside his chest and it looke as if his own heart was gone. But even though Komamura resembled a Human, he still possessed some tints of his original form, like his furry ears.

Bambietta was disappointed in seeing Komamura's new look and she decided to simply attack him, only for the newly-transformed captain to use his Bankai, although it was a slightly different Bankai. This was the type of Bankai he could only use while using Humanification: Kokujo Tengen Myo'o Dangai Joe.

As Bambietta attacked the giant with her bombs, considering that she knew how Komamura's Bankai functioned, she could see that none of them inflicted injuries upon the giant, let alone Komamura, considering that those two were moving as one. She even tried to attack the hole in the giant's chest, but even so, Komamura was still unfazed.

"You cannot harm me with those bombs. My Bankai is now compeltey composed of Reishi" Komamura told her sternly and looked up to face the young Quincy girl. "As long as I am in this Humanification, I am immortal and cannot be killed" he then added to his explanation.

Hearing this only made Bambietta irritated and frustrated. "You're not talking any sense! What's the point of throwing your life away when you're already dead!? You're also throwing away your chance of winning!" the young Sternritter told the captain, who was still glaring up at her with his stern eyes.

"Apparently, you misunderstand!" Komamura suddenly stated and readied his fighting stance, with his giant doing the same thing. "I did not throw away my life, I put it at stake, just as Yamamoto did it before me. Furthermore, the moment I entered this battlefield….." Komamura suddenly jumped up, with the giant following suit. "I ALREADY LEFT MY LIFE BEHIND!" he exclaimed with anger as he then proceeded to charge at Bambietta.

The young Sternritter was now seeing fear in her eyes over seeing her opponent gaining up close to her. However, there was something in her expression that seemed very unusual to her. When she saw Komamura come after her, she suddenly revealed something over her halo called Heiligenschein. It was something that was enslaving all Reishi around her.

Bambiette fixed an evil grin as she faced Komamura. "You left your life behind, you say?" she asked her before revealing him the Sklaverei. "THEN ALLOW ME TO MAKE YOUR SACRIFICE GO IN VAIN!" she yelled as she let the Sklaverei face Komamura and his giant.

"What is that ability!?" Komamura wondered while he was up in the air. But he suddenly felt pain inside his arms and looked up, only to see that the giant was gradually losing parts of his skin to Bambietta's ability. "No….it cannot be! How is this possible!?" he wondered in outrage.

Bambietta fixed a cunning glance upon her shocked opponent. "Our experiment in Hueco Mundo was a success" Bambietta noted while watching Komamura's reaction. "As all of you may know, we Quincies do rely on Reishi in combat. However, we will need to gather the Reishi in order for us to prepare! The Sklaverei allows its user to enslave whatever Reishi it can come across, even living beings like you!" she added to her explanation while enjoying seeing Komamura in distress.

"Damn her!" Komamura cursed while trying to avoid fully engaging her. "She is not just absorbing the enviorment around her! She's even aborbing…ME!" he noted in his thoughts.

"I must thank you for informing me about this intriguing form of your giant, Sajin Komamura!" Bambietta spoke up, finally addressing the captain by name instead of doggie. She then fixed a maddened look on her formerly cute face. "To think that someone as mighty as you would willingly give away his life for the sake of some selfish and ignorant weakling like Yamamoto! You're nothing but a dog on a leash and I will spit on your grave, as will the rest of us!" she then added with hateful remarks directed at Komamura.

The proud captain of Squad 7 could no longer bare to stand and hear all this hatred. So in his anger, he headed straight towards Bambietta, who was shocked by his resolve and tried to launch an explosion at him. But Komamura's Bankai hit her directly and it forced the bomb back into her, thus sending her flying far away from him.

Eventually Komamura landed onto the ground and so did the giant behind him. Suddenly, he could see something lying straight ahead of him: Silbern! In his anger, Komamura slowly walked directly towards the icy palace, while feeling the entire body taking a toll on him as he moved.

"Humanification! Please last as little longer!" Komamura pleaded as he could feel his power expire. "I must defeat him! I must defeat Yhwach!" he said to himself with determination.

But as he continued moving on, he could feel his entire body slowly returning to his original werewolf form. As he stood and watched himself reverting back, familiar voices invaded his thoughts. "Your time is up, Sajin" the voice belonging to his great-grandfather said.

Komamura only stood and listened. "So this is it? This is the price for revenge?" he asked to himself.

"Yes Sajin, revenge is what our clan stands for and you finally came back" the voice of his great-grandfather invaded his thoughts once again, this time sounding more cunning. "You once told a fellow captain that revenge is nothing but something that makes no one satisfied. Isn't that what you're feeling right now?" he then added.

Komamura then recalled what his former friend Kaname Tousen had done, as he too had been focused by revenge. Was he and Tousen beginning to look similar to one another? He began thinking while lying onto the ground in his lupine form.

The voice of his great-grandfather chuckled. "Your life as a Human will end, and you will only end up becoming nothing more than a vengeful beast. Until the moment that happens, wallow in rage. Curse the world. Writhe in the throes of your vengeful heart. I will drink of your deep black hatred and it will sustain me once more. Ah, Sajin. Little Sajin. I must thank you for doing this for me. Thank you for struggling until you become a dumb beast all for my sake" he then thanked him as his voice finally left his thoughts.

As he was lying onto the ground, completely emotionless, Komamura could only reflect on all his decisions that he had made as a captain. He could not help but to compare himself to Tousen as he was drifting into thoughts. "Is this the same feeling I had told Kaname not to embrace when he was lost?" he began wondering. "What was my intention on revenge?" he then wondered.

But all of a sudden, his lieutenant: Tetsuzaemon Iba approached his superior and picked up his body. "No captain. You are not wrong to feel this way. Now let's go beat that bastard Yhwach…for Genryu….." the lieutenant stopped speaking as both he and his captain could feel an enormous amount of Spiritual Pressure approach them. This eventually made Tetsuzaemon fall onto his knees and Komamura was dropped beside him. "Shit! I can't….move!" the man with sunglasses cursed while sweating.

Eventually the two comrades could raise their heads and see whose Spiritual Pressure it belonged to. They were all stunned as they could see Yhwach slowly approach them with small steps. He only glanced at them with an empty gaze.

"IT'S….." Tetsuzaemon angrily gritted his teeth and reached for his Zanpakutou, eventually standing on his feet and charged at the Father of the Quincies. "YOU WILL DIE, BASTARD!" the man with moustache shouted and was about swing Haken, only for him to stop.

"No…...Tetsuzaemon!" Komamura said with shock as he watched Yhwach's Reishi-sword piece through the lieutenant's stomach. The long-haired man pulled out his sword and proceeded to walk towards Komamura, who growled in return. "Why have you come here!? Do you seek to finish me off personally!?" the captain demanded from Yhwach.

"Is that all that you have to say?" Yhwach suddenly asked the captain. "Look at you now. Sajin Komamura, once a proud captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads, only to be reduced to…..this" he then spoke up.

Komamura growled at him. "Don't speak as if you know me! I curse your name until my dying breath!" he hit back at the emperor.

"You would throw away your potential for the sake of an ignorant fool, only to be deceived by your own kind!?" Yhwach then asked him while crossing his arms. "I guess this is what has become of the great-grandson of the mighty Inugami Komamura. You are nothing like him" the Quincy then remarked.

The wolfman's eyes widened in shock. "You know….my great-grandfather's name!?" he asked in disbelief.

Yhwach only smiled smugly at him in return. "Why, yes. How can I possibly forget one of the captains from the Court Guard's First Generation?" he asked, but could see how Komamura was only stunned to hear this. "You never knew, did you? You never realized that Inugami Komamura was the first captain of what would later become Squad 7, just like what you became generations later. You were not the only wolfman in Soul Society's history to become a captain, your great-grandfather did that eons ago, serving alongside Yamamoto" the long-haired man then went on explaining.

Komamura began thinking to the time he had spent with his great-grandfather and the things he had just said to him when he was reverting back to his wolfman form. But he had known his great-grandfather to be a stubborn fool, but never to be a former member of the 13 Court Guard Squads.

"I don't believe it" Komamura lowly spoke up, before facing Yhwach with a glance of defiance. "I don't believe a word you say! Why should I ever trust words coming out from a man who wants to destroy anything!?" he added to his rejection.

But Yhwach was only left unfazed by Komamura's rejection. "I see that you still refuse to see the truth. Therefore, I shall make you see it!" Yhwah declared with a smile and suddenly aimed both hand palms at Komamura. "Sankt Wahrheit!" he exclaimed and all of a sudden, the Quincy cross began drawing itself underneath Komamura and eventually it began glowing and the captain was unable to make a move as his body disappeared.

"Damn you…" Yhwach suddenly turned around to face Tetsuzaemon brandishing his Zanpajutou, even though he was seriously injured. "What the hell did you do to Captain Komamura!?" he angrily demanded, coughing out chunks of blood.

Yhwach only glanced at the man with sunglasses with less than enthusiasm. "Your stubbornness have so far proven to me that you are a nuisance, Tetsuzaemon Iba" the emperor noted before forming a slight smirk underneath his mustache. "Nevertheless, I have a feeling that your stubbornness has potential" he remarked smugly.

Tetsuzaemon angrily charged at Yhwach. "You will die, bastard!" he shouted, only for Yhwach to point his palms at him as well.

"Sankt Wahrheit!"" Yhwach shouted once again, and the Quincy Cross appeared underneath the machoistic Shinigami, who was not fast enough to avoid the spell he was casting. But as Tetsuzaemon stood still, Yhwach only glanced at him with a cunning smile. "Since you and your captain refuse to grasp the truth, I have no choice but to force it through you. Once you have learned the truth, your minds will finally be at peace!" the long-haired man explained as he watched the lieutenant disappear from his view.

Feeling satisfied, Yhwach headed straight back to Silbern, feeling that the night was soon arriving in the Soul Society. That would be perfect for him to return.

* * *

 _High above El Dorado, inside the majestic palace of Esperanza, Hueco Mundo_

Augustus Zod Allowin, Annabelle Luisenbarn and Xerrxes Reraux had brought with them a group of Arrancars formerly in service of Aizen to the highest point of Esperanza. That group included Nelliel, Harribel, Grimmjow, Yammy, Rudhornn and some members of their Fracciòn. They were now standing before a giant door which was covered in many locks, thus making it impossible for them to enter. How they had managed to get there was simple. Apparently, there was a secret passageway behind Allowin's giant throne. It led them to a corridor and they had to go up some stairs. Finally, they reached this peculiar door so tall, yet so old.

Allowin faced the group he had gathered with a slight smile, although he looked kind of sad with that expression of his. "Listen here, former servants of Sosuke Aizen. All of you have done the Imperio de Hierro a great service by renouncing your previous alliances, as well was worked up to gain my trust. Since all of you have gained my trust, I am willing to show you…...the most peaceful place in all of Hueco Mundo" the ancient Arrancar revealed to them with his booming voice.

Everyone in the group stood and listened closely with surprised glances. The emperor then proceeded to use his hand palms to open the giant door that was tightly secured. Everybody watched as the many locks on the door quickly disappeared, thanks to Allowin's power.

"It is finally time, brothers and sisters" Annabelle said while facing the group with a gentle smile of her own. "Behind this door lies the answer to the existence of us Arrancars and how we were able to attain the powers we have now" the elderly woman revealed to them all.

As soon as the locks had disappeared, the giant door opened and bright light emerged from the opened doorway. The Arrancars had never expected such bright light, and they covered their eyes for a brief moment. But as soon as they became used to the light, the group of Arrancars followed the emperor and the two paragons out and they were all stunned to see what they had entered.

"What is…..this?" Harribel asked lowly as she and her fellow Arrancars could feel that they were walking on snow.

The entire group had entered a place in Hueco Mundo, where there were actually snowing! They even realized that they had entered a vale, where they could see fields of snow, as well as mountains surrounding it all. The weather was cloudy and it was snow everywhere. But that was not all. They could see naked trees, both large and small ones. These trees resembled those that existed in the endless dunes of Hueco Mundo, but these on the other hand were pristine white, as ice itself.

Nelliel suddenly felt a snowflake land on her noose and she began sticking her tongue out to feel them. It was nothing like she had ever experienced before. She tried her best to catch a snowflake with her tongue, although they melted quickly.

"They taste like water" she noted in her thoughts.

"Hey Dondochakka, check this out!" Pesche suddenly asked his partner, as he had made a snowball. The goofy Arrancar decided to do something mischievously, so he threw his snowball at Apacci, thus hitting her on her forehead.

The blue-haired Arrancar got pissed. "Hey, what the hell did you do that for!?" she angrily demanded while her fellow Fracciòn stood at her side.

"As for calling Mila Rose a shemale without a manhood, you ugly fatass!" Pesche hit back, causing Apacci to fume with anger, while Mila Rose felt her cheeks blush.

Sung-Sun had to admit that it was funny, as she tried to cover her laugh by her sleeves, but it was impossible and her laugh could be heard. Apacci noticed this and angrily lashed at her. "Quit laughing!" she commanded her, but suddenly felt another snowball, only this time, it hit her butt.

The one who had thrown it was Dondochakka, who bursted out into laughter along with Pesche. "She really does have a big butt" he remarked and both goofy Arrancars laughed once again.

But Grimmjow did not find the antics hilarious, so he only scoffed by seeing this. "Tch…idiots. I'm glad that my Fracciòn are gone" he lowly muttered underneath his breath and proceeded to join up with Annabelle and Xerrxes. "Is this what you wanted to show us?" he asked them with a slight disappointed tone.

Xerrxes only glanced at him sternly. "Have a care, Grimmjow Jeagerjacquez! This place is valuable to El Dorado than anything in Hueco Mundo!" he firmly told him.

But Allowin suddenly approached the Dechados and looked down at the blue-haired Legionario, who seemed rather impatient. "There is no reason for you to act so impatiently, young one. We are now standing on the top of the cloudy mountaintops we can see in the Valle de La Salvaciòn" he told Grimmjow, as the other Arrancars began gathering behind the hotheaded Legionario to listen. "This place is the place where it all started…...where we Arrancars began to take shape…..this is….La Escarcha" the ancient Arrancar said as he slowly began taking steps towards the other end of the vale.

The group of Arrancars followed him, until they reached a frozen crater lying at the end of the mountain. But before the crater, an altar with two obelisks standing on each side could be spotted and Allowin slowly began walking up the steps, with his followers tagging along. Once they reached the top of the altar, they could look down to the empty crater.

"That giant crater is…empty" Harribel noted.

"You are correct" Annabelle suddenly said and faced the rest of the group. "The reason this crater is empty is because that it was once filled with something" she told them.

Nelliel's eyes suddenly widened in realization. "Wait…...was there once water flowing inside that crater?" she suddenly asked both her and Xerrxes.

The black-skinned Arrancar nodded his head at her answer and faced the mountain that was standing right before the crater, eventually lifting his gaze. "It was more than just that, my friend. Eons ago, a wondrous waterfall ran down right on this spot. It was wonderful, with its waters pristine and clean" the paragon went on explaining.

Suddenly, Allowin sighed deeply as he fell onto his knees, much to everyone's confusion. Both Annabelle and Xerrxes rushed to his side, wondering if there was something wrong. "I am fine….I just need time to reflect" the ancient Arrancar spoke up as he faced the curious group of Arrancars. He actually fixed a slight smile at them. "This is the place, young ones. This is the true birthplace of Arrancars. They became born when Hollows like us drank from the water that came from this waterfall. The water was not just any ordinary water. It was clean, and filled with comfort and happy tones" he went on explaining to them and once again fixed his gaze at the mountain before them. "Because of what the water did to us…we gave them a name…the Vida" he revealed to them.

All the Arrancars once in service of Aizen could only stare down and face the crater that had once been filled with water, as well as life. But something did not make sense. If the Vida had been the one to create the Arrancars, then how was Aizen able to do the same? There had to be an answer to that particular question.

Yammy was only scratching the top of his head, as he was sort of getting confused by seeing this. "If this used to be a waterfall, then how come it suddenly dried up?" he suddenly asked the emperor.

But as the oafish Arrancar just asked him, a sad melodic tune could be heard and it came as the winds blew through the mountains. In fact, the emperor, along with Annabelle and Xerrxes stood up, closing their eyes as they felt the winds. Eventually, Allowin's shut eyes had tears streaming down to this elderly cheek. And to the group of Arrancar's surprise, a female singing voice could be heard, as it was the winds that were singing. They almost sounded like nymphs.

"The Vida was defiled…by one man and one man alone…someone who had the nerve to strike at the sanctuary of the lost and misguided souls" Allowin said and wiped off his tears. "The one who had corrupted the Vida…...was Yhwach!" he replied, his voice sounding that of anger. And as he just answered, thunder began rumbling in the cloudy skies. The ancient Arrancar then faced the rumbling skies, his eyes filled with anger. "I have never forgotten my duty to avenge our fallen brothers and sisters, who perished during the War of the Three Souls. And when the time is right…..we shall battle the Wandenreich and I shall personally combat Yhwach and make him pay for what he did! He has now unleashed the fury of the oppressed and lost!" Allowin declared angrily, his Spiritual Pressure gradually rising.

Most of those standing around him were afraid of him releasing his power out of anger, but this time, he did not. However, they could feel that the winds blew stronger and thunder began rumbling in a faster pace, as they did that as long as Allowin was feeling angered. But eventually, the rumbling ceased and the emperor was feeling somewhat calmer, as there was no hint of his anger. The group of Arrancars watched him closely as he began taking slow steps down the stairs of the altar.

"But before we can officially confront Yhwach…we will have to find and capture Sosuke Aizen….and personally make him suffer for everything he's done to Hollows and Arrancars alike" Allowin made a declaration and suddenly stopped in the middle of the altar, as he was standing on a space between the stairs. "To do that…..we may have to use his assistance" the emperor added.

The group could eventually see that there was someone standing before Allowin, and it was a black cloaked figure. That figure was even kneeling before the emperor as a result.

"Your Highness…...who is he?" Nelliel suddenly asked her superior respectively.

"Hold on!" Grimmjow said as both he and Yammy suddenly drew their Zanpakutous and pointed them towards the cloaked being. They seemed very skeptical of it. "That Spiritual Pressure…it feels familiar somehow…who are you!?" the aggressive Legionario demanded an answer.

"Yeah…...show us your true face coward!" Yammy joined in and came up with a similar demand.

But Allowin, Annabelle and Xerrxes only smirked by seeing their reactions to the cloaked creature, as it stood up on his feet, facing everyone that was standing before him.

"It would seem that some of you are familiar with this Spiritual Pressure" Annabelle remarked amusingly. "But that is to be expected, considering that you may know him as well" she added to her statement.

Xerrxes nodded his head at him. "You may remove your hood now. Show us who you really are" he told the creature and he did as he was told. Xerrxes then faced the former servants of Aizen. "He is the greatest spy of our empire and he took his mission seriously…even going as far as to throw away his own life. But now…he has returned" the man with dreadlocks told them.

The moment the group of Arrancars were given a good look at who this creature really was, their eyes widened, as they could not believe what they were seeing, as the creature reminded them of someone. But it soon became apparent that they did in fact know him from somewhere, perhaps more specifically Las Noches.

"NO FUCKING WAY!" Grimmjow exclaimed in disbelief at what he saw.

"BUT HOW…..I THOUGHT YOU WERE…" Yammy did the same thing as Grimmjow did.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Author's note: That was chapter 14. We got more info about the Arrancars, as well as Yhwach's plans for some fallen Shinigamis. But apparently, he does seem to know a lot more about the Soul Society than the captains do. Some of the scenes, like repossessing the Bankais and Komamura defeating Bambietta is loyal to the canon part, as is most, although I have decided to add some flavor to them. Now who is this spy the Dechados and Allowin hold so high in regard? Stay tuned. Now let's take a look at the terms that we were introduced to.**

 **Syrisen – meaning Bomb of God: This is the Quincy Vollständig of Sternritter E – The Explode: Bambietta Basterbine. With it, she is able to shot Reishi-bombs with the help of her wings.**

 **Sankt Wahrheilt – German for "Saint Truth": Somehow, Yhwach has been using this on both Komamura and Tetsuzaemon, thus enabling a ritual different than Sankt Traum. But where to they get sent off to?**

 **La Escarcha – Spanish for "The Frost": This vale is unlike many places in Hueco Mundo, mainly because of the fact that there is light, as well as snow. It is also the location of an altar, where the once beautiful waterfall named Vida ran.**

 **Vida – Spanish for "Life": It is said that when primitive Hollows drank from the waters of Vida, their forms changed, as did their intelligence. But how Aizen was able to do that with his Arrancars remains a mystery.**


	15. A Perfect Storm

**Author's note: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 15: A Perfect Storm**

 _Inside the Department of Research and Development, Sereitei, Soul Society_

Thanks to Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, discovering a way to prevent the shadows from reaching the laboratories, scientists could continue with their work while fixing on communications throughout the now transformed Sereitei. Mayuri and Nemu had even put on them some weird clothing, which somehow also acted as their new armors. With Urahara arriving to assist them, Squad 12 along with the other squads were now confident on holding on their own in the midst of battle. His discovery on how to return the stolen Bankais had boosted some morale inside the Shinigamis, but at the same time, they knew that the battle was far from over.

As he and Mayuri were working, Urahara had suddenly received a call from Ichigo, who was already starting his long journey from the Royal Realm to the Sereitei. He had urged both him and the other Shinigamis to remain strong until he had returned. Urahara then promised him that they would do that indeed.

As Urahara put away his phone, he soon began continuing his work with the scientists and researchers. The blonde-haired man eventually fixed his eyes upon Mayuri, who had been watching Urahara speaking to Ichigo on the phone.

"Ichigo said he had already begun his move to return to the Sereitei. But it will take a long time before he reaches us" Urahara explained to him before fixing a slight smile. "But I have some good news. Renji and Rukia should be landing at the Sereitei shortly and join the battle. The training they received in the Royal Realm will prove helpful against the enemy troops" he then tried to assure him.

But Mayuri was still acting as unfazed as ever and he resumed on his computer. "Well that is good news indeed. But I'm afraid I have some bad ones myself" the Shinigami in weird clothing said while checking on his computer. "It's odd. The Spiritual Pressure of Captain Sui-Feng is still intact, but Captain Hitsugaya and Captain Komamura's are not, and that includes those of their lieutenants" the Captain of Squad 12 noted with surprise and then clicked on his dashboard. "But now I see that even the Lieutenant of Squad 3 is intact as well" he then added.

He was joined by Urahara, who too was surprised by reading the signals. Could those captains and lieutenants have perished? Maybe it too early to conclude, as they had to see this with their own eyes.

"We'll figure it out someway" Urahara assured his former vice-president in the Department of Research and Development. He then turned his attention to the current vice-president. "Hey Akon, any luck in finding the whereabouts of Renji and Rukia?" he suddenly asked the black-haired man.

"Confirmed! They are now approaching the Sereitei as we speak!" Akon said while he was watching something on the screen of his computer.

Urahara smiled smugly. "Excellent! They will be valuable assets to this fight, I'm sure of it" the blonde-haired man commented.

* * *

 _In the rubbles of the icy cityscape_

The night had almost descended upon the transformed Sereitei and the bumbling Sternritter called Mask De Masculine was now beaming with pride over being able to perform a surprise attack on Shuhei Hisagi, Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa. Having been separated from Izuru and Tetsuzaemon thanks to Bambietta's giant bomb, Shuhei had found himself lying amongst the rubbles and had snuck around them to see if he could find any other Shinigami near him. But it was nearly impossible for him, considering that the Wandenreich had spread high-density Reishi throughout the icy cityscape, thus making it impossible to feel a Spiritual Pressure. He ended up finding Ikkaku and Yumichika hiding behind a wall.

Ikkaku had suggested that the three of them should stick together, as he knew that the Quincies were expecting them to be running around the cityscape in the open. That would only leave them vulnerable to the enemy. However, they had failed to realize that Mask had been watching them and was had prepared his surprise attack on them from the air and managed to land on them all, thanks to his big size.

Mask watched with pride and saw his tiny partner James arrive at the scene with a wrestling bell and a hammer. The luchador then proceeded to stretch out his arms in a heroic manner.

"Well, another job well done! Villains never know when to quit, do they James?" Mask asked the chubby man, who simply nodded his head as a yes. The Sternritter then made a heroic pose of himself, which only made James awe at him in return. "Hah, nothing is impossible for Sternritter S – The Superstar: Mask De Masculine!" he exclaimed with overconfidence, while James continued to hero worship him.

"So this is where all the noise is coming from?" Mask snapped by hearing a familiar voice. Turning around, he could see the gothic Sternritter named Äs Nödt stand not fat from him, the long-haired man doing nothing but simply glancing. "I see that you have taken out some fools. Quite impressive for an oaf like you" he added with a sarcastic praise of Mask.

The luchador Quincy simply smiled by seeing him. "Hey there, Äs! Glad to see a fellow Sternritter in this evening!" Mask exclaimed while facing the gothic man. But he could notice how sort different Äs was behaving, even though the spiked mask of his covered his mouth. "You look sort of moody tonight, my friend. Did something happen?" he asked him while wanting to know.

However, Äs was not necessarily keen on answering him and proceeded to move on. "Just shut up. I'm in no mood to be celebrating tonight!" he said with a slight angered tone. "My precious Senbonzakura Kageyoshi…gone!" he thought inside of him, as he knew that Byakuya had somehow been able to reclaim his Bankai.

Despite seeing how miserable Äs was behaving, Mask decided to continue speaking with him anyway. "Have no fear, my friend! Your friendly honorable hero is always here if you need any assistance!" the luchador Quincy said while his smiling gleefully underneath this moustache.

Äs was about to begin moving, until he along with Mask could feel some tints of strong Spiritual Pressure coming from the skies above them. The two Sternritters were able to see that there were two Shinigamis headed for the Sereitei.

Mask held his hand over his mask to get a better look and he sighed as he saw who it was. "Oh great! More villains arriving on the battleground" he remarked.

But Äs had his black eyes concentrated on one of the Shinigamis, who was a young black-haired woman dressed in weird clothes. Despite her new outfit, Äs quickly recognized who she was. "Rukia Kuchiki…excellent!" he noted smugly to himself and looked over his shoulder to face his oafish partner. "You can have that red-haired clown to yourself. But that black-haired woman…..is mine" he told Mask in a slight intimidating voice.

Even so, Mask never seemed scared of him and simply gave him a thumb up in return. "Well, if you say so then I will not stop you" he said but then suddenly came up on something. "But are you sure you don't require my assistance? We could take those two together?" he then asked one last time.

Äs only rolled his eyes in return by hearing this. "You underestimate my abilities, Mask. His Majesty gave me a Schrift: the letter F – The Fear. With it, I shall torture my opponents and make them fall in the endless pits of despair. Now if you excuse me, I have a Kuchiki to take care off" the gloomy Quincy told Mask before vanishing by using Hirenkyaku.

Mask, who had not been able to catch everything Äs was saying, simply scratched his head, before forming a gleeful smile on his face once more. "Well, I guess we'll be battling more villains tonight, James!" he said to his partner, who only cheered for him in return.

* * *

 _Inside the icy palace of Silbern_

Inside the Wandenreich's own crown jewel, there had been two executions of a couple of Sternritters, considering that they had failed against the Shinigami captains whom they had stolen their Bankais from. As punishment, they were to be personally executed by Haschwalth himself. Those two Sternritters were Sternritter I – The Iron: Cang Du and Sternritter K – The Knowledge: BG9. Sternritter E – The Explode: Bambietta Basterbine had barely managed to survive her encounter with Komamura, but she suffered a much crueler fate than that of the others.

When the execution was finished, Yhwach had ordered Uryu to dispose of the bodies, and the four-eyed prince accepted his order without hesitation. But would he really do something like that? He had felt kind of dissatisfied by seeing two Sternritters getting executed by his liege instead of their enemies.

But with Yhwach and Haschwalth being focused on the approaching night, other things were secretly taking place in one of Silbern's hidden laboratories. There were two beds, and the bodies of Cang and BG9 were lying on them each. Scientists and researchers of the Wandenreaich were researching their bodies and one of the scientists, a short blonde-haired man turned around to see that someone had entered. He immediately bowed in respect before the one who had entered, as did the other researchers and scientists.

"Welcome back, sir!" the blonde-haired man said with a smile.

The one he was speaking to was none other than Uryu Ishida, the Crown Prince of the Wandenreich. He simply smiled by seeing the researcher's formalities. "I appreciate the assistance you have given me here, Hugo. It was wise of me to trust you" the raven-haired man said as he walked towards the two dying Quincies lying on each bed. Uryu adjusted his glasses. "Those two received deadly injuries from Haschwalth…but I still believe that they will be able to survive" he commented while seeing their bodies.

Suddenly, one of the other scientists approached the young man with a concerned glance. "Are you certain about this, Prince Uryu?" a Quincy with a black moustache said while briefly taking a glance at the dead bodies. "Wouldn't it be too dangerous for you to be experimenting with their bodies? His Majesty had ordered them both executed" he added with a hint of stress in his voice.

Uryu simply glanced at the scientist sternly. "I already know that, Reinhardt. But amidst this battle, it is only foolish for us to be executing our own troops!" he told him strictly as the other listened closely. "What His Majesty did was nothing but a waste of Quincy lives. I can only accept the death of a Sternritter, as long as their entire essence is eliminated by the enemy…until there is nothing left of the body" the four-eyed man went on explaining and all researchers listened to their prince's words in awe.

However, one bald-headed scientist felt immediately reluctant to agree with Uryu, so he pointed an accusing finger towards the young man. "You…..you're plotting a coup against His Majesty…..aren't you!?" he demanded, although he was sweating and shaking at the same time. "I knew it! I knew that we couldn't trust an outsider such as…." the bald-headed scientist suddenly stopped speaking, when he felt like a Reishi-arrow, or an Heilig Pfeil as they were called, had almost passed by his left cheek. He stood in silence and didn't move a muscle, until the long cut on his left cheek revealed, causing him to howl in pain.

Uryu had just fired an Heilig Pfiel with his newest Heilig Bogen, and he had done that with no remorse for the scientist. "Tread carefully, Arthur. What I am doing here, is only in the best interests of the Wandenreich. Therefore, I advise you to shut up and listen. You do want the Wandenreich to succeed in battle, don't you?" he sternly told Arthur and made sure that all other researchers were listening to what he was saying. "I am the Prinz von Lichts! And I became that the moment His Majesty made me his successor to the throne. And as your crown prince and future emperor, all of you are obliged to follow my orders without any questions, just as you follow His Majesty! Do I make myself clear?" he explained strictly while making sure that all the researchers were loyal to him.

One by one, the researchers kneeled before Uryu, not wanting to provoker their crown prince, whom could actually kill them on sight, yet he did not. He only "warned" them in order to keep them in line. Somehow, this contrasted greatly to Yhwach's own methods, as he simply killed those who failed him. Maybe Uryu was perhaps the opposite of what Yhwach was in terms of compassion and mercy.

The Quincy named Hugo approached his liege once again with a nod. "I will remain loyal to you, Prince Uryu. Until my dying breath" the blonde-haired man told him, causing Uryu to fix a slight smile. "By the way, shall we put their bodies in the life capsules? They seem ready to undergo the program" he then asked Uryu.

The raven-haired man simply nodded his head and all the researchers began carrying their bodies into a secret room hidden behind one of the room's machines. Uryu only watched them go there and could see Arthur, who was still watching him while shaking with fear.

"Arthur!" Uryu said lowly, yet strictly. The bald-headed Quincy simply saluted before him in return, not saying a word or anything. Uryu continued to give him a threatening glance. "What I just fired was only a warning. The next Heilig Pfeil I fire…...will end you permanently, unless you obey my commands" the raven-haired man suddenly told him and Arthur only bowed his head in respect before joining his colleagues in the secret room. With that taken care of, Uryu decided to head back upstairs and seek an audience with Yhwach, as he was currently unaware of what he was doing now.

* * *

 _Inside the city of El Dorado, outside the Coliseo, Hueco Mundo_

Orihime, Chad, Jinta and Ururu were now standing on El Dorado, looking at the amazing building called the Coliseo. It functioned as an arena, while at the same time, a place of entertainment for the proud and stoic citizens of El Dorado. Even now, they could see thousands of citizens streaming into the colosseum's openings and it was apparent that there was a show taking place inside Coliseo.

"Man, things sure seem interesting inside that place" Jinta remarked while seeing the amount of Arrancars and Hollows entering. The red-haired boy then faced his friends. "How about we go see what's inside?" he suggested to them out of the blue.

Chad was dumbstruck by hearing the suggestion and faced Jinta sternly. "Waltzing straight into a colosseum is not a wise strategy" the brown-haired man pointed out and took a glance at the entrance. "And besides, I can tell by looking at these lines that something's dangerous is about to take place behind those walls" the Fullbringer added warily.

"Hey you! Buttslaves of Ichigo! You got a second or two?" the outrageous and aggressive voice of Grimmjow Jeagerjacquez could be heard, as the blue-haired Arrancar was facing them with his feral eyes and psychotic grin. The group of friends were very uncertain about why he was feeling this way.

"You seem in a good mood today" Orihime suddenly spoke up lowly, wanting to know why he was feeling like this. "Is there a reason for that?" she then asked him out of suspicion.

"You do remember that we won't tell you about Ichigo, right?" Ururu suddenly asked while pointing out their opposition to this.

The grin on Grimmjow's face quickly changed into that of a scowl, and his eyes narrowed with anger. "Quit bringing up that goddamned subject! You know as well as I do that I would only waste my time killing insignificant rats like you!" he angrily pointed, causing the group of friends to snap in shock, as they knew that he could easily kill them with ease. Grimmjow fixed a cunning smile at his opponents. "But enough of that, I wasn't looking for Ichigo. I was looking for you" the Legionario then revealed smugly.

The group of friends got cautious when he said that, wondering why in the world a bloodthirsty warrior like Grimmjow would seek out them instead of Ichigo. Nevertheless, they decided to hear what he wanted as long as it didn't involve any killings.

"What do you want with us?" Chad spoke lowly and warily.

"Simple" Grimmjow said and pointed his right thumb backwards towards Coliseo. "Today's a joyful activity happening inside this colosseum. Since you got nothing but bragging to do, how about you join me on watching the fun in there?" he suggested to them.

"You want us to join you watching the fights taking place, inside?" Jinta asked with a raised eyebrow. "But how do we get permission to enter?" the young boy then asked.

Grimmjow simply rolled his eyes and motioned for them to come with him. "Relax. Just stick with me and you will all be granted free passage. Hell, you don't even have to pay Aquñars to enter, let alone book seats at the tribunals" the blue-haired man told them and fixed a smug smile. "Both the Legionarios and the Dechados get to have their own personal and private quarters at the tribunals. That also includes seats, the best that is in Coliseo" he remarked.

Slowly, the gang of four had begun to follow the aggressive Arrancar and into the colosseum, even though they were still uncertain about the Legionario's intentions for letting them in with him. But instead of saying either yes or no, they simply followed him to the entrance.

While most normal citizens would have to wait in lines to enter, Grimmjow walked straight up into one of the city guards, who saluted for him in return and bowed respectively. The city guard was standing behind one of the Coliseo's guard posts, that was located around the structure.

"Lord Grimmjow, what an honor to see you" the guard said and began eyeing the group that was following him. "Oh, you wish to take these strangers to the Legionarios' tribunals, yes?" he asked the Arrancar while facing the group.

Grimmjow simply nodded his head and the city guard stepped aside and the back of the guard post revealed a secret door that opened. The group of friends were surprised that such existed only for high-ranking members of the Imperio de Hierro.

The blue-haired Arrancar then motioned for the group of friends to follow him and they did as he requested. They entered a stony corridor with flares, swords and shields hanging on the walls.

"What kind of place is this?" Orihime suddenly asked, as she and her friends watched where they were going.

"It's a private passageway that only members of the Dechados and the Legionarios are allowed to use. No one else are permitted entry, unless they're with a Legionario or a Dechado" Grimmjow replied as he kept walking, not even bothering turning back to face her.

Chad however, was still curious to know more. "But what about Allowin? Isn't he allowed entry?" the tall man asked the Arrancar.

Hearing this only caused Grimmjow to laugh, much to everyone's confusion. "That scary bastard doesn't even need to use these corridors!" the blue-haired man answered. "He's got his own personal space at the highest tribunals, including a throne and a balcony. He simply stays there whenever there's an event taking place in Coliseo" the Legionario spoke up, thus answering Chad's question.

Eventually, the gang reached to the upper tribunals, having walked up a stony stairway to reach it. As they entered the Legionarios' quarters, they were stunned to see a that the quarters had fancy seats, a roof over the tribunal, as well as servants providing the Legionarios with drinks and snacks. This only demonstrated to the kind of luxury the Legionarios were given because of their loyalty to Allowin.

But there was more, as the majority of the Legionarios were present, with only Ssutze Briffa, Appius Titus Caesar and Único Barcellos De Oliveira not present. However, two captains of the Ojos: Rudbornn Chelute and Ebbaline Da Navarro, were also present, all thanks to permission from Borddum Chelute.

Gantenbainee noticed Chad and the group arrive and formed a smile, as he approached Chad and treated him with respect. "I'm glad that you decided to show up, Yasutora. Let me assure you that in an event like this, fighters like us can be inspired to improve our skills" the orange afro-haired Arrancar told him and looked over his shoulder to face one of the servants. "Hey you, bring these guests some refreshments" he told one of servants, who appeared to be a female Arrancar.

As the group of friends got to know the place, they were treated with refreshing water from El Dorado and it was always cold and worth drinking. However, each member of the group had been able to find and befriend a Legionario, just as Chad had done it with Gantenbainne.

Orihime found herself greeted by not just Belladonna and Violetta, but also Ebbaline, as they were pleased to see a fellow woman be with them. The orange-haired woman was surprisingly stunned by experiencing this.

"I never got the chance to know you fully, as I've only heard from what Grimmjow, Yammy and Gantenbainne has told me" Violetta said to Orihime with a gentle smile. "My name is Violetta Bracquemond, a member of the Legionario…..and probably the cutest" she introduced herself while giggling, as she liked meeting new people, regardless of which people they were.

Both Belladonna and Ebbaline rolled their eyes by seeing this, and Ebbaline eventually decided to introduce herself. "I'm one of the captains in the city guard called Ojos: Ebbaline Da Navarro" the blonde-haired woman introduced herself.

While Orihime was unsure about whether to trust them fully, she nevertheless accepted their introductions in a friendly manner, as she knew that these Arrancars would not put their hands on her.

"Well, it's a pleasure in meeting you all" Orihime told them while smiling. "As you may know, I am Orihime Inoue" she then told them about her name.

Meanwhile, Jinta and Ururu were once again given the cold shoulder by Yammy, as he simply glanced at them while eating his snacks. The two teenagers still remembered what they had done to fool him, but they felt that it was necessary. They also realized that apologizing for their actions was too late.

"Heh, you're still nothing but a pair of runts" was all that Yammy could say.

Jinta felt angered by the former Espada's comment, yet Ururu encouraged him to calm down and simply ignore Yammy's rude persona. However, another Legionario began facing the two teenagers with interest. It was Ozzy Namatjira and his partner Lizzie, and they both smiled by seeing the two teenagers.

"Hey, don't mind Yammy, as he's nothing but a bounce among us Legionarios" Ozzy said, much to Yammy's chagrin and to the two teenagers' surprise, as he spoke to them in such a laid-back manner. "Anyways, you two are offsiders to that battler, Kisuke Urahara, yes?" he asked them in his slight Australian accent.

Jinta only raised an eyebrow. "What the hell is he talking about?" he wondered lowly while facing the orange-haired Arrancar.

"He means that we are helpers to that hardworking man Kisuke Urahara" Ururu suddenly pointed out.

Both Ozzy and Lizzie were surprised by hearing Ururu's intelligence when it came to interpreting accents and phrases. "Wow, at first me and Lizzie thought you were nothing but a Wuss, but you've really shown us! You're actually beaut" Ozzy remarked.

"Yes, a beaut person!" Lizzie joined in complimenting Ururu. "And that means a fantastic person" she added with a short explanation.

While Ururu simply gave them an approving nod in return, Jinta was furious over what they had been called. "Hey! We may work for that perverted trader, but I wouldn't necessarily consider us to be his helpers!" the red-haired boy pointed out while trying to deny it.

Yammy could hear his voice and he sighed in irritation. "Has someone ever told you that you are quite the loudmouth?" he asked Jinta.

Ururu formed a smile with her meek expression. "Tell me about it" she surprisingly said while smiling at Yammy.

This caused Jinta to glance at her outrage. "Hey, who's side are you on, anyway!?" he angrily demanded from him, as he could hear both Ozzy and Yammy chuckle, thus making him feel more annoyed by the minute.

Chad had taken his seat besides Gantenbainne, but he also sat near Grimmjow and Borddum. They gazed upon the arena, which was crawling with spectators shouting cheers and praises to whoever was going to fight. Chad was starting to find this interesting, as he had never expected someone like Arrancars to have this kind of entertainment. It reminded him of the Romans and their gladiatorial fights.

"Will Allowin be watching this event?" Chad asked Gantenbainne, who simply shook his head as a no.

"His Highness have over important things to concentrate on, so he has decided to not attend this event. The Wandenreich's new invasion of the Soul Society has left him to ponder about El Dorado's security" Gantenbaine told the Fullbringer.

Chad simply nodded his head in understanding and then refocused his attention on the battleground, as he suddenly noticed that a small, chubby white-skinned Hollow, with the head of an elephant as his Hollow-shell. It was currently, standing on a platform high above the arena, guarded by Arrancars. This indicated that he was the announcer of the event taking place in Coliseo. The small Hollow stood up and bowed his head as the spectators lowered their noise.

"Greeting citizens of El Dorado! It is a great pleasure for me, Phreasantair, to welcome you all to this spectacular event of seeing both worthy and unworthy gladiators fight in this ring to our amusement!" the Hollow announced and the entire audience cheered in return. The chubby creature named Phreasantir then proceeded to stretch out his arms. "In this fight, we will be witnessing an all-around battle royal between a swarm of Esclavos, three Legionarios, three famous Gladiadores from Coliseo, and of course….Coliseo's own ultimate gladiator!" he announced and once again, cheers erupted across the arena.

Suddemly, Único, Ssutze and Ceasar appeared behind Phreasantir, looking forward to this match, as they scoured the battleground lying before them. The majority of the spectators had taken their eyes on them, and continued to shout praises to them. The three Legionarios then proceeded to jump into the battleground, as the gates around the arena began opening, thus releasing thousands of simple Arrancars, as well as some Hollows into the battleground.

"I have been waiting for a good match!" Único exclaimed while cracking his giant knuckles.

Ssutze simply scoffed at her comrade's delightfulness. "Don't forget: you can't have all the opponents to yourself, Único" the raven-haired woman sternly reminded him.

This only made the wrestler-like Arrancar glance at the pale-skinned woman, before letting out a sarcastic chuckle. "You do not scare me, señorita! I have dealt with opponents far greater than you!" Único pointed out with confidence.

The raven-haired woman simply drew her Zanpakutous and glanced at Único coldly. "It's unwise to get cocky with me!" she simply told him.

"Enough foolishness!" both Legionarios turned to face Caesar, as the Arrancar with the helmet had now drawn his spear and shield. "We have a battle to win, and I shall not let myself be distracted by your senseless bickering" Caesar explained them, before readying his fighting stance, as it was indeed almost time to fight.

The announcer seemed pleased with what he was seeing. "Okay! Now you have seen the Legionarios! Now let us give a welcome to the Coliseo's most famous Gladiadores!" Phreasantir shouted and pointed his finger towards three Arrancars that were had already exited the gate from the other side. "Citizens of El Dorado, give Muumin Rureaux, Vladdenmich Vrubel and Christoff Bracquemond a warm and receiving welcome!" he shouted as the audience cheered for the three Arrancars.

Chad and his fellow Humans got their chance to see who these mysterious Arrancars. Muumin was the black-skinned woman, dressed in a white armor, as well as a cape and a helmet, which revealed everyone her golden eyes, as well as her mouth and chin. She was definitely dressed for combat. Her Zanpakutou was formed like that of a knight's lance. Vladdenmich was the middle-aged man with black hair and a moustache, which made him almost like Leo Trotsky or Joseph Stalin. But while he had black hair, the white Cossack hat that funcointed as his Hollow-shell barley showed much of it. He even looked like a Russian Cossack, as his Zanpakutou was formed like that of a Russian saber. Christoff was the young man with short purplish hair, similar to Violetta. He wore black boots, but the rest of his outfit were pale white. He even looked like he was artillery officer in the armies of Napoleon Bonaporte, except for the fact that he did not wear a hat. The belt he carried around his waist held two Napoleonic guns, which probably were his Zanpakurous, they were similar to the ones used by the former Prima Espada, Coyote Starrk.

"Listen carefully, you two! The target I set my eyes on, remains my target and my kill. Remember that" Muumin suddenly warned her comrades sternly.

Christoff only sighed while closing his eyes. "Whatever you say, it's not like we have a chance of winning against the Legionarios anyway" he pointed out.

Vladdenmich suddenly let out a deep chuckle, and it almost sounded like the Santa Clause. "How motivating you sound just now, Christoff" he remarked with a deep Russian accent, which was also very uncommon. "Let us begin this battle, comrades! It is almost time" he then added while unsheathing his saber.

Christoff pulled his guns, but he suddenly snapped by hearing a familiar voice calling to him. Looking up, the purple-haired man could see Violetta wave her arms at him. "What are you…...doing?" he wondered in his head.

Violetta cheered for the Gadiadores, while waving at the one named Christoff. "Do your best out there, Christoff. I am rooting for you, big brother!" she called out and waved her arms.

Chad suddenly raised an eyebrow by hearing this. "So that man with the purple hair is this girl's brother?" he asked both Gantenbainne and Grimmjow. "Some of you have the same last names, it's almost as if this civilization is either India or Pakistan" the tall man admitted.

"There is a particular reason for that, Fullbringer" Chad focused his attention on Borddum, who was the one who just spoke up. "Maybe it is time for you and the other strangers here to learn about El Dorado's nobility" the skull-faced Arrancar said.

Orihime was surprised by hearing this. "You mean that you have noble houses, like those in the Soul Society?" she quizzed Borddum.

Belladonna smiled smugly by hearing this and faced the orange-haired woman. "You speak the truth here, Orihime. Yes, we do have noble houses. Like the Soul Society there exists four great houses that commands a great deal of respect amongst the citizens of El Dorado. At first you have the House of Luisenbarn, the one which me, my sister Annabelle and our late brother Barragan belong in" the brunette explained.

"Then you have the House of Rureaux, which is the one Muumin, Lord Xerrxes and his late brother Zommari belong in" Borddum joined in, but he suddenly rose up from his seat, as Rudbornn suddenly stood beside him. "I will also let you all know that me and my cousin Rudbornn are of noble blood as well. We are from the House of Chelute, which is also one of the four great noble houses" he then revealed.

Violetta then began fixing a confident smile of her own, as she faced everyone. "And last but least, the House of Bracquemond! The perfect house where me and my big brother come from!" she exclaimed happily, although most of her fellow Legionarios simply glanced at her with no enthusiasm.

Jinta only yawned deeply, as he was feeling tired over hearing all this talk. But he could suddenly, feel the entire ground shake, and his friends did so as well. But it was not an earthquake. In fact, they could see a large iron gate suddenly opening and it made them all wonder why it made so much noise.

Phreasantair fixed his head towards the iron gate and made a declaration for everyone to hear. "And now, citizens of El Dorado! It is time to let lose the Coliseo's ultimate gladiator! And beware, because he is a dangerous weapon that will not rest until anything before him lies dead! So let us give the ultimate gladiator a warm welcome!" the Hollow declared as the darkness inside was shown to everyone.

"Uh oh, it looks like they're realizing that crazy Galah again!" Ozzy remarked with slight worry in his voice.

"Yeah, he's definitely crazy as a Galah!" Lizzie added to his statement.

But Grimmjow only scoffed by hearing this. "Well what do you expect? In a fight like this, there is no doubt that they will be sending him out to the fighting ring" the blue-haired Arrancar pointed out.

Chad could feel a chilly sting by looking into that opened gates. "What kind of Spiritual Pressure is that?" he asked warily while facing Gantenbainne. "For some reason...I believe I have sensed it before" he added.

Orihime had begun to feel similar to what Chad had just said. "You're right, Chad. I can just feel it, even by sitting so high above the battleground" the orange-haired woman noted grimly while gazing into the opened gates. "It does remind me of someone. Is this even an Arrancar?" she wondered while admitting some of her thoughts.

Gantenbainne sighed deeply before facing the tall man, as well as his busty friend. "I knew you would say that, Yasutora. And I do know this Spiritual Pressure as well" he admitted to the two Humans. "In fact, you had faced him before once…..back in Las Noches" he revealed grimly.

Both Chad and Orihime snapped in their eyes while hearing the afro-haired Arrancar's words. Was what Gantenbainne just said true? They had difficulties in accepting it.

"How can you say that?" Orihime asked lowly. "You say Chad faced it back in Las Noches? But that means that this must be a…" the young woman was interrupted when Rudbornn spoke up.

"Yes…...you are correct, Orihime Inoue. This was an Arrancar formerly in service of Aizen" the bull-skulled Arrancar told her. "However, it was something more than just that…it was actually one of the Espadas as well" he went on revealing.

This only caused more shock about the Humans, as they could feel that that the Spiritual Pressure was growing more powerful by the minute as a shadowy creature suddenly stepped out of the dark, and entered the open battleground slowly. As the spectators got a glimpse of it, they all had shocked expressions on their faces.

As the Humans got a glimpse of who it was, they too were shocked by what they saw, as this Arrancar seemed indeed familiar to them all.

"No way…...it's him!" Chad exclaimed by what he was seeing.

"But…...how!?" Orihime wondered lowly.

This time, Belladonna was more than willing to fill them in on how this was possible. "While Aizen and his slaves ruled Hueco Mundo, one of the things we discovered was the fact that one of his lapdogs were rampantly slaying Hollows and Arrancars alike. In fact, he was so bloodthirsty that he went on a rampage and slaughtered an entire colony of Vasto Lordes, as a means to satisfy his lust for bloodshed. The Imperio de Hierro had already managed to shelter the majority of the Vasto Lorders, but this genocide did not go unnoticed" the brunette woman told the Humans, while recalling on what she knew. "During Aizen's downfall, this Espada fell at the hands of the Shinigami: Kenpachi Zaraki, and he saw this as his glorious death in battle. However, His Highness had other plans for him" she revealed cunningly while forcing a smirk with her lips.

"His Highness wanted to punish this lapdog for his atrocious actions, so he dispatched Lord Pieddot to conduct an experiment on both the lapdog and his only Fracción" Borddum then spoke up while gazing upon the horrid creature that had showed itself. "When discovering their corpses, the lapdog was dead, while the Fracción named Tesla Lindocruz was alive. Lord Pieddot came up with a fitting punishment for them both. He brought them to his observatory in El Dorado, and began experimenting on them both. However, Lord Pieddot managed to bring this lapdog back to life…...by transfer Tesla's life to his corpse. Therefore, he was brought back to this world, as nothing but a mindless monstrosity and zombie, all thanks to Lord Pieddot's intelligence" the skull-faced Arrancar went on explaining.

"So in other words" Chad began speaking slowly. "He's been brought back to this condition, as a punishment?" he asked lowly, still not getting the explanation.

Meanwhile, the three Legionarios on the battleground each had different reactions to seeing this. However, Ssutze's was the most visible, as the pale-skinned woman was now smiling smugly by the monstrosity that had entered the battleground and was even now beginning to slay any Esclavo it came across.

"Heh, I knew they would release him eventually!" she exclaimed with satisfaction in her voice. "The former Quinto Espada in Sosuke Aizen's army: Nnoitora Gilga. Now…I'm not sure if he's even Arrancar anymore" she said the monstrosity's name, which was in fact Nnoitora.

The former Espada had changed dramatically since being resurrected as a mindless monster. He was in the form of his Resurrección: Santa Teresa, and still carried his four scythes, as well as having four arms. But his skin had changed into that of pale grey and his tongue was stuck out of his mouth forever. There was no number written on the tongue anymore, and the cuts he had previously received from Kenpachi had been stitched, and they were clearly visible. He still had his Hollow-hole in his left eye, while his other eye was completely pale. There was no mistaking, Nnoitora had become a mindless zombie.

The announcer didn't even have to begin the match. Nnoitora was leady cleaving everything that dared stand in his way, and although there were swarms of Esclavos, the zombie easily disposed of them with swipes, as well as firing golden Cero from his tongue. But while he was a zombie, Nnoitora still possessed some manner of speaking, although it sounded both bitter and slightly broken.

"KILL! ALL! WEAKLINGS!" he shouted as he continued his attack. But there was more to those words. "KILL! KENPACHI! ZARAKI!" he also began shouting while cutting through the masses.

Ssutze and her comrades were enjoying eliminating Esclavos, with her cutting them with her blades, Único shattering them with his immense strength and Caesar impaling them with his pike, as well as throwing his shield like a boomerang. However, Ceaser could see a lance heading straight towards him and used his shield to block it. The throw was powerful, that it pushed Caesar a bit further as the lance hit his shield. The Arrancar with the helmet stood up while panting.

"Heh, nice try Muumin. But you have a long way to….." he was caught by surprise when he heard someone appear behind him by using Sonido.

Muumin was preparing to land a kick at him from behind and smirked. "Just who are you talking to, Caesar? I am right heeeere!" she delivered her kick, only for Caesar to turn around and stick his pike up in the air, forcing Muumin to narrowly dodge it by moving to the side, thus avoiding getting pierced. She landed on her feet and quickly got hand of her Zanpakutou, when as she forced it to lose itself from Caesar's shield. The woman in armor then fixed a cunning grin while seeing her opponent stand on guard. "Don't get so cocky with me. What I just did was only to test your reflexes" she insisted to him.

The Arrancar with the helmet only faced her and locked onto her, as if she was his target. "You are the cocky one here, Muumin. I'd expect you to least know that the Commander of the Conquistadores is not to be underestimated" his hallowed voice could be heard through his helmet as he made his mover and charged towards his opponent.

Meanwhile, Ssutze was clashing swords with Vladdenmich, and they both used Sonido to go faster. Eventually, they clashed with their blades and they were trying to overpower the other.

Ssutze smirked by seeing her opponent with his saber. "When are you gonna fight for real, Vladdenmich? You are not even trying!" she asked while taunting him.

But Vladdenmich simply glanced at her with no enthusiasm in his eyes. "Your humor eludes me, Legionario. It would be wise for you to respect those who are elder than you" he reminded her, before proceeding to kick her in the stomach and fire a white Bala with his finger.

But Ssutze quickly got wind of it, and simply crossed her Zanpakutous to block it. She still faced him smugly. "You call that a Bala!? Hah! The Balas belonging to the captains in the Ojos are batter compared to yours!" she taunted him once again, finding amusement in this.

Vladdenmich brandished his Zanpakutou and faced Ssutze with slight annoyance. "You are starting to be a slight pain in my ass, Ssutze. How about I help you with cutting off that big mouth of yours?" he asked, not caring about the fact that he was speaking to a lady. Vladdenmich then made preparations to move, and charged towards the young woman.

Ssutze then readied her blades and simply stood prepared for the challenge. "Come and get me then, Mr. Vodka!" she taunted him once again.

But both were in for a major surprise, as someone had already used Sonido to appear before the two fighters. It was Nnoitora, who was screaming with anger and prepared to swing his scythes at them both. Fortunately, they used their Zanpakutous to block his attacks, although they tried to stand their ground against him.

"Damn it! With the number taken away, Nnoitora's formerly restrained Spiritual Pressure has continued to grow!" she remarked beneath her gritting teeth. "Somehow, that magic Pieddot used to resurrect him gave him some kind of new strength" she added to her analysis.

Vladdenmich was holding on his own against the scythe. "And you say that now!?" he said in outrage.

Nnoitora was still growling like a monster, but he suddenly uttered out words angrily. "YOU. ARE. WEAK!" he spoke in anger, and all of a sudden, his tongue began preparing a golden Cero.

As the two Arrancars were briefly filled with distress, it stopped when Único suddenly launched himself at the zombie and slammed his face by his right knuckle. Nnoitora was sent flying to the wall. The wrestler-like Arrancar simply chuckled by seeing his actions.

"Hah! The strong always triumph!" he declared with pride.

Christoff had suddenly aimed his two pistols at the muscular Legionario and he narrowed his eyes in a deadly manner. "Bad idea to take your eyes off your opponent, steroids" he commented and then locked his guns. But before he could fire, Único vanished from his sight and suddenly founded himself right above the purple-haired man. "What the….SHIT!" he cursed by seeing this.

"Prepare to feel my elbow, pretty boy!" Único taunted Christoff and landed into the ground, causing a big shockwave. But as the dust settled, the wrestler could see that the young man was nowhere to be soon. "That little squirt! He's….." he stopped when he could her a familiar voice.

"Right above you!" Christoff was suddenly standing above him and were aiming his pistols at Único's head. "You may be stronger, but I'm definitely quicker! So let's see if your muscles can withstand my bullets!" he taunted him and was about to pull the triggers, until he and his comrades could notice something happening at the other end of the battleground.

Nnoitora emerged from his attack, his injuries quickly recovering all thanks to the regeneration he had gotten from being a zombie. He howled once again in anger as a means to attract opponents to him.

"Instant regeneration!?" Ssutze noted in her thoughts while seeing this. "He really has become a monster! I can't believe that His Highness would support a punishment such as this" she added.

But on the Dechados' private quarters in the Coliseo, Nelliel and Harribel were having their own reactions to seeing their former comrade being reduced to this. True, Nelliel barley remembered what had happened to Nnoitora when he fell in combat, but it wasn't until she became a paragon that she learned the truth about his fate.

"Is this what Grimmjow was talking about when he suggested I go see a match?" she wondered in her head.

"I can't believe this is true" Harribel noted by what she was seeing. "At first, I only laughed at the idea of Pieddot bringing Nnoitora back as a zombie…but here he is…...being this monstrosity" the blonde-haired woman added warily.

The sea green-haired woman began her time to reflect on what she had been told about Nnoitora's fate. She knew how it happened and how it was commissioned. "This is Nnoitora's punishment…...for murdering the colony of Vasto Lordes. He had always wanted to die in a glorious battle and got as he wished…only for the Imperio de Hierro to punish him by resurrecting his twisted body" Nelliel recalled on what she had been told. "I wonder…...if Nnoitora had simply leaved the Vasto Lordes alone…...would he be given a different fate?" she added, while recalling that some of the former servants of Aizen that had ended up in El Dorado had somehow been helped back by Allowin, who saw a chance for redemption inside of them.

Suddenly, Nelliel felt Harribel put her hand on her right shoulder and the two female paragons faced one another. The blonde-haired woman was facing Nelliel with reassurance.

"You think about that there you would be able to save Nnoitora back then? You shouldn't take blame for any of this" Harribel told her. She and Nelliel then faced Nnoitora. "He chose his own path, and let his lust for battle guide him. This is the result of his folly" she assured her.

As stunned as she was, Nelliel smiled lightly by hearing this and embraced Harribel in a tight hug, with the blonde-haired woman gladly returning it.

 _To be continued….._

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 **Author's note: That was chapter 15. We got to see how the battle with the Quincies were going, as well as Uryu's hidden agendas inside Silbern. And in El Dorado, we saw the return of yet another former Espada, as well as introduced to this new system of El Dorado. Now let us see the new terms that we learned in this chapter.**

 **Gladiadores – Spanish for "Gladiators": This is a trio of well-renowned gladiators that have become celebrities in El Dorado for their matches and agilities. Whether they remain as powerful as a Legionario remains to be seen, but they do know how to hold against them in a fight.**

 **And here are the voice actors I've picked up for these new Arrancars. Hope you enjoyed meeting these new characters.**

 **Muumin Rureraux – Debi Mae West**

 **Vladdinmich Vrubel – Richard Cansino**

 **Christoff Bracquemond – Robbie Daymond**


	16. A God Like You

**Author's note: This chapter will be focused on the ongoing battle between Shinigamis and Quincies in the Soul Society. I would also like for the Quincies to be given the spotlight this time, not just the Shinigamis. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 16: A God Like You**

 _In the icy cityscape, Sereitei, Soul Society_

Sternritter S – The Superstar: Mask De Masculine was about to check out on the two Shinigamis that had just arrived on the battlefield, only for Shuhei to stop him by catching him with his Zanpakutou, Kazeshini. But the Quincy easily gabbed the chains, pulled the Lieutenant of Squad 9 towards him, and elbowed Shuhei, thus knocking him out once again. Realizing that Shuhei still had some guts left, he decided to deliver the final blow by stomping his head.

However, he was stopped when Captain of Squad 9: Kensei Mugurama arrived just in time to block Mask's foot with one of his own. But Kensei was not alone, as Captain of Squad 3. Rose Otoribashi were tagging along as well. Seeing this as a challenge, Mask decided to fight the two captains at once.

To begin with, Kensei and Rose seemed to have the upper hand, thanks to their powerful Bankais, Tekken Tachikaze and Kinshara Butodan respectively. Learning from Shuhei, they realized that main source of Mask's power was not only Reishi, but it also in the form of his chubby companion named James. Each time James would cheer or beg Mask to stand up, the Sternritter would only emerge back from his defeat, stronger than before. It was cheer-induced empowerment. The two captains had tried to dispose of James, but even as the chubby man was torn apart, he was still alive and could keep supporting Mask.

However, the two captains had also underestimated Mask's talent in hand-to-hand combat, as he did not rely on a Heilig Bogen or another Spirit Weapn. But his empowered gloves, as well as his Star Flash attack seemed to drew Reishi, in order for them to be empowered, not the mention that Mask was also a master in Hirenkyaku. Because of this, both Kensei and Rose were easily disposed of and Mask had almost managed to dispose of Rose with his Star Flash, only for someone to block it, with the help of his Zanpakutou. That Shinigami was Renji Abarai, the Lieutenant of Squad 6, who had just landed on the battlefield.

Having just done that, Renji tasked Rukia to take both Kensei and Rose to the nearby medic, hoping that someone from Squad 4 could treat their injuries. Mask had not bothered to follow her, as he was mostly focused on trying to remember who Renji was. Mask had difficulties in remembering appearances. Hearing this, only made Renji drop a sweat, as he couldn't believe Mask's stupidity and cluelessness. They had previously fought in the Wandenreich's first invasion of the Soul Society.

Nevertheless, the two brawled, but Renji's training in the Royal Realm had improved his strength and skills, as well as his Zanpakutou: Zabimaru. The red-haired lieutenant used Zabimaru to cut James into many pieces, as well as slashing Mask's stomach. But like Kensei and Rose before him, Renji was unaware of the fact that James could regenerate himself. The chubby man kept cheering for Mask, thus empowering him. His form changed, yet Renji was less than impressed by it.

"I just remembered something. You are that villain I blew away with my Star Drop Kick, am I right?" he asked Renji. "A superstar like me have fought and defeated so many villains that he can't even recall their names nor appearances" the Sternritter went on explaining.

Renji was only dumbfounded by his statement. "He was fighting me without realizing who I was?" he wondered in his head. "This guy's really clueless!" he added to his thoughts.

"I don't know how you managed to turn into such a powerful villain, but that doesn't matter. In fact, it would be an honor for you to witness my real power" Mask went on explaining before beginning his next move. Renji stood his guard, knowing very well that the Sternritter would attack him. Mask flew towards him and was ready to deliver his attack. "Allow me to give you my secret technique when I'm fully powered up! STAR LARIAT!" Mask shouted before swinging his arm once again. "STAR!" he yelled and sent shockwaves from his punches to Renji.

The red-haired lieutenant was sent flying, as he was trying to block these attacks. But it was no use, as Mask kept attacking him with his punches repeatedly. It was as if he was air punching Renji. "How do you like that!?" he taunted and laughed as Renji was forced against the wall. "A wall cannot hold back a superstar's power, and you cannot touch the ground with your feet anymore! You will through the air for the rest of eternity" the masked Quincy was feeling satisfied of himself, but a Quinncy cross suddenly erupted from Mask's belt. Reishi began forming around him and Mask received a cape of Reishi, as well a star dotting his chest. A giant star appeared behind Mask's head and it was his own Heiligenschein. There was no question about it, Mask had now activated his Quincy: Vollständig. "And you will never return to the ground and will become dust in front of the superstar's godly power! Let me show you the bane of all villains: Mirathem!" he went on explaining, while quickly beginning to soar the skies. The name of Mask's Quincy: Vollständig Mirathem meant "Hero of God" in the tongue of the Quincies.

Mask flew up as the many pieces of James began cheering and idolizing him. Using his fast speed, Mask formed a giant star in the air and it eventually descended down to the area Renji was in. It was apparent that this was some kind of bomb. Mask was ready to see him disappear.

"Take this! STAR FLASH SUPERNOVA!" Mask exclaimed and an explosion took place underneath him. The masked Quincy was filled with satisfaction. "Farewell, villain" he said.

But Mask was stunned when he could see that beneath the smoke, Renji was still alive, while grasping something to his side. "Bankai!" the red-haired lieutenant said while as a giant head appeared over his blade. It was the true name of his Bankai, as Renji had always believed that it was Hihiou Zabimaru. But that was not the case. "Soo Zabimaru!" Renji said the true name of his Bankai. It was drastically different from his previous one.

While Mask was surprised to see this, he knew that something had to be done. "That's dangerous, villain. That Bankai of yours is dangerous, And now that you have blocked the final blow of this star, I cannot allow you to live anymore…..Renji Abarai" the Sternitter commented, this time addressing Renji by his name. Mask readied his attack. "My heart is burning with the desire to defeat you in the name of justice! Die, Shinigami!" he said, this time sounding less oafish and more serious than usual. He then dived towards Renji.

"So he finally addressed me by name? Maybe he's not so dumb after all" Renji remarked in his head. The red-haired lieutenant knew that Mask was intending on defeating him, so he dashed forward towards his opponent and sent his giant baboon arm at the Quincy. "Hihiou!" Renji said while throwing the arm at Mask. That baboon arm had a bony hand, which managed to catch Mask in its grasp. However, Mask tried to break them, but as the bony hand clenched itself, Mask's arm was broken and he howled in agony. It was also impossible for him to free himself and he was sent crashing towards a nearby tower.

But Mask came flying out of the rubble and was furious over seeing his arm getting broken. "YOU PIECE OF SHIT! YOU BROKE THE ARM OF THE STAR! THE ARM OF THE HERO!" he yelled in anger while cursing. Mask could then see his opponent march straight ahead towards him, and he knew that he had to react. "I WLL KILL YOU FOR THAT! I WILL KILL YOU, SHINIGAMI! TO HELL WITH JUSTICE AND EVIL! THE ONLY THING I WANT IS TO RIP YOU APART!" he angrily yelled.

"Orochiou" Renji said as he stabbed his blade inside Mask. He held his blade tightly as a snake's head began forming around him and Mask. "Soo Zabimaru: Zaga Teppo!" he exclaimed and proceeded to incinerate the Sternritter.

"No…...how could this be? I only wanted to be the undefeated fighter of justice. But I never really knew what it was" Mask wondered as he slightly recalled back to the days when he joined the Wandenreich. Back then, Mask was nothing but a bullying and oafish brawler, someone who only desired to be recognized as a hero. Desiring to be more famous, he was recruited by Yhwach, who saw his physical abilities as a great asset. With promise of power and fame as the undefeated hero, Mask was then taken into Yhwach's Sternritters, and was granted a Schrift: the letter S – The Superstar. Now, all of what he had been promised faded away, but he could eventually say some last words as his body burned to ashes. "I may not know what justice is…...but I do know that someone fights for it….not the Quincies or the Shinigamis…..but someone else…..long live to you…fighter of justice" these were the final words from Mask as his entire body was vanishing into thin air.

* * *

 _Inside the icy palace of Silbern_

Uryu Ishida had been denied access into Yhwach's throne room, all thanks to Haschwalth. The emperor was now sleeping, and Haschwalth were now the substitute emperor of the Wandenreich, only during the night. He and Yhwach were the same. While Haschwalth was the substitute emperor, Yhwach was the Father of the Quincies, storing his power during his sleep.

But as Uryu was now walking away, he could only recall the conversation he had with the Sternritter Grandmaster. Uryu had always been curious about Yhwach and since he was the Wandenreich's future emperor, he was entitled to know more. That was then Haschwalth revealed all about Yhwach.

"His Majesty has the power to distribute souls to everything around him, and can an initial inside a soul" Uryu recalled what Haschwalth had told him. But what really shocked Uryu was this statement. "He has even carved the soul inside you as well" the blonde-haired man had told him.

Uryu knew very well that by drinking Yhwach's blood and partaking in his ritual, he now possessed a soul of him and when he died, that soul he had been given by Yhwach would return back to the Father of the Quincies, making him stronger. He also learned from Haschwalth that this battle was for Yhwach. The emperor had already distributed pieces of his soul all across the Sereitei in the previous invasion. Every fighter in the battle, both Quincies and Shinigamis would be taken their soul away the moment they died. And as a result, Yhwach would become stronger. If he were to stop that, then Yhwach would go back being weak, numb and unable to see, hear or speak.

The confrontation with Haschwalth had almost ended in the blonde-haired man making a move against Uryu. The raven-haired man still recalled what he had said back then.

"I reckon that you only accepted our invitation to avenge your mother, but as soon as you did you already had no way to go back" those sentences still haunted the young man.

Gritting his teeth in anger, Uryu silently cursed Haschwalth's name. However, after feeling so harsh due to the lecturing he received, Uryu could not help but to force a slight smirk with his mouth, as he was on his way to the secret laboratory he had previously visited. He could see that the door to the secret room was opened and this only convinced him that the scientists and reseachers were inside.

"I must thank you for telling me all of this, Haschwalth. With that information, I know just what I need to make sure that the Wandenreich emerges victorious" Uryu thought in his head, feeling kind of grateful to the cold and firm-headed man.

The two researchers named Hugo and Reinhardt exited the door to the secret room and they immediately approached Uryu and bowed before him with formality. "Welcome back, Prince Uryu. We have been expecting you" Hugo said and motioned for the Prinz von Lichts to follow him and Reinhardt through the hidden door.

The doorway took the three down some stairs and it eventually lead the tree Quincies to a secret room, where 10 capsules filled with blue water could be soon. Inside those capsules, the water bubbled and it was large enough to store in a Quincy. Uryu eventually went over to the 6 capsules that had been already somebody floating inside. The scientists and researchers were working on machines and they saluted to Uryu as he gazed upon the capsules.

The raven-haired man faced the young scientist with red hair and glasses. "Leopold, how about we go and inspect the Sterntitters inside each of these Leben Kapsels? I would like to know how you managed to bring them here" Uryu asked the researcher with addressing him by his name.

The one called Leopold simply nodded his head in return and he joined Uryu in inspecting each of the Sternritters that were inside these Leben Kapsels. At first, they stood outside one of them, in which a tall and muscular Quincy was standing floating. The young researcher decided to fill in for the crown prince.

"Each time a Sternritter has fallen, its' body has been sent to us in order to dissect them. But we don't think that a headless, brainless, or even a heartless Quincy is a dead Quincy. To eliminate a Quincy, you will have to eradicate it completely, not just one body part, that is what our research team have discovered, although we have neglected to inform His Majesty about it" Leopold explained to Uryu before facing the tall Sternritter in the Leben Kapsel. "Sternritter O – The Overkill: Driscoll Berci. Despite being almost incinerated by Yamamoto's Zanpakutou Ryujin Jakka, only his head was the one to sustain the damage. The flames were never able to burn the rest of his body. It was like Yamamoto simply decided to punish him lightly instead of completely incinerating him. After Driscoll's body was brought here, we put him into the Leben Kapsel and his face was gradually returning. However, since he lost his Spiritual Pressure, it will take some time before he will be restored completely" Leopold explained while seeing Driscoll's naked body.

Uryu simply nodded at him. "I see. You did a wonderful job with saving him. Oafish as he may be, he could prove a valuable asset in this war" the raven-haired man noted before he and Leopold moved on. "Oh, I see that this one is a woman" he remarked while seeing the naked form, although her breasts were covered in bandages.

"Sternritter Q – The Question: Berenice Gabrielli. She had very unique powers, but sadly, she fell before the unstoppable and savage strength of Kenpachi Zaraki, Captain of Squad 11. But compared to Driscoll, she only suffered a critical cut on her throat. But she will also take long to be fully restored" Leopold explained to his liege.

Uryu nodded in understanding. "I see. I take it that these two were also killed by Zaraki, am I right?" the four-eyed man asked while standing in the middle of two Leben Kapsels. Leopold joined him and nodded his head as a yes.

"That is correct. The tall one is Sternritter R – The Roar: Jerome Guibatz. Like Berenice, he also fell at the hands of Zaraki. His restoration time is also expected to be long" Leopold told Uryu about Jerome before facing the bald-headed man with the eye on his forehead. "And then there is Sternritter Y- The Yourself: Loyd Lloyd, identical twin brother of Royd Lloyd. Even though their powers are similar, there is a slight difference. Loyd can only do appearance and power replication, whereas his late brother Royd could do appearance/personality and memory replication. Needless to say, Loyd is a perfect user of disguise" Leopold told Uryu who listened closely.

"I see. Now what do you think about the recent additions?" Uryu then asked Leopold, as they moved to the newest additions.

Leopold adjusted his glasses. "Yes, Sternritter I – The Iron: Cang Du and Sternritter K – The Knowledge: BG9. They should also be able to be fully restored. I also believe that Quincies like them could be useful in the future" the young scientist told Uryu and then decided to reveal a little secret. "But there is a reason for why all these Sternritters must remain in Leben Kapsels for a long time. Each night, His Majesty start returning the souls he gave the Sternritters back to him. These Quincies will be slightly affected, but as long as they are inside the Leben Kapsels, their survival is guaranteed" Leopold revealed to Uryu.

The crown prince was surprised to hear this revelation. "It's odd. Since when did mere scientists and researchers like yourself learn about His Majesty's power?" he asked them.

Leopold adjusted his glasses while fixing a smug smile before his liege. "All across Silbern, we have secretly hid cameras and sound monitors that can detect everything that is being said. We even have some of them inside the throne room" he revealed cunningly, forcing Uryu to fix a smile in return.

"So you can eavesdrop on everything side inside the halls? Very clever" the crown prince commended Leopold.

"In fact, considering that BG9 is composed of machinery and Reishi, we had also planted a hidden sound monitor, so that we could hear everything that was being said near BG9. But thanks to Haschwalth's actions, the sound monitor got destroyed. But we can still fix it" Leopold said, while coming up with a new revelation about BG9.

Uryu nodded at him. "Thank you sharing this information with me, Leopold. I will now reflect on everything I have heard" the raven-haired man was about to walk away, before stopping and looking over his shoulders. "Let me tell you this. The first three Sternritters that I want to be released, are Driscol Berci, Cang Du and BG9. When their restoration re complete, you will let me know" he told them and moved on.

The rest of the scientists simply saluted for him as he walked away. Uryu walked up the stairs and shut the hidden door to this secret room. So far, he had not been followed by Haschwalth or any other Quincies loyal to him. This made him deciding in heading to Yhwach's throne room, hoping to get a chat with emperor. But as the young crown prince was on his move, he could not help but to reflect on the scheming he was involved with those scientists and researchers.

"I always said to myself that I would never become a doctor. But in this war…..maybe I get the chance to see how it really feels like to be a god" Uryu remarked in his head and briefly stopped to see that there was light outside the palace's windows. Uryu forced a slight smile by seeing this. "I will change my fate, and I will do so on my own. Just you wait…Ryuken….grandfather" the four-eyed man added to his thought wile thinking about his father and grandfather respectively.

"Prince Uryu, we have been looking for you" Uryu turned around to see three Quincies approach him and kneeled in respect. "His Majesty has demanded that you return to his throne room" the one in the middle said.

The Crown Prince of the Wandenreich simply nodded and smiled at his subordinates. "I was just on my way there. But I got distracted by this light" Uryu told them before following the Quincies.

* * *

 _In the icy cityscape_

Morning had descended across the transformed Sereitei and Renji was on his move to regroup with Rukia. He had spent the rest of the night sleeping inside one of these frozen buildings and hopefully, no Quincy had sought to assassinate him during his sleep. The proud Lieutenant of Squad 6 was now standing on a roof belonging to a nearby building hoping to be able to catch and detect Rukia's Spiritual Pressure. But it was not easy.

"Damn it. This is harder than I thought" Renji cursed underneath his breath. "Not only can I detect Rukia or other Shinigamis' Spiritual Pressure, but even the enemy as well. These Quincies sure were clever with filling this space with high dense of Reishi" the red-haired man added and then proceeded to jump from roof to roof.

But while he was trying to jump between buildings, he suddenly felt his entire body collapse. As he felt that, Renji only fell down in the middle of the air, and he could not use Shunpo to reach to the other side. He fell down from between the rooftops.

"What the fuck!? I can't move!" Renji angrily cursed as he suddenly fell right through an icy bridge and landed straight on the frozen ground beneath it. The landing was very painful and Renji groaned in pain. "Argh! Shit! This is gonna leave a mark on my stomach and face!" he noted and was trying to use his right hand in order to rub off the dust in his face, but his hand wouldn't move. Neither that nor his entire body parts moved as he tried to make a command. They felt paralyzed. The lieutenant was both stunned and furious over seeing this. "What the hell? Did I just break my entire body? That fall I just experienced wasn't that high!" Renji wondered in distress. He tried to snap his fingers, but even they would not obey.

"That's some scary shit you just felt! I mean, you're lucky to be still alive, homie" Renji suddenly snapped and since could not move his head, he rolled over so that he was facing the other side. His eyes snapped in anger. Standing before him was Sternritter U: NaNaNa Najahkoop. The lean Quincy simply grinned with his black and white teeth. "How you doing, dawg?" he simply asked him.

Renji gritted his teeth in frustration. "Great! Another one of those Sternritters!?" he asked. "First I managed to defeat one of your buddies, then I get some well-deserved sleep, and now THIS!?" the lieutenant was filled with outrage.

NaNaNa was only standing there with a confused expression, even though his eyes couldn't be seen due to his red-orange mask. But he simply decided to brush it off. "So you were the punkass bitch who beat up Mask? Dayum you got off lucky, homie! That fool's never been defeated in combat before. Ain't no wonder why you were sleeping so cozy all night" the Sternritter remarked in amazement. "But then again, that masked mothafucka wasn't the strongest amongst us Sternritters. Naw, he wasn't that talented" NaNaNa added to his statement.

But the Shinigami lying before him was struck dumbfounded by NaNaNa's manner of speech. "What the hell is he talking about?" Renji wondered while dropping a sweat. But something struck him about what NaNaNa said about him sleeping. "Hold on just a damn minute! Are you saying that you've been watching me while I was asleep!?" he angrily demanded an answer.

"Sure I have! But when I first found you, I was kinda worried that you had set up some kind of trap and some shit. But turns out that you weren't, so I decided to tail yo ass and then deal with you. And now, here we are!" NaNaNa basically explained the whole story.

Renji dropped a sweat. "Are you fucking kidding me right now? Did he honestly believe that I would've set up a trap before sleeping?" he wondered, but he was already angered about something else. "You're a despicable stalker! What's the big idea, peeking on me while I'm sleeping you…..ARGH!" Renji could suddenly feel both paralyzed and painful, as NaNaNa was using us hands to put pressure on the lieutenant.

"Shut yo yellow ass up! You're mah prey so I won't hear you say anything rude about me!" NaNaNa told Renji while fixing a smug grin. "This thing I'm doing is called Morphine Pattern. It forms a grid pattern that allows me to pinpoint the holes in mah target's Spiritual Pressure and attack them" he revealed.

Renji eyed down to his chest, and he could see that there was indeed a grid pattern around his waist. There was no mistaking it. Even now, he could feel every point in his body being attack on the inside. "My Spiritual Pressure…..it's being attacked rampantly on the inside!" Renji noted with distress in his voice. He then angrily glared at NaNaNa. "What have you done to me for real!?" he then demanded from him.

This caused NaNaNa to form a slight grin of his own. "I'm Sternritter U – The Underbelly: NaNaNa Najahkoop" he introduced himself and then went on explaining more details. "The Schrift I was given by His Majesty gives me the power to detect Spiritual Pressures and paralyze them. While you were sleeping, I managed to pinpoint every location inside your body. However, I was worried about using it on you while you were sleeping, but now that I know that you ain't got no trap prepared, I can fully whoop yo ass without having to worry about it" NaNaNa went on explaining his abilities.

"That son of a bitch! He's got me trapped!" Renji thought while eying up the skies above him. "It looks like it will take some time before we can regroup, Rukia" the red-haired Shinigami thought about his fellow lieutenant.

* * *

 _Another corner of the icy cityscape_

Rukia had left Kensei and Rose in care of Isane Kotetsu, Lieutenant of Squad 4, before moving on. While she had noticed how difficult it was for her to detect a Spiritual Pressure, she was suddenly given a grim surprise, when she was confronted by no other than Sternritter F – The Fear: Äs Nödt. The long-haired Quincy had demanded to know the whereabouts of Byakuya, yet Rukia remained defiant, even though she knew that this was the man who had almost obliterated her adoptive brother, as well as stolen his Bankai.

Äs had decided to attack Rukia, hoping that killing her would attract Byakuya to him. He unleashed his Reishi Thorns, which was capable of producing fear inducement into whoever they pierced. But what Äs had not been expecting was that Rukia had been improving her Zanpakutou. Sode no Shirayuki while training in the Royal Realm. But while the Sternritter stubbornly dismissed her claims, Rukia began freezing Äs, as he was too late to avoid being frozen.

While Rukia believed that she had managed to freeze her opponent to death, she foolishly underestimated the Sternritter's true power. Thawing out of the ice, Äs declared that being frozen to death was not fear in his eyes, as his fears was being scolded by Yhwach, as well as getting his power taken away from him. That was what he personally feared.

Wanting to punish Rukia, he activated his Quincy: Vollständig: Tatarforas (meaning Fear of God in the Quincy tongue) and proceeded to humiliate and torture Rukia emotionally. Tatarforas had given Äs a malicious and terrifying form, as he looked more like an undead than a Quincy. By simply looking at him, Rukia could not move her body, as she had been caught by Tatarforas' ability. The young woman was lost in despair, as eyes kept watching her, thus empowering the fear inside her veins. But all that took an end when Byakuya suddenly arrived, and eradicated the walls of eyes with his Shikai.

Äs felt some satisfaction by seeing Byakuya arrive, but as he tried to put his ability on him, the Captain of Squad six easily disposed the walls of fear by simply using Senbonzakura. By having his Bankai stolen, Byakuya had been able to master his Shikai perfectly and he had no one but Äs to thank for it. The captain also said that his fear was nothing, something which only irritated the Quincy further.

"Stand back, Rukia. I will handle this easily" Byakuya said and was preparing to use his own Bankai. "Bankai. Senbonzakura Kageyoshi" Byakuya simply said. He was determined to end Äs permanently.

But as the Zankaputou fell through the ground and rows of giant blades lined up, the proud captain could not help but to notice how Äs was not taking this seriously, as he was simply laughing lowly at what was happening. This only caused Byakuya to narrow his eyes.

"What do you find so amusing? You are about to die" Byakuya told him sternly.

The Sternritter ceases his laughing and simply stared at Byakuya with his pale eyes. "Don't be so naïve, Byakuya Kuchiki. Have you completely forgotten that I was once in possession of your Bankai?" Äs asked and suddenly stretched out both arms to each side, pointing at the rows of blades. Byakuya slightly got cautious. "My possession of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi has taught me many things about you, including your personal weaknesses" he insisted to him.

Byakuya got irritated by his words. "I see that you are obnoxious to the end, Sternritter. Your fear won't harm me, as they are nothing but nonsense" he simply told him in return.

Hearing this only caused Äs to from a grin with his monstrous teeth and narrow his eyes in a cunning manner. "Brave words. But you will never escape nor atone for your sins…Butcher of the Interminables!" he said and all of a sudden, many walls of fear began appearing inside the Bankai, on each of the giant blades.

Byakuya snapped in caution over seeing this, and he then faced Äs angrily, considering that he had said something very sensitive. "HOW DO YOU KNOW MY…" the proud captain stopped, as he could see that the many walls of eyes began looking at him. This caused the proud captain to be paralyzed and he stopped once he could hear some familiar voices from the past.

"Help! Someone please help us!" the voice of a young woman could be heard and Byakuya's eyes simply widened, as he had seen that woman before. That woman had a crying baby in her arms. "Please…..spare my life! I have a baby to protect! You would not harm this precious child, would you!? NO, PLEASE! AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" the sound of the woman and her baby vanished as they were both slain in cold blood.

The captain felt paralyzed and numb, as the horrors of his past came back. "You won't take our family alive, Shinigami bastard!" the sound of a man could be heard, one who was defiant against the Shinigamis. "No…..please….spare our family and we'll…AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" the sound of the man ended as he was also slaughtered in cold blood.

Äs laughed by what he was seeing, and it brought him so much delight. "Do you see it now, Shinigami!? This is the true power of fear! The sins of your actions, the blood you carry on your hands, they will never vanish!" he exclaimed and then decided to officially torture Byakuya. "Allow me to also reveal you a little secret. Something that even your superiors have neglected to tell you!" the Quincy went on explaining.

All of a sudden, Byakuya saw nothing but a forest in fire, but he also saw something else running from a burning village. Two young Humans were on the move, with a young teenaged boy carrying a young girl on his back. At first, Byakuya refused to believe it, but as soon as she saw the young girl open her eyes, the captain was immediately reminded about someone. He could then see the two Humans running along the Onose River. That's when Byakuya was quickly reminded about what this place was. This was the last village of Interminables the Court Guards had razed. But that young girl was someone he knew from Karakura Town.

"Orihime Inoue…..an Interminable!?" he wondered, his mouth opening in shock and disbelief. As he did that, familiar words began recalling to his mind.

"The Interminables are a cursed people" Byakuya was hearing the voice of his grandfather, Ginrei Kuchiki. "All of them must be exterminated. They shall not be able to roam freely, not as long as the Dèesee roams freely" the voice added.

""You have done well in finding out the location of this village, Captain Kuchiki. Your perception never cease to amaze me" that was from the late Head-Captain Yamamoto. ""If the child is not here and if these vermin refuses to cooperate…eliminate them" he then remembered another order given to him by Yamamoto.

Byakuya was lost in despair, and it was probably much worse than losing his Bankai. As the voiced kept invading his head, the proud captain let out a scream of despair, as he could not take this anymore.

"FEEL THE FEAR, BYAKUYA KUCHIKI! FEEL IT AS YOU FALL INTO THE ENDLESS PITS OF DESPAIR!" the voice of Äs could be heard as he enjoyed seeing his opponent suffer.

"BANKAI!" the walls of fear were interrupted and disintegrated by the angry and determined cry of Rukia, as she stood before Äs pointing her Zanpakutou at the Sternritter. She was not keen on backing down, her eyes burning with determination.

Äs could not believe his own pale eyes. "What is the meaning of this!? What is happening to me!?" he angrily demanded while noticing how his body became slightly frozen, as did the surrounding buildings.

Rukia was fixing a deadly gazed upon her opponent. "You think that you can once again defeat my brother and toy with his feelings, do you?" she asked him lowly, gritting her teeth in the process. "YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO USE THEM TO YOUR OWN AMUSEMENT, SO I SHALL END YOU WITH MY BANKAI! YOUR MISERABLE LIFE IS FORFEIT!" Rukia declared as the Spiritual Pressure and the freezing became stronger by the minute.

Äs was furious over seeing this, and he tried to move against Rukia, determined to kill her for real. "YOU LITTLE BITCH! I WILL CLAW YOUR EYES OUT OF HOPE!" he angrily shouted in return.

"TO THE FROZEN HELL WITH YOU! BANKAI! HAKKA NO TOGAME!" Rukia shouted and a frozen pillar was unleashed in the entire area around the three fighters.

This was something not even Äs could withstand, and the entirety of his body froze quickly, this time not even being able to thaw out. His entire body was frozen, and the Sternritter himself realized that this was the end of him. As his frozen body quickly began disintegrating, the long-haired Quincy could only recall the time when he was first approached by Yhwach. But that was many, many years ago.

Being a survivor of the destructive war between Shinigamis and Quincies, Äs Nödt was bedridden and he was at his deathbed. As an ordinary Quincy and a religious man, Äs was always told that when he died, he would either go to hell or heaven. This thought always made him scared as he didn't know if he would go to heaven or hell. But Äs being a survivor in the battles caught the interest of Yhwach, who approached him at the bed and offered him power. He promised Äs that he would make him an instrument of fear. This resulted in the long-haired man being granted a Schrift, and he was eventually inducted into the Sternritters.

"Your Majesty. I am afraid. Will I die? Will I go to hell? Forgive me, Your Majesty. Don't be angry with me. I am afraid, afraid of pain, afraid of being hurt. I am afraid" these were the final words of Äs Nödt, as the frozen Quincy soon disintegrated into nothingness.

Rukia stood in her Bankai form, her clothes composed of a white kimono. Even her hair and eyes had been changed into pure ice. She closely resembled Yuki Onna from Japanese folklore. The young woman stood there and watched as everything around her froze, even though the buildings around here were made if ice. But even though she was in her Bankai form, she had yet not learned how to control it.

"Rukia…..calm yourself" the low voice coming from Byakuya could be heard, as her adoptive brother stood beside her. Rukia saw him and slowly focused on her Zanpakutou eventually, reverting back to her former self. It took a while before the freezing stopped and when it was over, the young woman sighed deeply. "Your Bankai is indeed splendid, but without knowing how to control, it could end up freezing even allies. I narrowly managed to escape when you unleashed it" the black-haired man told the Lieutenant of Squad 13, as she stood and listened.

"Brother…." That was the only world Rukia could utter, as she watched him.

But surprisingly, Byakuya began bowing his head before the young girl in a formal manner, and it intrigued and surprised Rukia at the same time. Never before had she seen him doing this before her, as it was always the opposite.

"And by the way…thank you for stepping in. It appears that I naively underestimated Äs Nödt once again. If not for your intervention, I would've been lost in the endless depths of despair" he told her with both honesty and clarity. As Rukia stood and listened, the young woman eventually formed a smile at him, before Byakuya turned around and was ready to move. "Come Rukia. Let us go protect the Soul Society. It is our duty as members of the Court Guard after all" Byakuya said and Rukia happily obliged and followed him.

But as they were moving, it was apparent that Byakuya was not 100 % feeling comfortable. His confrontation with Äs had managed to awaken horrifying memories of the past, something that he had hoped would be left behind. But was foolish to believe as such.

"The enemy knows about the Interminables as well. But that is not surprising, considering that they have been hidden in the Sereitei for ages" the Captain of Squad 6 noted in his thoughts as he was walking, but there was something else on his mind. In one of Äs' illusions, he had witnessed a young Orihime and his older brother Sora on the run, as well as seeing a forest on fire. "Was what I saw true? Is Orihime Inoue an Interminable? I don't understand….." these thoughts began to haunt his mind, yet he tried his best to focus on what was ahead of him.

* * *

 _Not far from the walls of Silbern_

One of the Sternritters' members, Robert Accutrone was surveying the urban landscape with his perceptive eyes behind the glasses. Unlike their opponents, the Quincies were able to read and locate each other amidst this high dense of Reishi covering the Sereitei. That means, they could also tell which of the Quncies had been defeated, and which of them was still alive. The elderly man took careful steps at the end of a building's roof while detecting Spiritual Pressures.

"I see" he lowly noted while surveying the landscape. "Two Sternritters have fallen to the enemy: Mask De Masculine and Äs Nödt. Why am I not surprised? They both lacked perception as Sternritters" he went on, expressing his slight distaste of his fellow Sternritters.

"But hey! I ain't lacking in perception, am I?" Robert heard a voice, yet didn't turn around to look, as it was Bazz-B, having just approached him while having his hands in his pockets. The Quincy with the pink Mohawk simply smirked as he approached the four-eyed man. "Hey, how are you doin'?" he asked in a laid-back manner.

Yet Robert showed no pleasantry in return and continued to stare towards the cityscape. "Weren't you supposed to be eradicating the enemy, Bazz-B?" he questioned him sternly.

"Tch, I was about to kill one of the captains, but then Cang intervened and told me he had permission from His Majesty to kill the little punk. But as they were fighting, Cang lost his Bankai and got his ass frozen into a cross, but that was not just it" Bazz-B was telling his story while narrowing his eyes. "Once Cang thawed out and was about to bust the captain's, His Majesty appeared, insisting that he spared him and his lieutenant! What kind of crap is he pulling, getting all cozy with them!?" he demanded in slight anger.

While listening to Bazz-B-s tale, Robert could not help but to feel slightly concerned about the actions of his liege. If he was to believe the hot-headed Sternritter's story, then it looked like Yhwach did not wish for the captain and lieutenant to die. Something was not feeling right.

"Why would His Majesty spare the lives of Shinigamis?" the four-eyed man wondered in his head. Being a veteran among the Sternritters, Robert knew all the outrageous things Yhwach could come up with when it came to his underlings. But he had not been expecting to hear this. "Just what is he thinking?" Robert added to his thoughts.

"Hello there gentlemen! Mind if we join you?" a flamboyant voice came from behind the two Sternritters and once again, Robert decided not to turn around to see who it was. However, Bazz-B did that and he only fixed a disapproving glance on seeing Sternritter D: Askin Nakk Le Vaar and Sternritter L: PePe Waccabrada standing behind them. Askin could notice the look on Bazz-B's face and got only confused. "Why the long face? Aren't you happy to see us?" the stylish Sternritter quizzed him.

Bazz-B simply scoffed at them in return. "Take a guess" he simply told them with sarcasm.

"I honestly can't take a guess, Bazz-B. Because I am not the type of guy to read your thoughts and feeling" Askin said in return.

"Just ignore him, Askin. That reckless fool always treat everyone like garbage anyways" PePe pointed out, only for him use Hirenkiyaku to avoid a shot coming from Bazz-B's Burning Finger 1. PePe got furious. "What the hell is your problem, you hot-headed idiot!?" the chubby, white-bearded man angrily demanded from him.

Bazz-B only glared at him with his angry glance and gritted his teeth in irritation. "Back off" he told him in a threatening manner. "Otherwise, I'm gonna put a fire bullet in your fat ass and see if you love that!" he added to his threats.

PePe got angry over being spoken to like this, but before he could make any move, Robert made a coughing sound, which made both him and Askin focus their attentions on him. The elderly man had finally turned around, and was glancing at them with nothing but distaste.

"Why are you bothering me, Nakk Le Vaar?" Robert sternly asked him.

"Miserable as always, I see" Askin remarked with sarcasm and then fixed a cunning look on his face. "Anyways, you guys better watch your backs from now on. Believe it or not, His Majesty has sent out Gremmy to the battlefield" he revealed to them.

Both Bazz-B and Robert had widened eyes of surprise by hearing Askin's revelation. In fact, Robert turned around and could feel the familiar Spiritual Pressure in the air. "Apparently, you speak the truth, Nakk Le Vaar. Even now, I can sense Gremmy's Spirtual Pressure lurking amongst the buildings. Just where is he headed at?" Robert wondered while gazing out to the cityscape.

Askin simply shrugged his shoulders. "Beats me. But it is obvious that Gremmy will be fighting in the battle now. Me and PePe were hoping to go and see on who his opponent might be. Wanna tag along?" the commented and suddenly asked both him and Bazz-B if he would like to accompany them.

Before Robert could reply, he sensed two Spiritual Pressures not far from the location of where Gremmy's Spiritual Pressure was. It was apparent that they were headed towards Silbern. The elderly man's eyes became focused on those. "I don't have time getting myself involved in Gremmy's kafuffles. I still have orders to fulfill, and that is eliminating the enemy army. I expect all of you to know the same thing. So do as His Majesty ordered us and find Shinigami vermin skulking around the streets. This battle depends on us" Robert told them and suddenly dived from the end of the building and towards the wall of the building next door. But instead of crashing into it, Robert simply got sucked into it and thus landed on the floor inside the building. The man with the moustache adjusted his glasses as he landed and proceeded to run through the hallway. "My Schrift is the letter N – The Narrower. With this and the help of Reishi, I can enter building and other objects by simply walking through them. With that, I should be able to reach the place where those Spiritual Pressures are" Robert noted in his head before jumping through a window, once again, not breaking anything.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Author's note: This chapter was solely focused on the battle in the Sereitei. It featured both scenes loyal to the canon story, and some original changes to at least one scene, the fight between Rukia and Äs. Now what are Uryu's plans now that he knows more about Yhwach? Only time will tell, as even both Yhwach and Haschwalth are uncertain about his motives. The next chapter will also be focused on the Stereitei, but we will also be going back to El Dorado and see how things are progressing there. And by the way, here are some new terms we have learned in this chapter.**

 **Mirathem – meaning Hero of God: This is the Quincy: Vollständig belonging to Mask De Masculine. When he unleashes it, it gives him both physical strength, as well as a cape made of Reishi. It also involves a lot about stars as well.**

 **Leben Kapsel – German for "Life Capsule": These enigmatic capsules have a unique ability to heal any Quincy that dwells inside the blue, bubbling water. How they came to be remains a mystery, but experts say that it was something to do with the Reishi that exists inside the waters.**

 **And just to remind everyone who reads here: since Tite Kubo did not reveal the Schrifts belonging to BG9 and Robert Accutrone, I have decided to give them that by naming them K – The Knowledge and N – The Narrower, respectively. I hope you enjoyed reading.**


	17. Death in Vision

**Author's note: This chapter will be focused on the ongoing battle between Shinigamis and Quincies in the Soul Society and explain you the fight between Kenpachi and Gremmy as it happened, in my story, that is. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 17: Death in Vision**

 _Inside the Department of Research and Development, Sereitei, Soul Society_

"Now this is a sight for sore eyes!" Urahara exclaimed to his fellow scientists and researchers while being on his computer. Even President and Captain of Squad 12 Mayuri Kurotsuchi, as well as Vice-President Akon was focusing their attentions on the laid-back Shinigami as he spoke with so much delight in his voice. "Believe it or not, both Renji and Rukia managed to defeat their opponents!" he revealed to them.

There were different reactions to the news, with some smiling and raising the voices as a cheer, while others were simply stunned and surprised. Apparently, they didn't expect two lieutenants to be able to defeat Sternritters, whose powers were equal to or greater than that of a Shinigami captain.

"So Lieutenants Abarai and Kuchiki are still alive? If so, then they must've gotten stronger since the last invasion" Akon remarked by what he was hearing.

Urahara faced him smugly. "Actually, I think we have the training they received from the Royal Guard to thank for it. It was a good idea letting them stay and recuperate in the Royal Realm" the blonde-haired man explained to him.

"But good news comes with bad news, don't forget about that" the voice of Mayuri interrupted them all and they looked at the Shinigami in weird clothing as he was staring at the screen of his computer. "While two Spiritual Pressures belonging to the enemy forces has vanished, so have those of Captain Rojuro Otoribashi of Squad 3 and Captain Kensei Mugurama of Squad 9. The last time I checked, they were with Lieutenant Kotetsu of Squad 4" the scientist remarked while clicking on his dashboard.

Urahara only frowned by hearing this. "So two more captains have vanished, I see. But what about Shuhei Hisagi?" he then asked him.

"Fortunatley, his Spiritual Pressure is still intact, as are those Madarame and Ayasegawa from Squad 11" Mayuri replied by focusing on his screen. "But there is something I don't understand. Where are Ukitake, Kyoraku and Zaraki? Even now, I cannot detect them on the screen" he wondered while clicking on his dashboard.

Before Urahara could respond, everyone got interrupted by Akon. "Confirmed! I have discovered Captain Zaraki's Spiritual Pressure. He is within the Sereitei as we speak!" Akon revealed as he watched the radar.

The blonde-haired man smiled by hearing this. "Well that's good to hear. Considering our situation, he is one of the trump cards the 13 Court Guard Squads has" Urahara remarked cunningly and looked at his own screen. "With him on our side, our hold against the Wandenreich are guaranteed" he went on explaining.

* * *

 _Near a large structure in the icy cityscape_

Isana Kotetsu and Hanataro Yamada had secretly erected a Kido-barrier in a basement, where they were treating injured Shinigami, among them Rose and Kensei. With the help of Squad 11's lieutenant: Yachiru Kusajishi, Isane and Hanataro had hoped to treat the injured Shinigami they could find near their location. But sadly, their operations had not go unnoticed.

First, they were attacked by a tiny, old and cantankerous Quincy named Guenael Lee, who claimed that he was a Sternritter which forced all Shinigamis to take him seriously. Isane had activated her Zanpakutou and was trying to attack him, only for Guenael to quickly vanish in front of her. In fact, only Yachiru was fast enough to respond, and she managed to predict Guenael's attacks from different directions. She even did that with the help of her Zanpakutou: Sanpo Kenju.

However, it turned out that Guenael was not actually a real Quincy, but only a byproduct made by another Sternritter. This was Sternritter V – The Visionary: Gremmy Thoumeaux, who had to everyone's shock, managed to break the Kido-barrier with ease and was sitting on the bed where both Rose and Kensei were lying in recovery. Before Isane and Hanataro could say any further, Gremmy had simply told them that he had killed them while they were busy with Guaneal, whom he had also disposed of not long after.

Yachiru quickly rushed to fight Gremmy, but the Quincy, who looked like a young boy, easily avoided her slashes and even went on using his powers on her. That was the power of imagination, or imagination realization as his Schrift had granted him. While blocking Yachiru's punch, Gremmy simply imagined all of the young girl's bones being made of cookies, thus making her fall onto the floor.

But a savior was around the corner, as Kenpachi Zaraki arrived and stopped Gremmy from killing his lieutenant and the two medics. Both Isane and Hanataro were relieved to see him arrive, as they knew very well that since the Wandenreich's previous invasion, he and their late captain: Retsu Unohana had fought a deadly battle, a battle that would open Kenpachi's true potential as an undefeated warrior. The aggressive captain from Squad 11 challenged Gremmy, who was more than happy to oblige. In fact, the Sternritter even created a large and towering structure that would serve as their arena.

With both Kenpachi and Yachiru taken up with to the top with Gremmy, Isane and Hanataro had quickly reached to the unconscious bodies of Kensei and Rose, who had been briefly lifted up into the air before falling off. Luckily, the two medics managed to catch them and proceeded to land safe narrowly. As they landed onto the ground, they briefly looked up to see the tall and imposing structure that had been erected. Both of them were stunned.

"How can something like this happen?" Hanataro asked while looking up.

"I have no idea" Isane answered beneath her breath. But she eventually faced the young boy. "Whatever it is, we will have to trust Captain Zaraki to deal with that Quincy. In the meantime, we will have to find a place to heal both Mugurama and Otoribashi" the tall woman explained and they both ran while carrying the bodies of the bandages captains.

Both Isane and Hanataro made sure to get far away from the structure as quickly as possible, since they knew that there was gonna be chaos atop it. Therefore, they would need a peaceful place to stay at with the two captains.

After getting far away as they could, Hanataro suddenly smiled in relief as he discovered something he had not been expecting to find in this transformed environment. Isane wondered why he was so happy about it.

"Look!" Hanataro said and suddenly removed some of the ice and suddenly lifted up something. "It's one of the many entrances to the Sereitei's sewer lines! Why didn't we use it before? Now quick! Enter!" he said to Isane, who was surprised to see this.

"The sewer lines?" Isane uttered lowly while briefly looking around the place they were in. "I am skeptical about this, but it sounds better than just waltzing around carrying the captains" the silver-haired lieutenant admitted and proceeded to climb down the ladder while carrying the two captains, although it put a lot of pressure into her.

Hanataro was the last to climb down and before he closed the entrance, he made sure that no one was watching them entering. So far, neither of them had detected any Spiritual Pressures lurking around them. That only made things more comfortable for them.

As the two medics climbed down the ladder, they were in for a surprise by seeing that despite the changes on the surface, the sewer lines remained the same as they were before the invasion. The sewers in the Sereitei was a clean place, considering that one of Squad 4's tasks was to clean them. Isane had not been inside them that much, but Hanataro knew the sewer lines better than any other Shinigami.

"Stranger" Isane noted while carrying the captains. "I didn't expect the sewers to remain unaffected by the transformation, as it also lies inside the Shakonmaku along with the Sereitei" the Lieutenant of Squad 4 said while looking around.

Hanataro chuckled nervously. "Well, I just hope that we can treat the captains in peace here. None of the Quincies may realize that he have these sewers….AHHHHH!" he suddenly shouted in fear, as the ground began shaking and a loud explosion could be heard from above. It made him fall onto his behind, but the noise soon ended. "Man…...that was close….." the timid Shinigami said while panting.

"There is already chaos above us" Isane noted, but she could not help but to feel a hint of shame inside of her, and Hanataro noticed it. "You know, there are still a lot of members of Squad 4 that we haven't been able to contact. Iemura, Harunobu and Aoga are all lost, and we don't if they are dead or alive" the tall woman added.

Hanataro looked at her with sympathy. "Are you saying that you think you were negligent with keeping track on them?" he lowly asked her. The young medic could not believe his eyes. "Don't be ridiculous! None of us could ever predict that the Quincies would use this kind of tactic to invade the Sereitei, not even you!" he answered while pointing it out.

"But Captain Unohana is gone! And since we don't have chosen a new captain, the leadership of Squad 4 is on my shoulders!" the young woman snapped out in anger, although she quickly regretted it. Isane felt ashamed of herself and faced the floor while watching the bodies of the captains. Hanataro sat beside her. "I'm sorry, Hanataro. But regardless of what squad you're in, being a lieutenant sure has a toll on you" she admitted sadly.

The clumsy, but kind-hearted Shinigami only glanced at her with a sad smile, and he eventually put a hand around her back, thus surprising the tall woman. The two medics smiled, as they knew that even in battle, they had to hold on.

"Thank you Hanataro" she thanked him and then focused her attention on the bodies, sighing lightly while seeing them. "Now we better try out best to bring them back to life" she told her comrade as he listened and nodded.

"Oooooh! I cannot believe what I am seeing!" both medics snapped and quickly turned around to see four female Sternritters stand in the sewers. It was Sternritter Z – The Zombie : Giselle Gewelle, Sternritter P – The Power: Meninas McAllon, Sternritter G – The Glutton: Liltotto Lamperd and Sternritter T – The Thunderbolt: Candice Catnipp. Giselle was the one wo had spoken. "We find these wonderful tunnels, only to stumble upon a couple of enemies!" Giselle added gleefully while admiring the sewers.

Liltotto simply groaned in irritation. "They are sewer lines, you idiot" she berated Giselle before focusing her attention on Hanataro and Isane. "Anyway, what are you Shinigamis doing here? Hiding like cowardly rats, perhaps?" she asked them while mocking their dignity.

Isane gritted her teeth in anger and drew her Zanpakutou. "You shut your mouth, Quincy! I am Leutenant of Squad 4: Isane Kotetsu!" she hit back while sweating in the process.

Candice simply scoffed at her threats and took a few steps forwards. "Like we care! We're still gonna kill you so…nothing personal!" she said with a hint of humor in her voice.

"Hanataro!" Isane called on to him and he looked at her. "You stay here and watch the captains! I will deal with them!" she told him strictly.

Hanataro felt dumbfounded. "You against four!? That's insane!" he exclaimed.

"Just do as I say!" Isane told him strictly once again and faced the Sternritters with slight determination. "Run! Itegumo!" she activated her Shikai and readied herself.

Candice forced a smirk about seeing Hanataro treating the captains. "So, you're trying to treat those Shinigami captains? That means you're nothing but medics!" she exclaimed with a taunt. "Those two already look dead to me" she went on bashing them.

By hearing this, Giselle's face was filled with excitement over hearing the word dead. "Dead Shinigami captains? That's terrific!" the young girl exclaimed and took slow steps towards Hanataro, only for Isane to block her way.

"Don't move! Otherwise I will attack you!" Isane warned her while feeling uneasy.

By hearing this, Giselle spread out her arms and faced the tall Shinigami joyfully. "I'm sorry but I really wanna have some zombies to serve" she said and proceeded to walk towards Isane, who only backed away further. "What's wrong? I thought you said you were gonna attack me" Giselle told the tall woman, who didn't seem afraid to be cut or slashed.

Isane could not take this anymore and she was about to attack Giselle out of stress, only for Meninas to suddenly appear beside her. The pink-haired girl then grabbed Isane's arm firmly and swung her against the nearby wall. The tall woman was feeling the pain as she eventually fell on her back, dropping Itegumo.

"Lieutenant Kotetsu!" Hanataro cried out hysterically only for him to feel lightning almost hitting him, much to his fear and shock.

It was Candice's doing. "You're so goddamn annoying! Can't you shut up for a second!?" she impatiently asked her while feeling annoyed by Hanataro.

Giselle faced Meninas with a goofy glance. "Why did you attack her, Meni? I could've handled her" she asked the pink-haired girl.

"She sounded so stressed out, so I thought about helping her come back to her senses" she simply replied, causing Giselle to simply shrug her shoulders.

"Whatever you say, I've got some zombies to make!" the black-haired girl said and took steps towards Hanataro, who was standing before the captains while drawing his Zanpakutou. "Now will you be so kind and step aside? I would really like to have those two?" Giselle asked him.

Hanataro froze while not knowing what to do. "No…I won't allow it!" he said uneasily, even though he carried little a hint of bravery before the Sternritter.

Giselle only smiled goofily in return. "Well, if you won't do as I say, then I guess we're gonna have to do it the hard wa..ARRGGHHHH!" the Sternritter was suddenly kicked into her left cheek by none other than Yachiru. The young Lieutenant of Squad 11 was doing that while flying in the air. The kick sent Giselle flying away in in the tunnel, eventually landing in the water.

Yachiru landed and simply huffed while seeing this. "Now that is just rude, lady!" she said before facing Isane, who along with Hanataro was stunned to see here in the sewers. The little pinkette smiled. "Sorry for being late, Kotetchin. Kenny told me to go help you with finding a safer place" she told Isane.

The tall woman was stunned. "Yeah, but how did you find us here?" Isane asked her, as she knew that Yachiru had a bad sense of direction.

The young girl simply made a thinking gesture. "Well, after reaching down to the ground, I could feel your Spiritual Pressure, but since I could not find you in the streets, I simply made a hole in the ground and soon heard your voice" she told her gleefully.

Both Isane and Hanataro were dumbfounded by that statement, as they didn't know whether to be impressed or disappointed. Nevertheless, their confusion was only for a brief moment, as the three Shinigamis saw the other Sternritters readying themselves. Candice was loading lighting on her hands while grinning at Yachiru.

"How the hell did a little squirt like you become a lieutenant?" she mockingly asked before bursting out into laughter. "But who cares? I'm gonna electrocute your hide, shorty!" Candice added with a taunt.

Liltotto stepped beside her. "Don't get cocky, Candi. You're not gonna have her by yourself!" she pointed out while her mouth began transforming into something monstrous. "I'm growing hungry, and I need something fresh to bite on" she told her, causing Candece to simply roll her eyes.

Yachiru was facing the two female Sternritters, but she had almost ignored Meninas, who was so close in grabbing her. But with her impressive reflexes, Yachiru vanished with her Shunpo, thus surprising Meninas.

"What!? Where did she….." Meninas was interrupted by a kick onto her head from behind, as Yachiru delivered it at her. This resulted in the tall Sternritter falling onto the water, but it was shallow water. Yachiru stood on Meninas's back as she lied in the water, although it was not dirty.

The little girl quickly noticed that Liltotto was using her ability to stretch her mouth as far as she could. This mouth of her was a maw filled with sharp teeth. The little Quincy girl was determined to actually eat Yachiru, but as the long maw was opening to eat her, the pink-haired girl ran avoided it by jumping above it. To her opponent's surprise, Yachiru landed on the long maw and ran on it to reach Liltotto, who immediately tried to revert her mouth back into normal.

"Damn it! She's using my ability to her advantage!" Liltotto cursed but could suddenly see Yachiru jump from her spot as Liltotto had begun reverting her mouth back into normal. "She's really fast!" the Sternritter noted, but suddenly felt a painful headbutt into her face, causing her to howl in agony and eventually land in the water on her back, with Yachiru landing on Liltotto's stomach.

The little girl rubbed her forehead. "Ouch! You really have a hard face, to be honest" she told Liltotto as the lieutenant was standing on the Sternritter's stomach, since she was rubbing her entire face painfully.

But Yachiru suddenly heard shock nearby, as Candice was angrily charging a lightning bolt into her right hand, feeling angry about seeing her friends getting beat up so easily. She was furious. "You're SO gonna pay for that, you little brat! Suck on this!" she yelled angrily and aimed her attack on Yachiru standing on Liltotto's stomach.

"NO! STOP IT, CANDI! YOU'RE ONLY…" Liltotto's pleas was too late, as the lighting hit her. Yachiru had managed to vanish from her stomach by using Shunpo and landed besides Isane.

But as the lightning hit Liltotto, it also spread across the entire water and both Meninas and Giselle, who were in the water was affected by it as well. The electrifying was powerful, but not powerful enough to kill them all. However, the three Sternritters felt the pain while lightning enveloped on the water. Seeing her actions, Candice felt both shocked and humiliated over hurting her own comrades.

Isane was surprised by seeing this. "Unbelievable! Yachiru managed to knock two of them down in the water, and tricked that one to electrify the water, as water and electricity don't mix well" she noted in her head.

Hanataro was also impressed. "Like Captain Zaraki, Lieutenant Kusajishi never went to the Shin'o Academy. Yet she managed to hold her ground against these Quincies, even without her captain at her side" the timid Shinigami remarked in his head while seeing this. "Maybe she's learned much by seeing how Captain Zaraki fights his opponents" Hanataro then wondered, admitting he was kind of impressed.

Yachiru faced Isane with her girly smile. "Are you alright, Kotetchin?" she asked her.

Isane only smiled in return and got up on her knees. "I'm fine" she said in return. "Just a little hurt from an attack earlier, but fine nevertheless" she added to her insistence.

"YOU LITTLE BITCH!" an angry shout could be heard and it came from Candice, who was enveloping lighting all around her body. All three Shinigamis could see this with fearful eyes, as they had never expected her powers to be that destructive. The blonde-haired woman faced Yachiru deadly. "YOU DARE HUMILIATE ME!? HUMILIATE US!? I WILL TURN YOU INTO NOTHING BUT BONES!" she yelled and was about to angrily jump right over to attack Yachiru.

"That is enough, Candice Catnipp" a stern and commanding voice could be heard from the tunnel in which Giselle was lying. But all female Sternritters snapped when hearing the voice, and those who were in the water immediately rose up and watched as someone exited the shadow of the tunnel. All the Shinigamis' eyes widened, as none other than Yhwach emerged from the shadows. The long-haired man simply smirked underneath his moustache. "I could not help but to hear someone make such noise in these tunnels. Even from Silbern, I could hear it" he commented at what he was seeing.

Candice was surprised by what he was seeing. "Y-Your Majesty! What are you doing here!?" exclaimed in surprise.

Hearing this caused Yhwach to immediately glance at her with a frown and a dispassionate look. "Did you not just hear what I said to you, imbecile!?" he strictly berated Candice, causing the blonde-haired girl to snap in fear. The long-haired man proceeded to take steps forward. "Hmm, I see that all of you managed to get beaten by a little girl. How embarrassing" he commented while facing Yachiru. But it was apparent that he said that out of admiration of the little girl instead of the opposite.

Yachiru simply glanced at the tall man with her wondering eyes, not as much as moving a muscle to attack him. Yhwach briefly gave her an approving nod before moving on to where the two captains were lying.

Hanataro had already been standing beside the bodies, and didn't even bother looking at the Quincy Emperor. Deep inside, he could feel the enormous amount of Spiritual Pressure dwelling inside of him. The Shinigami shivered by feeling it. But it was not the first time he had felt such power.

"Such enormous Spiritual Pressure….." Hanataro noted in his head. "I haven't felt something like this since my time in Hueco Mundo!" he admitted to himself, recalling when he had felt Augustus Zod Allowin's Spiritual Pressure.

"Is there something you have on your mind?" Hanataro snapped as Yhwach suddenly asked the timid medic, causing him to gulp. Yhwach was only glancing at him sideways. "Based upon your behavior, it isn't the first time you have felt this type of Spiritual Pressure, is it?" he questioned him.

Hanataro was stunned by his words. "Did he just read my mind!?" he wondered aloud, feeling very insecure at the same time. However, he got an idea on how to regain his confidence. Sucking it up, he took a brief glance at Yhwach, even though he was not brave. "I'm thinking about a friend of mine, someone that I know indeed is powerful. And that is the Substitute Shinigami: Ichigo Kurosaki" the timid boy revealed, although he was lying.

Hearing this caused Yhwach to immediately form a smirk. "Ichigo Kurosaki, huh? Then I take it you are one of his friends, I suppose" he remarked, eventually letting out an evil chuckle. "What a delusional creature! I am only wasting time with you" he said and suddenly pointed his hand palm at Hanataro, thus sending him flying in the air, eventually landing onto the floor.

"Hanataro!" Isane shouted with worry at the young boy. In her anger, she rose up to feet and was preparing to attack Yhwach. She jumped into the air. "You Quincy-scum!" she yelled at him.

"Meninas, take care of this vermin" Yhwach issued an order and before Isane knew it, Meninas appeared before her, having used Hirenkiyaku. The pink-haired Sternritter used held her fists together and slammed the silver-haired lieutenant, thus sending her down to the shallow water.

Forcing a chuckle, Yhwach returned his focus on the two lying captains before him. The black-haired man kneeled down to see them. "Rojuro Otoribashi and Kensei Mugurama. Once proud captains in the 13 Court Guard Squads. Became victims of Sosuke Aizen's Hollowfication-program and banished from the Soul Society to live as exiles. Your only returned to your posts as captains recently" he began speaking to himself while seeing them lying there for dead. "Now, you lie there in defeat, all thanks to one simple attack. And to think that you weren't even able to defeat one of the Sternritters. But despite seeing this, I am still going to give you both a chance. Everyone who has potential deserves a second chance" he went on explaining and began holding each of his hands over Rose and Kensei respectively.

Meanwhile, most of the Sternritters were stunned by seeing what their liege was doing in front of them. "What is His Majesty doing?" Liltotto wondered in her head.

Giselle was fixing a gleeful look on her face. "Is His Majesty making zombies? I'm getting turned on!" she admitted in her thoughts.

"Blut Vene: Freigeben" Yhwach said he began extending his Blut Vene outside his fingers. The Blut Vene fell down on each of the captains' faces and even began infiltrating their mouths and earholes. As the veins began infesting on the two captains, Yhwach began saying something he had said before. "You have no reason to fight me, or a reason to doubt me, all that you deserve is a deep sleep. You will sleep for eternity, but when the time comes, you will awaken, this time as new warriors…new fighters…...new knights. So close your eyes and sleep, because when you wake up…...all that you will see is peace" Yhwach was finished and he could remove the Blut Vene that had been infiltrating the two captains. Standing up, he once again aimed his palms at the lying captains and said a familiar word. "Sankt Traum" he said and all of a sudden, both Kensei and Rose disappeared from their position.

As Yhwach turned around to leave, he could see that Yachiru was still standing at her usual spot, not moving a muscle. She had been like this ever since Yhwach had showed himself in the sewers. Surprisinlgy, the Emperor of the Wandenreich simply smiled smugly at the little girl.

"So, you are not going to attack me? A wise decision indeed, Yachiru Kusajishi" Yhwach complimented her and was about to move on, but not before saying some parting words to the pinkette. "Fight if you must, little girl. But sooner or later, your own feelings will not betray you. Because deep down inside, there lies a hungry beast, waiting to prove itself superior, even to species that are stronger than it. Make your decision. I will be waiting..…..patiently" Yhwach was finished and began moving.

Having heard enough, the young girl simply turned around and proceeded to move towards the direction she came from. The Sternritters had been too confused to even go after Yachiru. They were completely stunned at what had just happened. Nevertheless, they were strictly prohibited from questioning his methods.

* * *

 _In another corner of the icy cityscape_

Byakuya and Rukia had been dealing with hordes of Soldats marching through the streets. But that was not all. On the rooftops, lines of Quincy arches were aiming their Heilig Bogens at the Kuchiki-pair and fired swarms of Heilig Pfiels. But thanks to his mastering of his Shikai, Byakuya used Senbonzakura's cherry blossom blades to act as a shield against the incoming arrows made of Reishi.

Emerging from Byakua, Rukia was preparing to use a Kido-spell towards the enemies. "Hado 73: Soren Sokatsui!" she exclaimed and fired blue energy from her fingers towards the Quincy archers. She managed to destroy the end of the building, thereby forcing them to either change positions or flee. But since the majority of the archers were gone, the rest had fled, knowing that as long as they were few, they could not take on a Shinigami captain.

"Clever move there, Rukia. Your talents in Kido sometimes exceeds my expectations" Byakuya commented while praising her abilities.

Rukia only smiled smugly in return. "Well, it was you who taught me that after all" she pointed out and proceeded to scan the area for any more Soldats or other Quincies. "These streets seem quiet. But it is too soon to get dismissive" the black-haired woman remarked.

Byakuya simply nodded at her in return. "Well said" he noted and also scanned the area for any enemies. However, his eyes suddenly caught the sight of a new line of Quincy archers standing in line at the building Rukia had just attacked. "They are back. And have brought with them reinforcements" the black-haired man noted while narrowing his eyes.

"Wait, there is something else. Look brother! They are making way for someone!" Rukia said, as she noticed that the Quincies were expecting something.

Stepping aside, the Quincy archers gave free way to Sternritter N – The Narrower: Robert Accutrone. The elderly man simply glanced upon the Kuchiki-couple, hinting at nothing but disdain for what he saw.

"What good are a couple of Shinigami-ants against the might of the Wandenreich?" he asked loud enough for even the Kuchiki-couple to hear. "I grow tired of seeing your kind sleek around our wonderful city" Robert added to his statement.

While Byakuya remained cool, Rukia could not stand hearing this, so she angrily pointed an accusing finger at the Sternritter. "The Sereitei is rightfully ours! You Quincies have no place here!" the black-haired woman angrily spat out.

Robert's expression remained unfazed and his eyes behind his glasses narrowed. "Such ignorance" he noted with a frown underneath his moustache All of a sudden, he vanished from his sight, surprising both Rukia and Byakuya.

"That Quincy just vanished!" Byakuya noted and began looking around quickly. "Was that even a Hirenkiyaki?" he added to his thoughts.

But the Kuchiki-pair was in for a surprise, as Robert walked right through the building before them on ground level. He didn't even used to door. The elderly man simply stared at them with little amusement in his eyes.

"Brother, that Quincy just walked right through the building like it was nothing" Rukia noted lowly to Byakuya.

He simply glanced seriously towards Robert. "Judging from what you just performed, I take it you are one of the Sternritters, am I right?" Byakuya lowly asked the four-eyed man.

Surprisingly, Robert formed a smug smile underneath his moustache. "How very perceptive of you, Shinigami captain. Allow me to introduce myself formally to you soul-dwelling insects" he explained and bowed his head with formality. "I am Sternritter N – The Narrower: Robert Accutrone. The Schrift I was given by His Majesty allows me to walk through any objects with ease. With the help of Reishi, that is" Robert introduced himself.

"Well, then I take it that what you did on the top of that building, you used your ability to simply fall through the building, until you reached to ground level" Byakuya then said.

Robert still smiled smugly. "I salute your talents, wise one" he commended him and suddenly aimed his Reishi Pistols at the Kuchiki-pair. "But your time has come. Now, meet your end, false followers of the Soul King!" he declared and fired both pistols.

Byakuya quickly stepped in and was preparing a Kido-spell. "Bakudo 81: Danku" he said and a wall was created to protect himself and Rukia from Robert's attack.

At first, Robert was surprised by seeing this wall. However, that surprise soon formed into a cunning smirk beneath his moustache. "Ignorant fools" he said with delight.

Before one of the Kuchikis knew it, the Reishi Bullets simply pierced through the wall, thus hitting both Rukia and Byakuya on their right shoulder and left shoulder respectively. The shots were painful for them to feel and as they felt the affect, the Kido-spell ceased and the Kuchiki-couple were brought to their knees clutching their injuries

"ARGH! BASTARD!" Byakuya shouted in agony while cursing

"WHAT HAVE DONE TO US, YOU SON OF A BITCH!?" Rukia also cursed while holding onto her bleeding shoulder.

Robert showed zero remorse for his actions and simply chuckled sadistically. "For being a captain and a lieutenant, you really lack the requirements to be such. How pathetic, just pathetic" he commented while badmouthing the two Shinigamis. Robert then began taking few steps forward towards his targets an adjusted his glasses. "If you believe that I am one of the more reckless members of the Sternritters, then you have sadly mistaken. Being a veteran, I know all what it takes to be a Sternritter in service of His Majesty" the man with the moustache added to his explanation.

* * *

 _At the tall structure in the icy cityscape_

After sending away Yachiru Kenpachi Zaraki had continued battling his opponent, Sternritter V – The Visionary: Gremmy Thoumeaux, who claimed he himself was the strongest of the Sternritters. Despite the Quincy's young appearance and size, he possessed abilities that were beyond imaginable. Kenpachi and Gremmy fought in equal terms, although everything that the young Quincy threw at him, Kenpachi overcame them with his newfound strength and speed.

But at first, Kenpachi felt bored of fighting Gremmy, and he kept berating his opponent for being soft on fighting him. Gremmy, who slowly started to feel a desire to eliminate his opponent, responded by getting tougher, while slowly starting to take the match between those two seriously.

But there was one thing that Gremmy was fooled into doing. He suddenly imagined himself getting defeated by Kenpachi. This only allowed Kenpachi to take his ability to his advantage as everything that Gremmy imagined, it became a reality. When realizing that Kenpachi had been playing against him, Gremmy imagined himself fully healed and decided to end this match between them.

"Thanks to you, I was able to completely erase the image of my death. I will never risk dying again" Gremmy said and suddenly stared at his opponent with his crimson eyes. "You will regret this!" he said with a hint of anger in his voice.

Despite being spoken to like that, Kenpachi didn't seem to give much thought. "Well I never had regrets!" he said back.

But Kenpachi was in for a surprise, as he could suddenly see Gremmy making a clone of himself. That clone looked like and spoke just like the real Gremmy. The young boy stared at the Shinigami smugly. "To show you my gratitude…" the clone spoke before the real Gremmy did. "I will show you one of my strongest powers" he said.

"A clone?" Kenpachi asked mockingly before charging against his opponent. "Only a ninja or a spy would be using such techniques!" the Captain of Squad 11 boasted as he headed towards his opponent.

"It's not a clone" the clone said. "I'm my other self. I can also create life with my imagination" the real Gremmy said while noticing that Kenpachi had already made his move by swatting away the clone. But it did not die. Gremmy only mused to himself while seeing this. "You can't kill either of them. None of us will die. And in addition to that….." Gremmy stopped as his clone joined him. "The power of imagination is doubled" they said together while something appeared up in the sky.

Kenpachi's only eye widened in surprise as he looked up to see what it was. "What's….that?" he asked lowly as he could see that the meteorite almost reaching the Shakonmaku.

Gremmy only mused to himself. "It's a meteorite. And it will fall down on the Sereitei and you along with the rest will perish. Only I will be alive after it has crashed. And just to be clear with you: even if you were to kill me, it wouldn't make a difference. Because the meteorite is already a reality. The metrorite will hit the Sereitei and destroy everyone in it. Only I will survive, just as I imagined. There is nothing you can do, Kenpachi Zaraki!" the young boy enjoyed spitting out words onto his opponent.

* * *

 _All across the Sereitei_

"Captain! Urahara! Come quickly!" Akon shouted in shock while he and the other researchers were staring at the screen, that showed everyone a screen of what was happening in the skies. Mayuri and Urahara came over and both looked widened at what they were seeing. "That meteorite is heading falling down towards the Sereitei!" Akon added wit distress in his voice.

"But that's absurd! The Sereitei is protected by the Shakonmaku!" Mayuri boasted while sounding slightly uncomfortable by seeing this. "Nothing can destroy the barrier!" he added while denying that they were in danger.

"I don't think so, Kurotsuchi" Urahara said as he sweated by watching the screen. "If this is the work of one of these Sternritters…then this must indeed be a very powerful meteorite" he said, but suddenly, all the researchers and scientists could see the meteorite force itself through the Shakonmaku, slowly and steadily. This caused a huge uproar in the laboratory.

Across the Sereitei, Shinigamis and Quincies had taken notice of the giant meteorite heading down towards the Sereitei. Fear and despair clouded their eyes. Head-Captain Shunsui Kyoraku was standing beside Nanao while observing this meteorite. But while Nanao was filled with fear, Shunsui simply adjusted his hat and sighed.

"Damn…...this is really not what I had expected" he noted while and gazed towards the large structure where Kenpachi was standing on. "Oh well, we just have to wait and see whether the training Captain Zaraki received was wasted or not" the pink-clad Shinigami added.

Nanao stared at him outrageously. "HOW THE HELL CAN YOU BE CALM IN THIS SITUATION!?" she angrily demanded from him. "CAN'T YOU SEE IT!? THE METEORITE IS FALLING UPON US!" she exclaimed loudly, not understanding why her captain could be so calm in this situation.

"Calm down, Lil' Nanao!" Shunsui attempted to make her stop stressing. "If there is one man who I know can save us all now…...it is Captain Zaraki!" he firmly insisted to her, causing Nanao to only be stunned when hearing this.

At one of Silbern's icy towers, Sternritter D: Askin Nakk Le Vaar was enjoying the fireworks while seeing how the meteorite was falling down towards them all. But the flamboyant man was also sweating while seeing this. "Oh my, that monster really knows when to get real" he noted to himself while looking up. He had previously been having a picnic and had watched on Gremmy's match with a pair of binoculars. But not wanting to be caught in Gremmey's mess, he decided to retreat back to Silbern. Askin had also noticed how the meteorite had passed through the Shakonmaku with ease. In fact, he was even staring towards the large structure Gremmy was standing on. "The meteorite is so powerful that not even the Shakonmaku can hold it off. But that is to be expected, because Gremmy's power is something he's always had even prior to be granted a Schrift by His Majesty. If the rumors are to be believed in, Gremmy Thoumeaux is without a doubt….the Soul King's Brain" he noted in his thoughts.

Even inside Silbern, there was an uproar about the giant meteorite being headed for them all. Haschwalth had strictly ordered the Soldats to protect Yhwach, who was currently watching the view by his balcony, with Uryu tagging along. While Uryu was completely shocked over seeing this, his liege was simply looking at the scene with his normal glance. The Prinz von Lichts could not believe his eyes.

"Your Majesty….." Uryu asked his emperor. "How can you be so calm in this situation!? If that meteorite hits the Sereitei, all of us will die!" the raven-haired man pointed out to the long-haired man, who did not seem to be taking Uryu seriously.

However, Yhwach eventually formed a smile of satisfaction by seeing the meteorite. "Excellent work, Gremmy. Now let us see if Zaraki has been improving since the previous invasion" the emperor finally spoke up, his voice not containing a hint of despair. "Prove to me that you are worthy of facing me, Kenpachi Zaraki. Prove to me by cutting that meteorite!" he spoke out loud as if he was trying to call out to Kenpachi to do what he said, even though they were far away from one another. Uryu only glanced at his liege with nothing but surprise.

Sternritter U – The Underbelly: NaNaNa Najakhoop had also been watching the scene, as he was holding Renji at his mercy. While Renji was filled with shock over seeing the meteorite, NaNaNa only sat by a stairway and whistled in amazement by what he was witnessing.

"Dayum! Gremmy is one, crazy fool! How in the hell does that little mothafucka come up with this shit!?" he wondered in his thoughts while seeing the meteorite, as it was descending down towards the Sereitei. Yet despite this, NaNaNa was not scared at all by what he was seeing. "I just hope this stops soon. Cuz if I die, then I'm gonna school Gremmy's ass in the afterlife!" he added to his thoughts while taking a glance at Renji, who was still struggling with being paralyzed.

* * *

 _Back to the tall structure_

As the meteorite was nearing the tall structure, Kenpachi's formerly stunned look quickly changed into that of gleefulness and he brandished his Zanpakutou while facing the giant ball of destruction. He had heard what Gremmy had told him when imagining the meteorite.

"Nothing I can do, you say?" he asked while gazing up at the glowing ball of destruction. "You're the one who can't do anything anymore!" he hit back before jumping up towards the meteorite. Gremmy was stunned by seeing Kenpachi doing that, as it turned out that he was deterimend to actually try and cut the meteorite in half, or at least to bits. But only with his Zanpakutou? Kenpachi was gazing into the glowing ball, suddenly doing something he never thought he would do in his lifetime: activating his own Shikai. "DRINK! NOZARASHI!" Kenpachi exclaimed as he activated his Shikai and his Zanpakutou transformed into a taller and more cleaving blade.

With simply one slash, the meteorite exploded into many lesser pieces, eventually raining down upon the icy cityscape into rocks. Kenpachi simply stood in the air, holding his Zanpakutou like a true warrior.

Gremmy was left shocked by what had just transpired. "What's going on….." he wondered, not believing his own eyes. "Did he break the meteorite into many pieces…with just a slash of his sword?" he added to his disbelief. The Sternritter was confident in having him killed by the meteorite, but never had he imagined that someone would be able to cut a giant ball like that in half. Seeing this actually made Gremmy feel very uneasy, as he looked up at the floating Shinigami with anger. "YOU MONSTER!" he shouted up to Kenpachi.

Hearing this made Kenpachi turn around, and he simply stared down at Gremmy like he didn't care. "Don't get your panties in a twist. It's pretty simple" Kenpachi said and began brandishing his newly-transformed Zanpakutou. "There's nothing I can't cut through" the strong Captain of Squad 11 said, like it was a basic fact.

"I see" Kenpachi suddenly snapped as he found himself being surrounded by various clones of Gremmys in the air. "That is pretty simple indeed" one of the clones said.

Kenpachi began swinging his blade to swipe them off. "Creating more clones won't change anything!" he taunted while looking at a group of clones besides him.

"It will! If there's nothing you can't cut through…" Gremmy said as he and the clones began enveloping a dark space. "Then I will kill you something that has no shape! So die enveloped by space!" he shouted and Kenpachi suddenly found himself being caught in a trap.

As Kenpachi was inside this space, he found his eyeballs starting to burn. "What the….AARRRRGHHHHHHHH!" the long-haired man could feel the pain in his entire body, not just his eyeballs.

Gremmy smiled sadistically by seeing this. "In space, your bodily fluids are forced to evaporate from your eyeballs and the insides of your mouth. The blood from your wounds starts to boil!" he explained while seeing his opponent in suffering. "If you try to breathe, your lungs are crushed, your body tissue is destroyed and you will slowly die. If you stay conscious up to that point, that is" he added, but suddenly found himself cut by Nozarashi. The young boy was caught off guard and was to slow to react.

"Heh, you forgot to stiffen your body" Kenpachi said as Gremmy's upper half flied into the air, only for him to reveal something. It was a bomb! "What!?" Kenpachi angrily demanded as he suddenly felt the rest of Gremmy's clones ganging up on him. Gremmy then launched himself behind Kenpachi and an explosion went off.

However, Gremmy quickly used Hirenkiyaku to appear on a nearby tower. He panted deeply, but saw that Kenpachi was still alive, even after the explosion. "What the hell…..are you a real monster?" he asked smugly between his panting. "If so….THEN I JUST HAVE TO BECOME STRONGER THAN YOU!" Gremmy said, as he suddenly began trying to gain power that was beyond that of Kenpachi's.

But unable to contain Kenpachi's power, Gremmy's body quickly tore itself apart and he fell down from the air. "It looks like the monster inside of you killed yourself. What an idiot" Kenpachi noted in his head while seeing the corpse falling down. But it was not long before he could see that what he believed was Gremmy, was nothing but a clone, as the clone quickly vanished from sight. Kenpachi's only visible eyes snapped. "What the fuck!? ARGHHHHH!" the strong fighter suddenly felt himself gored, as a lance was stabbing his stomach. But as soon as the lance was pulled out, Kenpachi quickly turned around and saw Gremmy standing in the air with the hands in his pockets. Kenpachi readied his blade. "You son of a bitch! I thought you died just now!" he angrily said and stood his ground.

The young boy simply smiled with a smirk over seeing him like this. "I didn't die there. Perhaps it was just to YOUR OWN imagination" Gremmy said in return before pulling off his hood, thus revealing his blonde hair and youthful-looking face. "Anyway, it appears that you are indeed a dangerous adversary, Kenpachi Zaraki. But that's only great" he said while and suddenly fixed a slight maddened look on his face. "BECAUSE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE, I WANT TO WIN!" he exclaimed and all of a sudden, holy light began enveloping around Gremmy as a Quincy Zeichen was held in his small hands.

Kenpachi's only eye widened in surprise as he glanced on what was happening before him. He covered his eye with his left hand and shied away from the bright light. "What's happening!? Is this a new form I didn't know about!? Not that I actually care, of course!" he wondered and as the bright light stopped shining, Kenpachi took his glance on his opponent.

Gremmy was bare-chested and now longer wore his jacket, yet he still wore his pants and shoes. In addition to that, he also wore golden arm rings on each arm. The young boy had been granted two wings on his back, that almost seemed like the hands of a vampire or some other kind of monster. But underneath those wings, there were two smaller feathered wings on each side. The halo hanging over his head was composed of many smaller stars and they had five points like the Wandenreich's emblem. There was no mistaking it, this was Gremmy's Quincy: Vollständig.

The young boy opened his crimson eyes, and fixed only smiled while seeing his opponent. "What do you think about it? Up until now, I never had had the need to rely on my Quincy: Vollständig" Gremmy revealed while stretching out his arms into each direction. "But since you have stubbornly resisted me, I shall grant you the honor of witnessing it before you perish! You shall feel the wrath of my Oldensig!" he declared while priding himself while being in this form.

Kenpachi however, was not amused by what he saw and simply yawned to taunt Gremmy. "So first you show me how to make clones, then you show me how to expose your tiny chest?" he asked in boredom. The aggressive captain could not help but to force a cocky grin with his mouth. "Sorry to burst your bubble, kiddo. But I say that we call this a quit" he said and readied his Zanpakutou.

Gremmy could not stand being spoken to like this. "DON'T TEST MY PATIENCE, SHINIGAMI WORM!" he angrily shouted and all of a sudden, he flew quickly around Kenpachi, carrying a chain that he used to catch his opponent with. He then proceeded to drag him up towards the barrier that protected the Sereitei.

"This has to be some kind of joke!" Kenpachi exclaimed and with his powerful muscles, he freed himself from the chains with such ease. "Now quit screwing around and…." He snapped and noticed that he found himself being surrounded by clouds. "What the…...clouds?" he asked.

Kenpachi could hear Gremmy laughing amongst them and it only got the captain angrier by the minute. "That's right, Shinigami! I knew that someone with monstrous strength such as you would easily break free from those chains. But I was actually counting on it!" he revealed, his voice could be heard in the grey clouds.

"Quit hiding, ya little turd! I thought you said you wanted to win against me, didn't ya!?" Kenpachi angrily demanded and watched his surroundings carefully.

"I WILL win, but unlike primitive barbarians such as you, I don't tend to rush into actions so recklessly!" Gremmy could be heard responding amidst the clouds. "My fight with you so far, has convinced me to not get carried away with my own ability. Therefore, I shall take great caution" he added to his explanation.

After hearing his words, Kenpachi felt annoyed by hearing Gremmy's voice. "You know, I can't help but to feel sick and tired of hearing you yapping about winning this and winning that. It's a big pain in my ass!" he exclaimed and began moving Nozarashi. "Since you refuse to come out and face me like a REAL warrior….I'll just have to force you out of hiding!" Kenpachi decalred and swing his blade in a powerful manner that blew away the clouds surrounding him.

As all the clouds quickly vanished, Kenpachi could see that there was still no sign of Gremmy and it made him confused. But unbeknownst to him, the Quincy was floating above and behind the Shinigami captain. Stretching out his arms, he prepared another attack. "I shall make you fish food!" he said and suddenly enveloped water all around him and Kenpachi, who quickly discovered Gremmy and tried to swim to him, but the Quincy only laughed at his attempts. "While in my Oldensig, I can imagine an entire event happening! And in this water…" he said and all of a sudden, a megalodon shark appeared inside the water. "YOU WILL BE EATEN BY MY MEGALODON!" he yelled and the giant shark began opening his jaws, while swimming towards Kenpachi.

The long-haired man snapped in shock over seeing this and tried to swim away as fast as possible. "Shit! I really hate swimming!" he noted in his thoughts.

But since Kenpachi was not a fast swimmer, the megalodon shark caught the Shinigami and swallowed him. Gremmy only got gleeful over seeing this. "YES! YES! I AM YOUR SUPERIOR, KENPACHI ZARAKI!" he shouted with pride over seeing this.

"You're wrong, kid!" Gremmy snapped in shock over hearing Kenpachi's voice inside the shark's body. Before he even knew it, the giant beast exploded into so many bits, and even Gremmy's own water disappeared as well. A strong, yellow Spiritual Pressure could be seen and Kenpachi was now standing there, without his eyepatch. He had put it in one of his only pockets. The long-haired man only faced his opponent seriously, his power only increasing. In fact, Kenpachi even pointed a finger at Gremmy. "No matter how many times you claim to be the strongest Sternritter, you and I are not equals! And more importantly, I'm actually starting to doubt your claims as of now! Because you're boring me!" he revealed, expressing his open dissatisfaction about his opponent.

Gremmy gritted his teeth in anger and even his own Spiritual Pressure began growing angrily. "YOU BASTARD….." he said while growling, his power growing stronger by the minute. "DON'T YOU DARE UNDERESTIMATE ME, SHINIGAMI! I WILL PROVE TO YOU THAT I AM THE STRONGEST BY SURPASSING YOU IN….." the Quincy started his shouting when he could feel his entire body disintegrate. He even lost his Heiligenschein, as well as his upper wings. "BUT HOW….." Gremmy was at loss of words by seeing this.

Kenpachi surprisingly put his eyepatch back on and his power began ebbing out slowly. "You said you wanted to surpass me, huh? Well, you have actually made the same mistake as your clone did" he noted while taking a glance on his opponent. "Namely, imagining you having stronger power than me in your own body" he revealed.

As Gremmy heard those words, he slowly fell down towards the icy cityscape, and eventually landed down in a pile of rubble. Even though the fall was high, Gremmy managed to land on his back, yet he felt no pain nor any injuries. "Could he be right? Was I actually trying to imagine his strength in me?" the young boy wondered as his bruised and bloodied body lied amongst the rubbles. "He is right. I managed to imagine his power…...because I wanted to be strong like him…...but I couldn't handle it" he added to his thoughts while gazing up towards the misty skies.

He could hear a landing approximately 4 steps away from him. He was all bruised up from this destructive fight, yet he could still be standing. The long-haired man simply glanced at the young boy, who gazed up on him. His face was no longer filled with anger of other negative emotions.

"It appears you were correct…..Kenpachi Zaraki" Gremmy began speaking while slowly sitting up. "My body could not comprehend this strength and you were apparently right. Only your body could stand it, not mine. And because of my negligence, my imagination was defeated. It really pains me to say all this, because I desperately wanted to win" he admitted and all of a sudden his entire body began dissipating and a disembodied brain in a protected casing fell came out from Gremmy.

Kenpachi got slowly curious. "What's that?" he asked lowly.

"Oh, it appears I forgot to tell you. This body of mine was also created by imagination. That thing you see there is my true form. I'm the Soul King's Brain after all" he explained as his body slowly vanished. "Now I did say that I would try to kill you, without even using one finger. And as I said, I never did it, even in my holy form. But in the end, I was the one who lost and died" he remarked but suddenly noticed that his body was almost fading away. "Well, it looks like my imagination has reached its limits. And I feel only by only thinking about the world I'm going to, where I can't imagine anything. Because in the end, we all have to face our creators" he said and as Gremmy's body vanished, so did the brain, as it began disintegrating into smaller parts of Reishi.

Standing there, Kenpachi could only reflect on the battle he just had, the area around him silent as a ghost town.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Author's note: That was the end of the fight between Gremmy and Kenpachi. I promise you, that the next chapter will take us back to El Dorado. But then again, it was nice to take a break from them and give us a good perspective on what was going on in the Sereitei. And of course, Gremmy's fight in his holy form, are just my ideas, as are the fights between Rukia, Byakuya and Robert. We also saw that Yhwach had once again expressed interest of some Shinigamis. He even gave some advice to little Yachiru! What happens next?**

 **Oldensig – meaning Dream of God: This is the Quincy: Vollständig belonging to Gremmy Thoumeaux. It gives him more imaginable power, as well as a more heavenly appearance. (Fun fact: I was actually inspired by Lucemon from Digimon when thinking about how Gremmy's holy form would look like)**

 **Blut Vene: Freigeben – German for "Sharing the Blood Vein": For some reason, Yhwach was able to communicate with both Kensei and Rose, even though they were dead. He did that by letting his Blut Vene infiltrate their bodies.**


	18. Honor Among Hollows

**Author's note: Let us see how things have been going in El Dorado while those battles took place in the Sereitei. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 18: Honor Among Hollows**

 _Inside the Coliseo, the city of El Dorado, Hueco Mundo_

Inside the enormous colosseum, blood and gore were spilled, as many Arrancar slaves were swept away by three forces, the three Legionarios, the three Gladiadores or the mindless monstrosity that was Nnoitora Gilga, the former Quinto Espada in Sosuke Aizen's army. The spectators cheered by seeing this, as they found those who would serve either the Wandenreich or Aizen being punished in such manner a form of entertainment. But it didn't take long before Nnoitora directed his fury towards the other two groups in the battleground and both the Legionarios and the Gladiadores focused their efforts on him.

The four visiting Humans had been stunned to see this fight, as they witnessed how so many Arrancars were torn to shreds for the public's amusement. But they were more disturbed by seeing Nnoitora's misbegotten form after being brought back from the dead by the paragon: Pieddot Picasso. In fact, Chad and Orihime had now been given a different perspective of the imperial researcher, as they had never expected someone as gentle and intelligent as him to committing such experiments. It also made them wonder whether Pieddot was similar to Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi of Squad 12 in terms of personality. But then again, they never knew who Pieddot really was.

"He fights so savagely" Chad remarked lowly to both Gantenbainne and Grimmjow. The tall Fullbringer then turned his attention to them. "Was he always like this during his service to Aizen?" he then asked them.

Grimmjow formed a slight scowl by hearing this. "Are you kidding me? That bastard as always been like this!" he responded with a little hint of anger in his voice. "He always rambled about being the strongest, yet he never possessed any clue on what strength really was!" he added to his dissatisfaction of his fellow Espada.

Gantenbainne only narrowed his eyes while hearing this and the orange-haired Arrancar felt like he could not be sidelined in this conversation. "But aren't you in some ways similar to him?" he asked as Grimmjow quickly focused his angry gaze upon him. "If I didn't know any better, you and Nnoitora would have gotten along well, if not for Aizen holding his leash over you two, that is" Gantenbainne said.

The Legionario with the orange afro was in for a surprise, as Grimmjow angrily grabbed him by his collar and pulled him closer to him. However, Gantenbainne didn't necessarily seem intimidated by his comrade's aggressive behavior. Grimmjow's blue eyes narrowed on him, his feral teeth gritting in anger.

"Don't you fucking compare me to that whale-toothed cocksucker! I'm nothing like him!" Grimmjow told him angrily.

Violetta and Orihime seemed slightly uncomfortable seeing this. "Not again" Violetta said, as she viewed the situation with a hint of worry.

"Grimmjow sure looks like the same aggressive man as before" Orihime noted while seeing this.

But Ebbaline Da Navarro and Belladonna Luisenbarn simply glanced at the confrontation with annoyed glances. "Oh great. Once again, Grimmjow must start a fight that only ends up getting us all into trouble with His Highness" Belladonna said with sarcasm in her voice.

"And as usual, it's always between with Gantenbainne or Yammy, who like him, were also former servants of Aizen" the blonde-haired woman said, agreeing with what the Legionario just said.

Unfortunately for them, Yammy overheard their comments, and he faced them with his usual bullying glance. The Arrancar with the ponytail and red markings even rose up from his seat and approached them "Hey, whores! Who are you calling a former servant!? I suggest that you both shut your traps before I do it for you!" he rudely warned them.

Both Belladonna and Ebbaline narrowed their eyes on him, with Belladonna rising up from her seat to confront him. "Mind your tongue, oaf. Even though you're a former Espada, you do not frighten me" she told him while mocking him at the same time.

Hearing this only infuriated Yammy and the tall Arrancar made his way to the girls' seats. It was apparent that he could not stand being spoken to like this, especially from those he himself claimed was weaker than him in terms of power.

Borddum tried his best to stop this these confrontations. "Idiots! You will only enrage His Highness by starting a fight like this!" he insisted, but could see that his pleas fell on deaf ears, much to his irritation.

But before any fights could escalate further, someone had jumped from the Dechados' quarters in the Coliseo to the Legionarios' quarters in the Coliseo. This resulted in a large crash sound being made, as this Arrancar managed to crash a nearby table. The Legionarios were visited by none other than Paragon Oggrom Dorian, the long-haired man eyeing those sitting before him with his strict eyes. However, the Dechado had not pulled out his Zanpakutou yet, as he only glanced around the quarters with little enthusiasm in his expression. The majority of the Legionarios stopped with what they were doing, with the exception of Grimmjow, as he was still holding Gantenbainne by his collar.

"What's all this noise about?" Oggrom asked, his voice filled with steel and iron as his words came out from his mouth. The long-haired man then shifted focus to Grimmjow and Gantenbainne, or perhaps Grimmjow to be more specific. "Legionnaire Grimmjow Jeagerjacquez and Legionnaire Gantenbainne Musqueda. I advise you to end this foolishness" he "advised" them in a more threateningly manner.

Grimmjow simply scowled by seeing this. While he let go off Gantenbainne, the blue-haired Arrancar began confronting the paragon, intending on challenging him to a fight. Grimmjow grinned cockily. "You know, I was thinking about whether I could be promoted to a Dechado by simply fighting and defeating you" he said and pulled out his Zanpakutou, eventually unleashing his Spiritual Pressure. "If that's possible, then all I have to do is to….." Grimmjow was taken aback when Oggrom simply turned his back on him, as the long-haired Arrancar was focused on the battleground below hm. Seeing him giving the rejection treatment only angered Grimmjow more. "Don't turn your back on me, you arrogant son of a bitch!" he thought in his head.

"Foolish Esclavo, you should learn to choose your fights more carefully" Oggrom suddenly spoke up, thus making Grimmjow stop his angry outburst. The barbarous-looking Arrancar briefly looked over his shoulder plate to face Grimmjow. "If you wish to become stronger and respected, then I suggest you avoid becoming like that monster down there" he went on explaining, as he was watching how Nnoitora fought his opponents.

Chad could not believe how Oggrom possessed a voice of reason, despite his barbarous and bloodthirsty appearance. True, he knew that the majority of Arrancars were battle-hungry and always desired to be the strongest, but from what he had seen, the Dechados didn't seem to take interest in which of them was the strongest, despite them all being stronger than all Arrancars and Hollows. This was perhaps something that separated the Arrancars from the Imperio de Hierro and the Arrancars under Aizen's servitude.

Borddum approached the paragon and bowed formally. "Lord Oggrom. Forgive me for failing to discipline these Legionarios. They are too stubborn to listen to reason" the skull-faced Arrancar said while kneeling before him with respect.

Oggrom simply grunted in return, before facing the battle that was currently occurring below him. He could see how Nnoitora was fighting. "Hmm…...pitiful creature" he muttered underneath his breath, before using the Sonido to vanish and land on the battleground.

But Oggrom was not alone, as Nelliel and Harribel appeared there as well, joining the Gladiadores and the Legionarios in holding off Nnoitora. The spectators cheered once again, as they were happy and satisfied of seeing a Dechado entering the fight. The three paragons concentrated on the demented fighter before them.

"Now this only keeps getting better and better!" the Hollow named Phreasantir spoke up loudly for everyone to hear. "Three members of the esteemed Dechados have entered the fight! There is the brave and headstrong Oggrom Dorian and the two lovely and sexy newcomers: Nelliel Tu Odelschwank and Tier Harribel!" he added to his announcement, causing some high cheers for them in return.

Oggrom was suddenly approached by Ssutze Briffa and Appius Titus Caesar, who seemed very surprised to see him and his fellow paragons enter a match. The long-haired man faced the two Legionarios with a stern glance. "Why did you agree to let this monster be released from his cage!?" he sternly demanded an answer from them.

Caesar immediately kneeled before him in shame. "Forgive me, Lord Oggrom. The three Gladiadores never mentioned Nnoitora being released when they challenged us to an all-around fight" the man with the helmet insisted.

But Ssutze remained unfazed after seeing this. "Since when do we need your permission to use him in a match?" the black-haired woman asked while crossing her arms. But her defiance changed after being given a death glare by Oggrom, as well as being able to see the angry gritting with his teeth.

"You all did this without His Highness' approval! By doing so, you have completely disregarded him as Legionarios!" the Dechado spoke up, thus making the two Legionarios realize their mistake. Even Ùnico could hear what was being said.

Suddenly, they could all see Muumin Rureaux, Vladdenmich Vrubel and Christoff Braqcuemond being sent off flying by Nnoitora. Fortunately, they had not been killed, as they safely managed to land on their feet.

"Damn it! That ferocious beast has only gotten stronger since being freed from Aizen's grasp!" Vladdenmich remarked with his thick, Russian accent. He then noticed Oggrom's presence and changed personality. "Ah, good day to you, Lord Oggrom" he said in a gentle and a so-called cheerful manner.

Christoff simply sighed in annoyance by seeing this. "You can drop the act, Vladdenmich. He and the rest knows of our plans" the purple-haired man pointed out to his comrade.

"All of you six are getting invited to His Highness after we're done with this mess!" Oggrom revealed to both sides with his gruff voice. He then proceeded to glare at the approaching adversary before him. "Nelliel, Harribel, stay close to me. We will force this beast back to where he belongs!" he told them.

"Right!" both women responded at the same time and pulled out their Zanpakutous.

Oggrom took also notice of the muscular wrestler-like Legionario named Ùnico Barcellos De Oliveira, who was trying to back away from being scolded. However, even a strong Arrancar like him could not escape Oggrom's impressive Pesquisa.

"Hold it right there, Ùnico!" the paragon barked and the tall Arrancar with the luchador mask stopped in his tracks, feeling a slight hint of uneasiness inside of him.

"This is all a misunderstanding. The Gladiadores tricked me into agreeing with this!" Ùnico tried to convince Oggrom about his innocence.

The muscular paragon simply grunted in return. "You wish to avoid facing His Highness? Then do yourself a favor and open those gates! Once behind it, he will never be able to either destroy it, nor escape from it!" the Dechado with the ponytail said as he brandished his two-handed axe.

Not even hesitating, Ùnico nodded his head as a yes, before using the Sonido to vanish from his previous spot. Then, the three Dechados began confronting Nnoitora, who was already filled with bloodlust on the inside.

The moment the deformed Arrancar fixed his only eye on both Nelliel and Harribel, the expression on his face changed. It was like he slowly and steady regained his intelligence that had been bestowed upon him by Aizen, thanks to the Hogyoku. His eye regained an iris and he pulled the tongue back into his mouth.

Nelliel's golden eyes widened, as she still remembered Nnoitora from back the days when they were Espadas. Clutching her Zanpakutou tightly, she slowly took steps towards the black-haired man. "Nnoitora Gilga…is that really you?" she asked him warily.

"Nelliel….Nelliel Tu Odelschwank…" Nnoitora said her name lowly before unleashing his fury upon her by charging. "YOU…...WILL…...DIE!" he yelled as he swung his weapons, only for Nelliel to block one of them with her own. The former Espada could see that Harribel was charging at him from behind.

"You're mine, monster!" Harribel shouted and prepared her sword.

Nnoitora simply grinned with his teeth. "Tier Harribel…...another annoying bitch!" he said with venom in his voice. The tall and skinny Arrancar began use his other sets of scythes to attack Harribel, only for her to vanish quickly with the Sonido. She attempted to attack him from above, only for her opponent to notice her and block it with his weapons. "Foolish woman! Your tactics are one-dimensional!" he began taunting the blonde-haired woman.

"Nnoitora, listen to me!" Nelliel called out, trying to get his attention. And so, he did turn his gaze on her. "I don't know how in the world you managed to come back to life like this. But if you do not wish for another humiliating defeat, go back to the dungeons. That's all I ask of you" she then requested him.

Despite the sympathy in Nelliel's voice, the former Quinto Espada showed no understanding towards her in return. "And you expect me to comply!?" he angrily asked her, although it sounded lower. Anger began boiling inside of him. "LIKE HELL I WILL!" Nnoitora roared and unleashed his full strength, pushing away both Nelliel and Harribel.

Harribel gritted her teeth in frustration. "He really has become relentless in combat" she noted underneath her breath, and noticed that Oggrom came to her side. "Oggrom, have you any plans on how we can do this?" she asked him.

The muscular, long-haired man simply nodded his head as a yes. "I do. But it will take some time" he said and looked at Ùnico, who was beginning to open the gates by pulling up the long chains. He then glanced at Nelliel, forming a smug smile in the process. "You should keep talking to him like that, Nelliel. It will only distract him from what I have in store for him" he remarked.

Nelliel stood on only one knee, as she faced Nnoitora slowly approach her with fury and hatred. "You…" she heard her adversary utter out the word in a very threatening manner. "You made me this way way! You, that pathetic weakling Ichigo Kurosaki and that bastard Kenpachi Zaraki! All of you are responsible for denying me a glorious death in battle! Look at me now! I'm a freak! ALL THANKS TO YOU!" he roared in anger.

The sea green-haired woman could not believe what was coming out of Nnoitora's mouth. Why was he blaming her, Ichigo and Kenpachi for something that had nothing to do with his resurrection? It was not them, but Pieddot Picasso who had denied Nnoitora a glorious death in battle, considering that he along with the other Dechados wanted to punish him for his atrocious actions against a colony of Vasto Lordes. Something still did not make sense.

"I had nothing to do with your defeat, Nnoitora!" Nelliel insisted to her opponent. It was Kenpachi Zaraki who defeated you, remember?" she reminded him, but could quickly see Nnoitora get pissed off for mentioning that name.

"SHUT YOUR TRAP, YOU FUCKING WHORE!" Nnoitora shouted as he swung his weapons with his four arms, only for a yellow Cero to actually hit him and send him flying away.

It was Harribel, who had fired a Cero with the help of her own blade. She and Oggrom approached Nelliel's side, and watched the demented Arrancar get back on his feet. Nelliel smiled, as the blonde-haired woman gave her a nod of approval in return. The two women could then see Oggrom approaching Nnoitora with his axe in his hands. His eyes were filled with nothing bur courage and bravery.

"You disgrace all Arrancar warriors that has existed before you, Nnoitora Gilga. The only place you belong in, is in a cage beneath the dungeons, like all loose pets of Sosuke Aizen" Oggrom explained with open disgust.

Nnoitora got up on his feet and gritted his bard-like teeth in anger. "Don't call me that! That weakling of a Shinigami has never been my master!" he hit back, before forming a smile with his mouth. "I heard that he was defeated by the Substitute Shinigami: Ichigko Kurosaki. Such disappointment! And to think that I once considered myself indebted to him!" he commented, revealing that he still possessed a great deal of intelligence, despite being a zombie.

Oggrom grew weary about hearing the former Espada talk so high and mighty about himself. He decided to simply end this mess. Holding his Zanpakutou in the air with his right hand, the long-haired man fixed his barbarous eyes upon his opponent. "I grow tired of seeing your standing in a place only for those worthy. And to make you see what a pathetic creature you really are, I shall grant you the opportunity to witness what a true Resurrecciòn looks like!" he declared and looked up to his axe, his Spiritual Pressure growing stronger and even causing the ground to shake. "Conquer…Victoria!" Oggrom released his Zanpakutou and a transformation took place around the muscular Arrancar. A lightning stroke on the tip of his axe, thus changing both his appearance and his attire. All the spectators were awed by Oggrom's immense power, as well as how he changed from one form to another.

As soon as the transformation was complete, Oggrom stood there, wearing two shoulder plates and a chest armor, that of course functioned as his Hollow-shell. His gloves and boots had been turned into iron and he even wore a golden belt above his pants. A new addition to his look was that he now wore a white helmet with the horns of a ram on each side. It almost looked like a Viking helmet. His hair was now loose and it ran along his neck and his shoulder plates. His entire chin was now covered with his black markings.

The four visiting Humans were stunned by what they were seeing. "So this is a Dechados' Resurrecciòn?" Orihime asked lowly, as she, Chad, Jinta and Ururu were given a good look of Oggrom in his Resurrecciòn.

"I don't know why, but apart from Nelliel and Harribel, the Dechados possesses a very different form of Resurrecciòn than what I have seen" Gantenbainne spoke up, as he was also watching this while being stunned.

Even the Legionarios and the Gladiadores where awed by Oggrom's new form and look. Muumin only smirked underneath her helmet. "So, he finally shows us his true form. I'll admit I'm impressed" the black-skinned woman said smugly, as she stood beside Caesar. The man with the helmet simply glanced at her. Even though his face was unseen, Muumin could tell that the Legionario was angry and upset. "Why so upset?" she asked him.

"I thought you had permission from His Highness to use Nnoitora in this match" he stated sternly, his voice being hallowed due to his helmet. "But you lied to me!" he said and pointed a finger at her.

Muumin only scowled by hearing this in return. "We didn't expect the beast to be that strong! But I also expected you of the Legionarios to be strong enough to take on him!" she pointed out, trying to shift away focus.

"Just let it go, Muumin!" the annoyed voice of Christoff could be heard, as he was finding this to be boring. "I may be of noble blood, but His Highness will still scold me for my actions" the purple-haired man noted and then glanced to the Legionarios quarters to see his sister wave at him. Seeing this only made Christoff feel slightly embarrassed. "Why are you so happy? I'm getting our house into trouble once again" he wondered in his head.

Nnoitora had now gotten up on his feet and was angrily facing Oggrom, his weapons ready to taste his flesh. A hidden bloodlust started brewing inside the long-haired man. "So, you think you can defeat me, huh!?" he angrily asked, while taking steps towards the Dechado. "You know nothing of strength, fool! I'm the only one who does that!" he exclaimed loudly.

Oggrom narrowed his eyes in his helmet, brandishing his weapon, which looked like a mixture between an axe and a spear, as it had a long blade on one side with a sharp end at the top. The weapon was also two-handed. "Your ego knows no bounds, Esclavo! When you fall in battle once again, I will spit on your corpse!" Oggrom taunted Nnoitora.

The misbegotten Arrancar got furious over seeing this and angrily charged towards the Dechado with all his might. "YOU WILL DIE, ASSHOLE!" he shouted in anger.

But as Nnoitora did that, it left him exposed to the spot Oggrom was aiming to kick, his flat stomach. Gathering up all his energy and waiting for his opponent to come straight at him, Oggrom delivered the hardest kick of steel on the former Espada's stomach. It was painful for even Nnoitora to feel, and he was sent flying into the opened gates. But as he was inside, Nnoitora used his weapons to land and made his way towards the opened gates.

"NOW, ÙNICO!" Oggrom shouted and the muscular Legionario let go of the chains that kept the gates running until it fell down in fast pace, eventually shutting the entrance completely. When it was all over, Oggrom sighed deeply in relief. "Finally, the beast has returned to his cage" he noted in his thoughts.

A large cheering erupted amidst this event and Phreasantir took to the stage once again. "Now that was some spectacular work back there, so let us all give some applause to Paragon Oggrom Dorian and his associates for their wonderful job in bringing Nnoitora Gilga back to his cage!" the Hollow declared and everyone cheered for the Dechados once again. They were after all considered to be the pinnacle of the Imperio de Hierro's strength.

Oggrom faced all the spectators and raised his axe up in the air, causing the shouts of joy to be heard from the tribunals. "VICTORY! FOR THE IMPERIO DE HIERRO!" he shouted loudly as he received cheers in return.

The four Human had all been brought down to the battleground, running straight towards Nelliel and Harribel, who were happy to see them coming. Joining them were Grimmjow, Yammy, Gantenbainne, Borddum and Violetta.

"You two were terrific out there!" Orihime exclaimed in admiration of the two female Arrancars. Ururu nodded her head in a shy manner, agreeing with her friend's statement.

Nelliel accepted her compliment happily. "We're glad that you stayed safe up in the Legionarios' quarters" the sea green-haired woman said in return

Violetta was running straight ahead towards her older brother, who simply sighed in return. "Big brother! I'm so glad that you are alright!" she exclaimed in a happy mood, but noticed that Christoff was feeling somewhat different. "What's the matter, Christoff?" she asked him.

Christoff rolled his eyes and faced his younger sister with purple hair. "What do you think is the matter? Because of my membership in the Gladiadores, His Highness will without a doubt summon me along with Muumin and Vladdenmich. I always end up in trouble alongside those two" the young man remarked while taking a brief glance at his two comrades, who were busy arguing with Oggrom.

However, Violetta only scoffed at her brother's words. "Don't worry, big brother. We are members of the House of Bracquemond. There is no way that His Highness will be so harsh on you" she assured him, while Christoff simply raised an eyebrow in question.

"How does she stay that…confident?" the purple-haired man asked in his head.

"You three Gladiadores along with those three legionnaires are to depart for Esperanza immediately" Oggrom told Muumin and Vladdenmich, while taking a glance at Caesar, Ssutze and Ùnico, as they also approached the transformed Dechado. The three bowed the heads in shame before doing as the paragon requested and left the Coliseo. Oggrom then fixed his attention specifically on Muumin. "And by the way, I have some great news for you, Muumin Rureaux. Someone is expecting you at the palace" he told her.

Despite being told about this, Muumin only crossed her arms and looked away, pretending she wasn't listening to what he was saying. Eventually, she got dragged along with Vladdenmich and Christoff, with Vladdenmich facing the paragon with a respective bow.

"Don't worry, Lord Oggrom. We will turn ourselves in to His Highness" the black-haired Arrancar with the moustache said in his deep Russian accent. He also formed a smirk underneath his moustache. "We will also make sure that Muumin gets her ass punished by Lord Xerrxes" he added before the three vanished by using the Sonido.

The Dechado then focused his attention on the group of Humans, who had also been watching how he forced Nnoitora back into his "cage". His eyes narrowed slightly. "The Fullbringer and the Interminables, I assume. What are you doing in the Coliseo?" he asked them, but it did not sound as a demand.

Jinta and Ururu pointed their fingers at Grimmjow, who only cocked an eyebrow by seeing this. "He asked us if we would accompany him and we said yes" Jinta said.

Grimmjow scowled his teeth in anger. "Well it's not like I forced you to come along! You wanted to, remember?" he reminded the two teenagers while simply looking in another direction. "Tch, buttslaves" he muttered lowly beneath his breath.

Nelliel and Harribel approached their fellow paragon with a respective nod "Lord Oggrom, His Highness have charged us two with protecting these four Humans. Leave them to us" the sea green-haired woman told him.

Oggrom simply formed a chuckle by hearing this. "There is no need for you to address me as such, Nelliel. You are a Dechado now, which means that you can speak to me as an equal. But for the other groups, there are rules to follow" the long-haired Arrancar pointed out to her, causing Nelliel to snap in embarrassment.

"Right…..sorry" she said while smiling sweetly.

Jinta was yawning by hearing all this talk and was about to go away, only for Harribel to grab him by his left shoulder. The red-haired boy snapped and slowly turned around to gaze at her stern, azure eyes. "What are you….." Jinta was interrupted by Harribel's voice.

"Don't give me that look. Have you forgotten the debt that you owe me for buying that golden necklace of yours?" she sternly asked him.

Hearing this caused Jinta to snap in outrage. "Aw come on! I polished one of the statues by that giant ziggurat, why do I need to….." before the red-haired teenager could continue his defiance, he soon got intimidated by Harribel's serious glance. Seeing this made Jinta feel uncomfortable, as Harribel was just as intimidating as a shark. Gulping, Jinta felt the need to not start any trouble with the blonde-haired woman. "Okay…just tell me what to do" he said to her.

Suddenly, Nelliel stepped beside Harribel and fixed a mischievous smile on her face. She then began whispering something into her ear. Once she was finished, Harribel let Jinta go and both female Dechados faced the group with positive glances.

"Nelliel and I have decided to take you somewhere more comfortable to be in, than in a colosseum" Harribel told them, much to the curiosity of the group of friends, as they wondered what this comfortable place was.

* * *

 _At the top of a building, in the central district of El Dorado_

The four Humans had been invited by both Nelliel and Harribel to a place they never thought would ever find in a place like El Dorado: a spa. Whenever somebody felt tired and desired to go somewhere peaceful and relaxing, this place was the spot. It was actually a tall building that seemed to even have a pool on the rooftop. But it was inside where the relaxation happened as these female Arrancars were good masseurs. The spa's location was by one of El Dorado's many canals, and it was right next to a bridge.

But Orihime, Chad and Ururu felt like they didn't need a massage and decided to just sit back and watch how things were doing. In fact, they headed to the poolside and saw how unusually lovely it was for a place that was dwelling with Hollows and Arrancars. They simply decided to watch some two masseurs (one blonde-haired woman and one red-haired woman) who were working on a young black-skinned boy who looked awfully similar to Tirrador Webster, only that he had twisted, black hair and a tint of goatee near his chin, which was actually his Hollow-shell. He wore a couple of shades while chilling on the sunbed, only wearing navy green shorts.

"Yeah ladies! That's it! Right on there on my left shoulder" he said while lying on his stomach.

The ladies were kind of amused by this young boy's persona, so they simply giggled while hearing this. "Would you like us to rub some oil on your back, Captain Zeppelin?" one of the masseurs asked the young boy.

Zeppelin simply held his thumb up while grinning with satisfaction. "Keep it coming, baby, cause I'm loving your service so far!" he exclaimed in a flirtatious manner, causing the women to almost fall in love with him.

Orihime chuckled lightly by seeing this, as he found it amusing to see that even in a place like Hueco Mundo, you could still see signs of happiness and humor, and just the depressing and sad side. In fact, her stay in El Dorado had given her a different perspective of Arrancars and Hollows alike. Even Chad had learned the same things. Yes, they were evil and they only sought to devour Humans. But what about the other groups, like Shinigamis and Quincies? Were they any different? Shinigamis purified souls and protected Humans, yet not all of them seemed to have the Humans' safety at their hearts, with some examples being Sosuke Aizen and Mayuri Kurotsuchi. And when it came to the Quincies, it was apparent that Yhwach represented their dark side. But what about Uryu and his father: Ryuken Ishida? They were based upon the two friends' experience, nothing like for example Quilge Opie. Maybe there existed some traces of both good and evil in every race?

"Hey, you're those foreigners who are important guests in El Dorado, yes?" the three Humans snapped as they saw Zeppelin stand a few meters from them, lifting up his sunglasses to flash them his laidback smile. "I never had the chance to see you personally. My name's Zeppelin Webster, a captain in the Ojos" he introduced himself.

Ururu was reminded about something when she heard Zeppelin's last name. "Webster, as in Tirrador Webster?" she quizzed him in her usual shy voice.

Zeppelin only chuckled while hearing this. "Yeah, he's my cousin" he said, his smug smile never fading away. "Can come across as a random racist, but I still love him" he said, although the Humans before him felt dumbfounded by that statement.

"Hey Zeppelin! Over here!" the young Arrancar smiled as he could see the Legionario Ozzy Namitjura stand at the entrance with navy blue shorts. His partner Lizzie was hanging over his shoulder as usual, this time dressed in an orange swimsuit. The two banged fists together, indicating that they were good friends. "How have you been, mate? Patrolling the streets must've made you Woobly, haven't it?" the orange-haired boy asked him.

Zeppelin simply shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe a little. But hey, at least I'm doing something productive in the community, not just Tirrador" he said in return.

"Ripper!" Ozzy said in his Australian accent and began facing the trio of Humans sitting on their own sunbed. "Oh, so you're also here, eh? Well, it's great to see you give this place a fair go. You won't be disappointed" he remarked while Lizzie waved her hand at them.

As Chad waved his hand back at the Namitjura-duo, he noticed that the two masseurs who had just been with Zeppelin where whispering amongst themselves in a girly manner. The brown-haired man decided not pay attention to them and simply looked in another direction. However, his attention was brought to the masseurs as they now stood before him, looking kind of shy. This only made the tall man confused.

"Can I help you?" he asked them lowly and gently, which was always typical of him.

The redhead spoke up. "Umm…..my name's Rosy and this is my friend and colleague Susy" she introduced herself and the blondie standing beside her. "We were just wondering if you would like a massage?" she then asked Chad, who widened his only visible eye in surprise.

"We cannot help but to feel attracted to you" the one named Susy admitted, but then fixed a cheerful smile. "Anyways, we'll massage you for free, Mr. Fullbringer" she added to her statement.

Hearing how enthusiastic they were on massaging him, Chad fixed a slight smile and nodded his head as a yes. "Well, I guess I can't refuse such generous offer" he said and stood on his feet. "I am Yasutora Sado, by the way" he then said in a gentle manner.

Both masseurs were trying to hide their blushing cheeks, only for them to snap out if it and leading Chad the way. "Fantastic! Me and my friend will give you a message that won't be wasted! That we promise!" Rosy said with confidence as she and Susy lead Chad to their sunbed.

Ozzy whistled by seeing this. "Now he is one, lucky swagman. Getting a massage from Sheilas like those usually cost big bikkies" he remarked.

Orihime suddenly noticed that Jinta was nowhere to be seen and she decided to ask Ururu. "I see that Jinta is not with us. Do you know where he went, Ururu?" he asked the shy girl.

"The moment we entered the spa, Jinta was immediately taken by Nelliel and Harribel to a private room. Obviously, he must be doing his services for them" the young girl replied.

Hearing this caused Orihime to laugh and Ururu could not help but to do the same thing.

Chad was laying on his stomach and he slightly noticed his friends laugh. The tall man forced a smile, as he was happy to see them having fun. But at the same time, Chad was feeling the gentle touch coming from both Rosy and Susy, the two women enjoying touching his muscles.

"My, what strong arms you have" Susy said while working on his biceps.

"Ummm thanks" Chad simply responded, not getting on why she felt turned on by touching him.

"Even your butt is nice!" Rosy said while rubbing Chad's behind, which was covered by a towel. The young man was unsure about how to react to this.

But Susy snapped in outrage over seeing this and pushed Rosy off Chad. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Rosy!? The spa's number one rule states that you're not supposed to touch the customer's backside!" the blondie snapped in anger at the redhead.

But Rosy fought back. "I'm the masseur, Susy! I decide on what body-part is the best to massage!" she retorted.

The two masseurs kept arguing, with Chad caught in the middle. The brown-haired man did not know whether he should've intervened or not. But then again, he admitted that they were talented masseurs, no doubt about it.

Jinta, who still owned Harribel some services after she bought him a golden necklace, he was requested by both her and Nelliel to be their masseur, so that they didn't need to pay Aquñars, as booking a masseur was quite expensive. Right now, the red-haired teenager was sitting inside a room by himself, waiting for the two women to arrive. While he was doing that, he found himself slightly angered by being forced to do dirty work like this.

"Jinta, how the hell did you get yourself into this mess?" he asked himself, not believing that he had agreed to this. But a slight smile crept around his face, as he held onto the golden necklace. "But at least I got a present for Yuzu. With this, she'll definitely be happy" he remarked smugly.

"We're ready!" Nelliel's voice came as she and Harribel now stood before him, wearing a towel over their bodies. Despite being given this task, Jinta was no pervert, as others would have used his position as an opportunity to get a look at the female Arrancars' naked bodies. But then again, Jinta was not Kon. Nelliel giggled by seeing the red-haired boy simply glance at them. "Are you ready?" she asked him.

Jinta simply sighed and rose up to his feet. "Alright, now where shall I start rubbing?" he asked with little enthusiasm in his voice.

Harribel then glanced at the teenager with her azure eyes, and they looked rather stern. "Remember what I've told you. Treat us with respect" she reminded him, causing Jinta to nod his head as a yes repeatedly. "Very clever. Now turn around and don't come over until we say you can. We wish to be rubbed on our backs" she then told her sternly while Nelliel giggled by hearing this.

Sighing in annoyance, Jinta did as requested, resting his hand underneath his chin and almost falling asleep. "Man, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I miss my usual chores back at the store" he admitted in his thoughts.

"Okay, you can come over to us now!" Nelliel called to him and Jinta reluctantly responded, grumbling lowly in the process.

The two women were lying on their stomachs naked, although their backsides were covered by towels and their breasts unexposed. Despite seeing their feminine backs, Jinta did not get aroused, as he was still as enthusiastic as ever over doing this massaging. He first approached Nelliel's bed and saw a bottle of lotion lying next to her.

"Could you rub my back? Here, let me just move my hair a little" Nelliel said and stroke her long sea green hair that ran along her upper back. Instead of seeing the number 3, Jinta could see the omega symbol, which was also the symbol of the Imperio de Hierro. Putting some lotion onto his hands, the young teenage boy began rubbing the woman's back, nice and smooth. "Oh my, that sure feels nice" the female Arrancar remarked while seeing satisfaction. "Could you rub my tailbone as well? But just don't touch my backside, okay?" she then requested him.

Jinta gulped, not because he was aroused, but because he was afraid of what Nelliel could do to him if he indeed managed to touch her butt by accident. Going lower, the teenager handled the problem with ease, making sure that he did not touch the towel. He could hear that the woman enjoyed being rubbed there.

"Your hands are doing a great job so far, Jinta. Keep that up" Nelliel commended him.

"Well, at least she's enjoying this" the red-haired teenager then thought inside his head.

"Don't forget about me" Jinta snapped as he heard Harribel's strict voice from behind. Without delay, the red-haired teenager moved over to the blonde-haired woman's bed. "I would also like to have my back rubbed. But remember, don't touch my behind. Are we clear?" she told him while intimidating Jinta once again.

Lowly grumbling with anger, Jinta began doing as she requested, pouring lotion onto his hands before rubbing Harribel's back. "All this better be worth it! Yuzu better appreciate the necklace" the red-haired teenager remarked as he rubbed the female Arrancar's back.

Harribel was enjoying this massage and she briefly looked over her shoulder to face him. "You're doing good, young one. Maybe you could do that on my shoulders?" she then requested him.

Jinta did that and rubbed the blonde-haired woman's shoulders with slow strokes. And once again, Harribel seemed to take great satisfaction to this. But even now, Jinta could feel himself sweat while doing the massage on the two ladies.

"Why me?" he wondered inside of him as he was forced into rubbing many places on the ladies' bodies, with the noticeable exceptions being their private parts, of course.

Back at the poolside, Orihime, Chad and Ururu were about to go back into the building, until they could see one of the captains in the Ojos: Yzyurqq Goltzius exit the entrance. The white-haired Arrancar with lime green eyes approached the three friends and gave them a respective bow before them. He appeared to be quite the gentleman.

"Greetings Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado and Ururu Tsmugiya. I bring message from your acquaintance: the Shinigami named Tessai Tsukabishi" the Arrancar with the crown told them and proceeded to look around. "And I also expected Jinta Hanakari to be with you" he then remarked, meaning that he was also looking for him.

But the group of Humans were suddenly joined by Zeppelin, who smiled smugly at his fellow captain. "No need to worry there, Yzyurqq. From they told me, he's somewhere with Lady Nelliel and Lady Harribel" the young boy told them.

Yzyurqq simply sneered at him. "I was talking to them, not you!" he berated him before facing the trio once again. "Now before I was so rudely interrupted…" he was interrupted by Ururu.

"Actually, Jinta is with them as we speak" she spoke up, thus surprising the captain.

"So Tessai has asked us to come back to him?" Chad asked the Arrancar. "For what purpose, if I may ask?" the tall man asked Yzyurqq.

"Well, from what he told me, he has received a massage from Kisuke Urahara, who's currently in the Sereitei" the captain then told them while trying to recall what was said back at the tent. "Whatever reasons may be, Tessai told you to return to the tent outside the Conociomento this instant" he then spoke up.

Realizing what this meant, Orihime, Chad and Ururu immediately entered the building and was on their way out. "Do you think what I'm thinking?" Orihime asked Chad, who simply nodded at her in return.

"Yeah. There is no doubt about it. Urahara has asked for us to enter the battle in the Sereitei" Chad replied.

"Then we best hurry. We better not keep Tessai waiting" Ururu said.

On their way out, Jinta was exiting the door and he felt his hands were tired after the massage he was giving to Nelliel and Harribel. But he could notice his friends walk past him and it made him run to catch up to them.

"What's the rush?" Jinta asked while trying to keep up the pace with his friends.

"We have been summoned back to Tessai" Orihime replied, causing Jinta to gasp in surprise. The orange-haired woman fixed a slight worried expression on her own face. "I never expected this to happen sooner, but it I can't predict everything. This time, we will be entering the battle" the orange-haired woman noted in her thoughts.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Author's note: That was a good chapter. These events took place while the fights in the Sereitei were ongoing (among those of Renji vs Mask, Rukia vs Äs and Kenpachi vs Gremmy). The next chapter will take to the time when the group meets with Tessai, who then tells them everything, and what their next move is**

 **Victoria – Spanish for "Victory": This is the Resurrecciòn of Oggrom Dorian, and it gives him the appearance and strength of a conqueror. As barbarous as he is, Oggrom possesses the spirit of that of a honorary warrior.**


	19. Fields of Deception

**Author's note: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 19: Fields of Deception**

 _In a tent outside the Conociomento, El Dorado, Hueco Mundo_

Tessai was reading while waiting for the four Humans to come back. He was actually reading something that he had loaned from Love Aikawa, one of the Vizards. It was a manga and it revolved around a knucklehead ninja who defeated a great villain that almost destroyed his village. As the tanned-skinned man read, he found this manga to be amusing.

"Hmmm…...somehow this world does seem similar somehow" Tessai remarked while reading.

"Hey you! We're back" the rude and unenthusiastic voice came from Jinta, as he, Ururu, Chad and Orihime were entering the tent.

Tessai immediately put the manga away and adjusted his glasses in a serious manner. "I'm glad you all came. We have much to discuss" he revealed to them.

"I heard that you received a message from Urahara" Chad spoke up. "Did he say about the curret situation of the battle?" the tall man asked while crossing his arms.

The tanned-skinned Shinigami nodded his head as a yes. "Yes. The boss has some good news and some bad news and I will tell you both" he revealed and was preparing to share information with the four. "The good news is that the boss' research helped turn the tide against the Sternritters who had stolen the Bankais, thus enabling them to have a chance of fighting. But the bad news is that some of the captains and lieutenants have vanished from the battlefield without a trace. Even know, the data at the Department of Research and Development have failed to locate the missing Shinigamis" Tessai explained grimly.

"Do you suppose that those captains and lieutenants could've been killed?" Ururu asked lowly.

But Tessai shook his head as a no. "I don't have the answer, Ururu. And neither does the boss and the researchers. But we should not rush into answers we don't know yet" the tanned Shinigami explained and walked over to the machine that was in the tent. "However, the boss did mention to us that Ichigo was on his way" he said, forming a slight smile underneath his moustache.

All the Humans got surprised by seeing this, as it had been a while since they last heard from him. "Then maybe we shall head over to the Sereitei immediately" Chad said.

"That we will. But we must first make some preparations" Tessai said and suddenly picked up some new clothes. "Now go outside to the shower beside this tent. You have been walking around the same clothes for days. And once you've finished, put on these new clothes the boss made with the help of some tailors in El Dorado. They should fit nicely to each of you. And by the way, don't even bother being afraid of peeping toms, as I have erected a Kido-barrier around this tent" he told them and the four did as he requested.

Each one took a turn and there were no perverts peeking out on them, coupled with the Kido-barrier's job in keeping them outside. But the new clothes they had put on were very cool, even though Orihime's was very revealing of her busty chest. She also had her hips exposed. Chad's clothes seemed very sporty and had cool black markings running along his jacket. He even wore white gloves. Jinta wore surprisingly an open white jacket and a black t-shirt inside. His pants were also white, with a chain hanging around it. The red-haired boy almost looked like a troubled delinquent from a school. Ururu's clothes was only a white ballet dress, with white stockings, white gloves and black shoes.

Tessai suddenly found himself streaming with tears of joy. "Aren't they wonderful!?" he asked while sniffing. "All of them matches you perfectly!" he exclaimed with pride.

Jinta only slumped his face in anger. "Yeah right! Why the hell do I look like some lame-ass school delinquent!? Couldn't the boss have come up with something…." Jinta snapped in shock by seeing Tessai giving him an intimidating glance while cracking his knuckles. Gulping, the teenager changed personality. "You know, these clothes look cool on me" he said, thus making Tessai satisfied.

Orihime was checking out her own clothes and was even squeezing her breasts. She smiled. "Urahara made this probably so that Ichigo would notice me. I must thank him later" she noted in her thoughts. The orange-haired woman then faced Tessai. "When do we leave for the Sereitei?" she asked him.

"Soon, young one. But there is something that I would really like to tell you before I open the Garganta" the tanned-skinned Shinigami said, while facing the group of four with serious glances. "I don't know about the outcome of this battle, but if the Wandenreich were to succeed with their invasion this time, we will have no choice but to return to El Dorado" he told them while they listened. "All of you are probably wondering why I'm telling you this. In secret, I fear that as weakened and fractured the 13 Court Guard Squads are, the Quincies will use this to their advantage. But we still have Ichigo and the boss on our side. And don't forget Kyoraku, Zaraki, and the other captains, plus the members of the Royal Guard" he then admitted to them, trying to boost the morale around them.

"But you don't suppose that the Imperio de Hierro will involve itself in this battle, do you?" Chad suddenly asked.

Tessai adjusted his glasses. "No. They won't be entering the battle yet. They will only act whenever they feel that Hueco Mundo is at a risk" he said but he was not finished. "But another thing that can lure the Imperio de Hierro into the battlefield, is if Sosuke Aizen is ever let out from his underground prison" he then added grimly.

"Sosuke Aizen" Orihime uttered out the name lowly, although a hint of disgust could also be heard in her voice. She faced Tessai with a determined glance. "Asking for his assistance in this battle would only be disastrous! Everyone knows that he does not have the interests of the Soul Society at heart!" she pointed out.

"We all know that, young girl" Tessai pointed out. "And I hope that in a battle like this, there will be no need for us to resort to asking Aizen for assistance. That monster is better off rotting underneath the sun" he added to his explanation. But he suddenly came to a realization and held two familiar weapons that both Ururu and Jinta knew.

The two teenagers snapped in surprise. "You gotta be kidding me! That's my…." Jinta was stunned by seeing his Muteki Tekkon being held in one hand and Ururu's Senren Bakusatsu Taiho in the other. However, they seemed to have undergone some improvisations, as they looked a little taller than what they used to be.

Ururu smiled shyly when seeing this. "Has the boss done that for us?" she asked Tessai with excitement in her voice.

The tall man simply nodded his head in return. "Of course, he suggested that your weapons needed some improvements, so he happily made some modification. With those, both of you should be strong enough to take on common soldiers of the Wandenreich. But against the Sternritters, it is fruitless" he then told them a few details that was important for the teenagers to hear, although Jinta seemed less than pleased to pay attention.

Tessai then activated the Garganta, the same one that Urahara, Riruka and Yukio entered the other day. The group stood ready, as it became large enough for them all to enter through.

"Be ready. The moment we cross into the other side of this Garganta, there is no telling in where specifically we'll be" Tessai reminded them all. "The boss knows of how to use this machine, but I will…." The tall man got interrupted by Jinta, once again.

"Give me a break! You say we're about to use a machine which you clearly have no idea how to use!?" he snapped in outrage.

Tessai simply ignored Jinta's outburst and decided to continue his explanation, much to the teenager's irritation. "Now as I was saying, the Garganta may not be able to take us directly to the boss' location. So I suggest that we all take a cautious approach" he told them all.

"Right" Orihime, Chad and Ururu said together, while Jinta simply crossed his arms and pretended he was not following.

In the end, the group entered the Garganta, knowing fully well that they were on their way towards a Soul Society in jeopardy. But the news about Ichigo almost landing at the Sereitei did raise hopes to them all.

* * *

 _Inside the majestic palace of Esperanza_

In the throne room of Augustus Zod Allowin, a new meeting between him and the Dechados had been announced. In the middle of the hall, a crescent formed table had been placed, as if they were expecting someone. Currently, all members sat on their seats, watching as their leader entered the throne room. The paragons rushed to greet him with a respective kneel, and the emperor fixed a proud smile when seeing this.

"Hail, my sons and daughters. I am glad to see that you are all here" Allowin said humbly before motioning for them to return to their seats. "I have some important announcements to make, with regards to the Dechados" the long-bearded and muscular Arrancar told them and they all sat on their seats.

Everything was silent in the great hall, as the giant doors had been closed and the only people that was watching this meeting, as the palace guards. They made no sound while standing in guard.

Allowin first began fixing his eyes on Nelliel and Harribel, who sat beside one another. They both seemed surprised at first. "Tell me, Nelliel Tu Odelschwank and Tier Harribel. Did those four Humans return to their tent?" he asked them.

"Yes, they did" Nelliel replied quickly without hesitation. "And they may be planning on leaving for the Soul Society soon" the sea green-haired woman added.

"Hold on! You mean those freeloaders are leaving?" Tirrador asked her with excitement in his voice while looking overjoyed. "Finally, now just to spray the spot where they been so it doesn't stink" he added with an outrageous statement.

Nelliel frowned slightly while hearing this. "You don't them something as rude as that, they have not exploited us" she insisted to the young Arrancar.

"Ignore him, Nelliel" Harribel said, and fixed her azure eyes upon the afro-haired boy. "You better learn how to respect your elders, punk" she told him sternly, although Tirrador did not seem to care.

The ancient Arrancar simply closed his eyes while listening to this. "Enough of this foolishness, Tirrador Webster" he told the young paragon and opened his eyes to see Nelliel. "Very well, I see that you and your friend have done your jobs well" he noted lowly while glancing at all of the paragons. "But it is time to move on to more pressing matters. I just had some time to reflect on what had happened recently, including the Wandenreich's new invasion of the Sereitei. Yhwach has made his move once again" the white-bearded man remarked while telling everyone.

"Your Highness" Luddenwig spoke up with a formal voice. "You don't suppose that the Quincies will seek out El Dorado's location?" he asked his superior.

"That may be a possibility, considering that even now, Yhwach has found out about me" Allowin said grimly. "But as the situation currently stands, the Wandenreich doesn't have resources to focus on a war on two fronts. They are first determined to strike at the 13 Court Guard Squads, as well as the Royal Guard" he added to his explanation.

Xerrxes found himself smiling. "Well said, Your Highness. I agree with your hypothesis" the muscular man with dreadlocks said in return.

"Still, we should not let our guard down" everyone turned their eyes on Harribel, the blonde-haired woman fixing her eyes upon Allowin. "These Quincies destroy anything in their path. And I have no doubt that they will try anything to find the location of El Dorado. Therefore, security around the city should still be tightened" she added to her words.

Allowin let out a chuckle in amusement. He even clapped his hands for her and so did some of the paragons. "Spoken like a true paragon, despite being a newcomer. I admit that you impress me, young one" she complimented her, with Harribel giving him a nod in appreciation.

While Nelliel, Oggrom, Gallante and Annabelle expressed similar praise to Harribel, other paragons like Luddenwig, Xerrxes and Tirrador were less than enthusiastic about it. Some of them still resented the blonde-haired woman for refusing their offer at first, although some had slowly gotten over the episode.

"Heh, Aizen-loving wench" Luddenwig thought about seeing her.

"Her sills are undeniably impressive, that I agree" Xerrxes noted in his thoughts. "But still, it will take more than that to convince me to see her as an equal" he added.

But Tirrador had a similar, yet a different reason for that he held a slight distaste of Harribel and her Fracciòn. "How the hell did she suddenly get all friendly with the boss here? I mean, she basically allowed herself to get her ass whooped by not just the Quincy Emperor, but also that Shinigami mongrel Sosuke Aizen" he remarked with his usual thoughts and views.

As soon as the laughing stopped, Allowin motioned for everyone to rise from their seats and stand in two lines sideways, with Allowin standing by the middle. The Dechados were wondering why they were doing that, but the emperor motioned for the palace guard to open the tall doors.

"To further prepare for the whatever circumstances awaits us, I have decided to expand the Dechados, by welcoming three candidates that I have long considered for the title" Allowin revealed, much to everyone's surprises. He suddenly smiled humbly in return. "I have had this revelation hidden from you since the day the Wandenreich first invaded Hueco Mundo. And considering the fact that there will be more than Quincies involved in this battle, I have welcomed two from the Houses of Braquemond and Chelute, and one outsider" the emperor went on explaining, with all the paragons staring at the newcomers with curious eyes.

While Nelliel and Harribel were confused when seeing this, the others were sort of amused to see these three unfamiliar Arrancars in paragon capes.

The first one was a muscular, light-brown skinned man with reddish-brown mane, almost like a lion. His eyes were orange and his Hollow-shell appeared to be a jaw of teeth underneath his chin. Similar to Grimmjow, he had dashes underneath his eyes, except for the fact that they were orange, like his eyes. He simply crossed his arms at what he was seeing while stroking his mane. "I am Paragon Lyoness Mahlangu. And by my new title, I will protect El Dorado" he said while kneeling.

The second one was a middle-aged woman with purplish hair, similar to Violetta and Christoff. Her hair was tied into a ponytail and her Hollow-shell appeared to be phoenix hairpins on her hair. She also kneeled before her peers. "I am Paragon Arlettine Bracquemond of the House of Bracquemond. I humbly accept the call of the paragon" she said in a serious manner.

The third and last one was a tall man had the skull of a moose with majestic antlers as his head. And of course, it acted also as his Hollow-shell. While he bore some resemblance to Borddum and Rudbornn, he also resembled the Hollow shop owner in the market named Ceirwutz. "I am Paragon Uvaanog Chelute of the House of Chelute. I am honored to be given such a title" his gentle voice spoke up and kneeled beside his fellow paragons.

Annabelle mused by seeing this. "So Arlettine and Uvaanog are finally Dechados?" she mused and looked at Xerrxes, who stood in the other line. "Now, all the four great houses have a place in the Dechados" she told him.

"I am flattered" Xerrxes simply said in return.

But Allowin suddenly stepped forward and motioned for the three newly-inducted paragons to stand on their feet. "While these three will be part of the Dechados, they will be a part of our top secret operative unit in the outside world" he suddenly revealed to the other paragons. "I have decided that for us to get a better hold on this situation, we will not rely on Urahara and his allies. We must find information on our own terms. Therefore, I place Lyoness, Arlettine and Uvaanog in the Soul Society's countryside. They shall be known as the Sombre. However, I am dispatching at least one of you to join them" he went on, giving a name for the team while looking for a volunteer.

While some like Tirrador simply pretended that they were not interested, Pieddot suddenly stepped forward and bowed before the emperor with respect. "Your Highness. Allow me to accompany these Dechados to the Soul Society. My knowledge and wisdom could be a great asset to their efforts" the man with the burlap mask said.

"A wise decision and explanation, Pieddot Picasso. Yes, you would make an excellent addition to the Sombre" Allowin remarked and then looked at the three new members. "He speaks the truth, you will need him in the fields" he added.

The three newcomers nodded their heads in understanding. "As you command, Your Highness" Arlettine said with a formal bow and then looked at Pieddot. "Shall we depart for the Soul Society?" she then asked the man with the burlap mask.

"I first need to collect some tools at the Conociomento. Then we can begin our mission" Pieddot said and faced their superior with a respective bow. "Your Highness, we will take our leave and let you know when we have arrived in the Soul Society" he told Allowin, who smiled humbly in return

"Fair enough. Safe journey, my children. And do not forget, that the Skyfather is always watching you" the ancient man told them, actually referencing himself. The group of four left and Allowin proceeded to focus his attention on those Dechados that were still remaining in the great hall. "Now, I know that there was a slight commotion inside the Coliseo recently. Isn't that right, Oggrom Dorian?" the white-bearded man then asked the barbarous-looking Arrancar, who nodded his head in return as a yes.

"That's right. Three Legionarios and three Gadiadores were releasing Nnoitora Gilga into the arena, without your consent" Oggrom revealed, but suddenly looked at Nelliel and Harribel with a slight smile. "But with the assistance of these two ladies, we managed to drive him back into his cage" he told, indirectly praising both female Dechados.

Neither of them knew what to say in return, as they were stunned by the fact that Oggrom possessed such ability to praise his compatriots.

"Your Highness" all eyes were on Xerrxes, as the black-skinned man was down to his knees begging, which was really an unusual thing for him to do. "Please forgive my cousin Muumin for her rash decision. Had I known that she was complicit in this, I would've taken action against her" the man with the dreadlocks pleaded, although out of kindness and humility.

"Xerrxes down on his knees…..how amusing this is to watch" Annabelle remarked inside her head.

Durran sighed in annoyance. "When will he ever learn?" he wondered inside his head.

"Rise up, Xerrxes Rureaux. There is no need for you to beg" Allowin said and the muscular man lifted his head to see the emperor facing him. "I am actually expecting you to punish your kinswoman, considering that you and her are of noble blood. Therefore, I will trust you in punishing the woman" he revealed, much to the relief of Xerrxes and some of the other paragons. "I had a conversation with Arlettine with regards to her younger brother earlier. So, I have no decision to execute anyone. However, they along with those reckless Legionarios will be disciplined" he insisted to them.

Xerrxes got up and bowed before him once again. "You are too kind, Your Highness. I am humbled to serve you" he told him.

"Your Highness" the voice came from Killaman, as the hulking Arrancar kneeled before him once again. "Have you made any decisions, with regard to my visions?" the paragon with the long, white beard asked his superior.

Allowin simply nodded his head in return. "I have, Killaman Khan. When I feel the world at unease, the Imperio de Hierro will then make its move. But until then, we let the Shinigamis deal with their own failures and mistakes" he told him while making sure everyone else listened. All the Dechados could hear Allowin's distaste for the Shinigamis and their ideals. But then again, he had a good reason for holding such grudges against not just them, but the Quincies as well.

Killaman simply bowed his head in understanding. "As you wish. I respect your decisions" he told his liege.

Meanwhile, the four members of the Sombre was heading towards the elevator. They were on the move, Arlettine could hear a familiar voice calling to her. "Big sister!" the purple-haired woman stopped in her tracks and turned around to see two familiar faces from her standpoint. It was Violetta and Christoff, her younger siblings. Violetta jumped straight into her and hugged with admiration. "I'm so happy to know that you've become a Dechado! I'm proud of you!" she exclaimed in admiration of Arlettine, who was only unfazed by being given this hug.

Christoff only dropped a sweat when seeing this and he eventually facepalmed. "Why did I not prepare myself for this embarrassment?" he wondered over seeing Violetta's antics.

"Violetta" the young girl paused and saw her older sister's serious glare, indicating that she wanted her to back off. "Get off me and stop acting so stupid! You are a Legionario!" Arlettine sternly reminded her and Violetta got off, although her eyes were on the verge of crying.

"But why….." she uttered, only to feel Christoff put a hand on her head. This caused Violetta to immediately become happy again, and she hugged her brother. "Thanks so much, big brother!" she exclaimed, much to Christoff's annoyance.

"You two" both siblings snapped by hearing Arlettine fixing a stern glance upon her younger siblings. "Take care of the house while I'm gone. I want nothing to go wrong. Are we clear?" she explained to them strictly, before she faced Christoff specifically. "And Christoff, please…just please. Please stop following Muumin blindly. Begging to His Highness is embarrassing" she then told the purple-haired boy, who only listened to what was being said.

Sighing in defeat, he knew Arlettine spoke the truth. "Yeah, yeah. I don't have much of a social life, anyways" he said.

But Arlettine was not the only one who had been interrupted. Right now, Uvaanog was having a chat with fellow kinsmen of the House of Chelute: Borddum and Rudbornn. The three skull-headed Arrancars seemed to have a somewhat different conversation than that of the Bracquemonds.

"We heard rumors about your admittance as a paragon. We are proud to be related to you, cousin" Borddum said, as he and Rudbornn both bowed their heads in respect for the Arrancar with the moose skull as his face. "You bring honor to our house" he added.

Uvaanog nodded his head. "Yes. But I am afraid that the celebration will have to wait. Right now, we will be going out the fields" he told them.

"Then we wish you the best of luck" Rudbornn said.

"Are you two coming or what!?" Lyoness growled in slight irritation over seeing this. He crossed his arms and looked at Pieddot. "I swear, I'm gonna form my own house" he told the paragon, who only listened without speaking.

"I have no doubt that the Soul Society is in disarray the moment we enter" Pieddot thought while thinking about their objectives. "But as long as we stay in the countryside, the Quincies will not take notice of us snooping around" he remarked cunningly in his head, knowing well how they were gonna do this mission.

* * *

 _Inside the icy palace called Silbern, Sereitei, Soul Society_

Ever since the news about Gremmy Thoumeaux's defeat at the hands of Kenpachi Zaraki spread across the Sereitei, the brave captains and lieutenants of the 13 Court Guard Squads knew that since Kenpachi was in a weakened state, the enemy would without a doubt use this opportunity to deliver him the final blow. Kenpachi was one of the greatest assets to the Shinigami, and losing him would only be a blow to the Court Guard. While some Shinigamis headed straight towards Kenpachi's current location, others were forced to contend with the Sternritters, as well as other Quincies.

But in Silbern, something was taking place inside the throne room of Yhwach, as the Father of the Quincies was sitting on his throne, having both Haschwalth and Uryu by his sides. The long-haired man was facing five members of the Sternritters before him and smiled smugly over seeing them.

"I am glad that you are all present for this meeting, my children" Yhwach said as he surveyed each of the five Sternritters kneeling before him. "Sternritter X – The X-Axis: Lille Barro, Sternritter M – The Miracle: Gerard Valkyrie, Sternritter C – The Compulsory: Pernida Parnkjgas, Sternritter D – The Deathdealing: Askin Nakk Le Vaar and Sternritter W – The Wind: Nianzol Weizol. I have summoned you all here in my throne room for a particular reason. I am deciding to bring along you on my crusade in the Royal Realm, where you will assist me with eliminating the Soul King. Therefore, each of you shall become a member of my Schutzstaffel. Consider this a great honor" he announced while seeing as each of them wore a hooded coat, although Pernida wore one from before. Yhwach suddenly pointed his finger at Lille, the black-skinned man seeing this and looking up to him. "Lille Barro, as a testament of your dedication to the Wandenreich, I am naming you the Captain of the Schutzstaffel" he said and Lille responded by simply bowing his head in respect.

"I am honored to be handpicked by you, Your Majesty" Lille said, the man with the rifle feeling confident over hearing Yhwach favoring him. He then rose up and picked up his Reishi rifle. "With Diagramm at my side, I will eliminate every fool who stands in our way, that I vow" the black-skinned man with the x-mark on his left eye said.

Gerard also rose up and saluted to his superior with his Reishi sword at his chest. "And by my blade Hoffnung, I shall cut our enemies to shreds! None of them shall escape my wrath!" he made a declaration.

While they made this declaration, Askin only sighed in annoyance over seeing them being so enthusiastic. "What a pain in my ass. Surely I must be teamed up with those two" he noted in his thoughts before looking at the other two members of the Schutzstaffel. "And also, Pernida and Nianzol are in this too. This should be interesting" he remarked, indicating that he never knew those two really that much.

However, Nianzol was standing a bit further away from Pernida, considering that he could not stand being near one of the most reserved Sternritters. "I really hate that guy. I wish Gremmy was with me" he thought while thinking about someone he could consider a friend, even though Nianzol had no friends.

So far, Pernida had not made a move, as he had only stood still and gazed at Yhwach. However, he did take a few steps forward and eventually nodded his head with respect, indicating that he was willing to follow the emperor into battle.

Yhwach smiled at seeing that his Schutzstaffel was ready. "I am impressed by your dedication. Now, return to your quarters and await further orders. I will call upon you if you are needed at my side. Dismissed" he said and all members exited the throne room, leaving him alone with both Haschwalth and Uryu. "Once we reach the Royal Realm, we shall crush its defenders, including the Royal Guard. When each of their members are defeated, the Soul King's Palace will be ours for the taking" the emperor explained to his two most trusted confidantes.

"I beg your pardon, Your Majesty" Uryu spoke up with formality in his voice. "But the distance between the Sereitei and the Royal Realm is blocked by many barriers. How is it possible for us to pass through them without having an Oken?" the crown prince asked, making sure that he was not questioning anything.

"You should know your pla…" Haschwalth was stopped by seeing Yhwach put his hand to block him, thus forcing the blonde-haired man to back off. "Sorry, Your Majesty" he simply said with respect.

Surprisingly, Yhwach was amused to be asked about such. "I see that you have taken your time to study the distance between the Soul Society and the Royal Realm. I am impressed" the man with the moustache noted, commending Uryu's genius intellect. "Yes, it is impossible to break through the barriers that protects the Royal Realm from outside threats. To do that, you would need an Oken. But what if you could break the barriers with only a small piece of an Oken?" he explained, but then began asking something that made Uryu wander in his thoughts.

"What does he mean by…" Uryu's thinking was interrupted by a large sound of lightning erupting in the clouds above the Sereitei. It was loud enough to draw attention from Yhwach and Haschwalth as well. As Uryu looked up to see it, a familiar Spiritual Pressure could be recognized. "This Spiritual Pressure…..it can't be…" he noted surprisingly in his head.

"Your Majesty" the voice came from Sternritter Σ – Sigma: Shaz Domino, the four-eyed man rushing to inform him about something. "Our communications unit has confirmed it. The Substitute Shinigami and Special War Potential: Ichigo Kurosaki has entered the battlefield!" he revealed.

Hearing this caused Yhwach to form a smug smile once again. "Excellent, then we better get moving" he said and faced both Uryu and Haschwalth. "Let us head to The Key. It is time that we praise the one who has lead us to the light" he told them and the three headed for the tall tower behind the palace.

* * *

 _All across the icy cityscape_

While most Sternritters had felt uninterested in Gremmy's defeat, they got more interested when seeing the lightning in the sky, and some of them could read the Spiritual Pressure. The majority of the Shinigamis felt some sense of hope and relief when realizing that Ichigo had returned to the Sereitei after receiving training from the Royal Guard. With him on the battlefield, the Court Guard still felt that they could turn the tide against the Wandenreich.

"Ichigo…..is that really you?" Renji wondered in surprise, as he felt that his friend's Spiritual Pressure felt somewhat different. But then again, he along with Rukia knew it better than any other Shinigami. He was now standing on his knees, still in battle with NaNaNa Najakhoop.

"Ah, so this Spiritual Pressure belongs to one of yo homies, does it?" Renji snapped in anger by hearing the voice of NaNaNa, who was currently sitting on a brick watching him. "Whoever he is, I think he's stronger than you, punkass bitch" the Quincy added with a taunt.

Renji only gritted his teeth in anger over hearing this. "You son of a bitch….." the red-haired man said with gritted teeth before stretching Zabimaru at NaNaNa. "QUIT TALKING SHIT TO ME!" he angrily said, only for NaNaNa to vanish with the help of his Hirenkiyaku.

The Sternritter was now standing on the destroyed bridge, and looked to the direction in which he felt Ichigo's Spiritual Pressure. "Ya know, I'm sick of watching you getting yo ass whopped by me I wonder if that homie of yours is not much of a pussy as you. So I'm gonna go see if he's a real challenge! Have fun kissing the ground!" he said and suddenly vanished from the spot, much to Renji's outrage.

"HEY! GET BACK HERE, YOU PIECE OF….." Renji calmed himself and decided to think properly. Soon, the Lieutenant of Squad 6 moved with the help of his Shunpo, hoping to catch NaNaNa. "That bastard is obviously heading towards the direction Ichigo currently, is! But I'm not gonna be sidelined once again! That smartass cocksucker and I have a score to settle!" Renji thought in slight anger while running through the streets.

At the same time, Rukia and Byakuya were having difficulties against Robert Accutrone, who proved to be quite adaptable in handling two opponents. In fact, Rukia was about to activate her Bankai once again before the lightning in the sky appeared over the Sereitei. When sensing the Spiritual Pressure, Rukia immediately fixed a smile.

"It is Ichigo, I just know it!" Rukia exclaimed, as she looked over her shoulder to face her adoptive brother, who himself was stunned to feel Ichigo's Spiritual Pressure. "Brother! We better hurry and head over to his location!" the young woman pointed out.

"It's unwise for you to take your eyes off your opponent" the voice came from Robert, who was firing his Reishi pistols, only for them both to vanish with the help of Shunpo. Byakuya used his Shikai to attack the Sternritter, only for him to vanish through the ground and move around the environment. Rukia also tried to catch him by using hers, although Robert had quickly gotten out of the ground. He was now standing on the roof, and facing the direction Ichigo's Spiritual Pressure came from. "I see. The Special War Potential Ichigo Kurosaki is now over there fighting those snotty girls. I can feel the energy" he commented while watching at this direction.

Rukia felt angered over seeing the Quincy behaving this way. "Bastard….." she cursed lowly and then aimed her handpalm at the four-eyed man. "Hado 73: Soden…." Byakuya suddenly pushed her aside, when Robert fired one of his Reishi pistols at her. While it didn't hit the Captain of Squad 6, it narrowly missed his left cheek and a cut was formed on it as a result. Rukia saw this and became worried. "Brother! You're bleeding!" she noted with concern.

"Focus, Rukia" Byakuya told the young woman who snapped in surprise. "What you just did was a foolish mistake. His bullets run faster than you performing a Kido-spell. You must not allow your opponent to be given an opening" he slowly, yet calmly told Rukia, who sat and listened.

Without saying anything, Rukia simply nodded her head in understanding in return, knowing better than to argue with Byakuya when it came to tactics.

"I have to admit, both of you are getting annoying quite quickly" the Kuchiki-duo heard Robert comment as he was standing on the top of a building. "In fact, I believe that my top priority should be exterminating Ichigo Kurosaki. I am only wasting time with a couple of clowns like you" he said and suddenly vanished with his Hirenkiyaku.

"He's fast!" Byakuya remarked when seeing how he quickly vanished. But the black-haired man could see Rukia run straight after the direction Robert went. "Rukia, where are you…" he paused when Rukia turned around to look at him.

"I don't have time to disagree with you, brother! We better hurry to Ichigo's location!" the young woman called out and proceeded moving on. Byakuya, who knew better than to allow Rukia run into anger alone, decided to accompany her.

At the spot where Mask De Masculine had previously wreaked havoc, Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa from Squad 11 and Shuhei Hisagi from Squad 9 had awoken from lying unconsciously among the rubbles. However, the three Shinigamis had the moment they awoken, sensed Ichigo's return to the Sereitei. Ikkaku was definitely convinced that it was him.

"You sure about this, Ikkaku?" Yumichika asked the bald-headed man as they all got up on their feet.

"I have fight him before, Yumichika. Therefore, I never fail to confuse his Spiritual Pressure for someone else" Ikkaku said in return and began taking few steps, gazing at the direction he felt it. "But that's not just it. The captain's Spiritual Pressure is over there as well" he remarked, as he was mentioning Kenpachi

Shuhei eventually felt the same thing. "You're not joking" he noted. "Then what are we standing here for? Let's move out" he told both members of Squad 11.

"Tch, that's my line, smartass" Ikkaku noted, and the three Shinigamis moved out, heading towards the directions Ichigo was currently at.

* * *

 _At the ruin of the large structure, Sereitei_

Ichigo had just arrived to help Kenpachi avoid his death by the four female members of the Sternritters. He managed to take care of them, despite him only being one against four. But that problem expanded when Sternritter H – The Heat: Bazz-B interfered and shot each of his fellow Sternritter with his Burning Finger 1. He saw this as a chance to take Ichigo by himself, as he knew that the orange-haired man was one of the Special War Potentials. But Bazz-B was not the only one who desired the credit, as Robert, NaNaNa and Sternritter L – The Love: PePe Waccabrada arrived at the scene as well, demanding to be the one to kill Ichigo. But the female Sternritters were not out of the game, and they also joined in on the competition to have the orange-haired man. It was now 8 Sternritters vs 1 Substitute Shinigami.

Before the all-out brawl could commence, Ichigo felt a tall pillar of light launching up to the sky. He saw that it came from a tall tower and that it was behind the icy palace of Silbern. At first, Ichigo was curious to know what was happening, until he heard a very familiar voice calling to him.

"Ichigo Kurosaki. The one who has lead us to the light. Let us all think him" the voice of Yhwach could be heard throughout the icy cityscape and Ichigo listened closely to what was being said. Thanks to you, I will now be able to invade the Royal Realm and conquer the Soul King's Palace!" the declaration was met with shock into Ichigo and he listened closely. "That cloth you are wearing is called the Oken Clothing. It is made with the bones and hair from the members of the Royal Guard. It allows you to break through the 72 barriers that exists between the Sereitei and the Royal Realm. And most importantly, it protects you from friction when that happens. Something like this could never be made from another material" Yhwach went on explaining, as Ichigo slightly got a hang of what the emperor was saying. "However, due to its defensive power, the 72 barriers you broke through cannot be closed for 6000 seconds afterwards!" he then revealed.

It was at this point Ichigo realized what Yhwach's plan really was. Similar to the first invasion, when he was stuck in Hueco Mundo, Yhwach had planned something similar for him in this invasion. He had waited for Ichigo to arrive on the battlefield, but would then use this opportunity to make begin his invasion of the Royal Realm, planning for Ichigo to be stuck on the Sereitei, unless he could make it in time.

The orange-haired man ran towards the direction, but the surrounding Sternritters had no intentions of letting him go after Yhwach so easily. Ichigo did his best to avoid them, only to be caught by Bazz-B from behind. Before the aggressive Sternritter could fire his Burning Finger 1, something interrupted them, leading to Ichigo being saved from Bazz-B's grasp.

"Hey there, Ichigo! You really have to admit that I just saved you right now!" Renji exclaimed while swinging Zabimaru. "You owe me a favor, later!" the red-haired man added, as he was standing on a rubble with Rukia beside him.

However, Ichigo was furious over the way he was saved. "YOU ALMOST HIT MY HEAD, YOU ASSWIPE!" Ichigo cursed in outrage, forcing Renji to only sigh in annoyance.

"Quit being so ungrateful. I didn't hit you at all" Renji said and began pointing the tip of his Zanpakutou towards the direction the light came from. "Anyways, you better scram. We won't let them pass. You have some dealings with the Quincy Boss, right?" he then spoke to Ichigo, who listened closely.

"What are you…" Ichigo uttered out words lowly, before Rukia spoke up.

"We'll leave him to you. It's your duty after all" Rukia told him and brandished her Zanpakutou. "Now hurry up and go before we make you regret it!" she then shouted at him and Ichigo responded without hesitation, forcing Rukia to smirk when seeing this. "Heh, it always works" she noted underneath her breath.

"Save your humor for the aftermath, Rukia. We have some angry Quincies to fight here" Renji told her and watched as some of the Sternritters began chasing after Ichigo, only for the numerous cherry blossom blades belonging to Senbonzakura to block their passage, forcing them to backtrack. All the Sternritters faced the newly-arrived Shinigamis, who blocked their passage. "Don't let me say this one more time. We won't let you pass" Renji said, as he, Rukia, Byakuya, Ikkaku, Yumichika and Shuhei now stood before the group of Sternritters.

As they gathered in opposite lines, Bazz-B began counting the number of Shinigamis that stood before them. "6 people? That's not even enough to a 1 on 1 fight" the Quincy with the Mohawk noted with boredom. "How many Special War Potentials are among them?" he suddenly asked his comrades.

"Zero" Robert sternly replied, as he was the only to answer his question.

Bazz-B simply shrugged his shoulders when hearing this. "Is that so?" he noted before holding a Reishi crossbow in his right hand. "Then I've got no business with you suckers! Out of the way!" he exclaimed, only to notice that Ikkaku was planning on attacking him from above. The Quincy avoided it and aimed his Reishi crossbow at the bald-headed Ikkaku, only for his right hand to be frozen by Rukia.

"Did you mishear us or something? We said that we wouldn't let you pass" Rukia pointed out.

"If you want us to go away, then you might as well die right now!" Ikkaku joined in, taunting the Sternritters.

Yumichika was not impressed by his friend's choice of words. "You're speaking nonsense, Ikkaku. I'm not even sure if you realize this yourself" the flamboyant man remarked.

Bazz-B shattered the ice around his arm and faced the Shinigamis with an annoyed look. "What a pain in the ass" he noted in his head.

"Imbeciles. Did you not hear what I just told you?" Robert asked while facing both Rukia and Byakuya. "I have lost interest in wasting time with fools like you. And yet you still insist on fighting me?" the four-eyed man asked them with dispassion.

"I could say the same thing about dat red-haired faggot-ass bitch over there" NaNaNa stepped in while facing Renji, who got angered by that remark. "Just face it, dawg. You ain't worth mah time. Dat orange-haired homie of yours on the other hand, way cooler!" the dull-headed Quincy said, thus enraging Renji.

"Shut up…" Renji spoke up lowly before facing NaNaNa angrily and pointed his blade at him. "YOU DARE DEGRADING ME!? I'LL MAKE YOU REGRET THAT, COCKSUCKER!" he angrily snapped.

His fellow Shinigami only dropped sweats when seeing Renji's angry outburst. "Man, what got him so worked up?" Ikkaku asked Rukia, who felt the same thing.

"I have no idea…" Rukia said.

"Enough fooling around" the voice came surprisingly from Liltotto, who was facing her fellow Sternritters. "I'm not going to waste time here and let Ichigo Kurosaki escape. We should deal with them right away" the little girl suggested.

"I could not agree me" Robert said and adjusted his glasses. He then faced the Shinigamis. "Very well, Shinigami-ants. You asked for this" he told them sternly.

NaNaNa grinned viciously. "Hell yeah! These wide-eyed mothafuckas are gonna get some yellow ass-whoppin' from me!" he exclaimed in delight.

"Now we're talking!" Bazz-B explained with enthusiasm in his voice.

And thus, the two sides began clashing, with each side hoping to win against the other. But it was too early to conclude, as the fight had barely begun.

* * *

 _Near the tower called The Key_

"YHWACH!" Ichigo yelled as he sped towards the tall, icy tower that was filled with light. His voice was loud and the long-haired man with the moustache took notice of Ichigo's voice. Ichigo was determined to stop the Emperor of the Wandenreich, as he had gained more knowledge about him from his father Isshin Kurosaki. Or perhaps a suitable name would be Isshin Shiba, the name his father had during his time as the Captain of Squad 10. But knowing what Yhwach's intention really was, Ichigo knew that he had to stop him. He was about to go upwards, until he saw a Heilig Pfiel almost hitting him. Fortunately, Ichigo managed to dodge it and was about to continue his pursuit of Yhwach, only to be given a shocking revelation.

Standing on the tower's edge and looking down on Ichigo was Uryu Ishida, his longtime ally and friend through all his previous challenges that he had to put up with. Ichigo was stunned, as he saw the raven-haired man with glasses, dressed in a Wandenreich-uniform.

"Uryu…why are you…" Ichigo uttered out words in shock.

"Go home, Ichigo" Uryu simply responded, loud enough for Ichigo to hear. But the orange-haired man was filled with confusion inside his head. "You can't stop His Majesty" Uryu added, his voice filled with lack of concern or emotion.

Ichigo was at loss of words, as he couldn't believe what his friend just said. "Uryu…what are you saying?" he asked in disbelief.

"Go home. Don't throw away your life here" Uryu spoke up, once again having no emotion in his voice.

But Ichigo was not satisfied by his answer. "I ASKED YOU WHY YOU'RE HERE! ANSWER ME, DAMN IT!" he angrily demanded an answer from Uryu.

Instead of replying with words, Uryu replied simply by aiming his new Heilig Bogen at Ichigo, meaning that he was intending to actually shoot him. "Licht Regen" he said and Uryu fired rains of Heilig Pfiels from the tower.

Ichigo readied his Zanpakutous, realizing that he had to block the attack. But before the rain could fall on him, a shield was erected and it was without a doubt Santen Kesshun. Uryu glanced up to see that Orihime and Chad were standing up in the air, along with Tessai, Jinta and Ururu. Ichigo also noticed them and he was filled with surprise over seeing them. The Garganta in which the group had used immediately closed.

But Orihime was filled with worry, as she and the group had witnessed Uryu's actions against Ichigo. "Uryu….." she said, her voice filled with worry and slight sadness over seeing her classmate standing by the Quincy Emperor.

Chad was also having similar thoughts, as he couldn't believe that Uryu would be joining the Wandenreich. But something invaded the tall man's thoughts. "In my first vision, I saw a young raven-haired Quincy, born of both pure and impure blood, dressed in a majestic uniform as he stood beside the throne belonging to the Father of the Quincies. That young Quincy wore glasses, his eyes stern and focused, as if he was iron itself. For he is the one who will be the Wandenreich's next emperor. He is the Prinz von Lichts" Chad recalled the words that had been told by the Dechado Killaman Khan. "So Uryu has joined the Wandenreich…...but why?" Chad wondered, his thoughts filled with so many questions.

"Uryu. It is time for us to go" Yhwach called upon the young man. "Did you say your farewells?" he then asked the crown prince.

"Yes" Uryu simply responded, as he was now turning his back on his friends.

"It will be your last" the emperor pointed out, wanting to make sure that he was serious about this.

"I am aware of that" Uryu responded once more.

Soon, the trio began floating in the air, as they were on the verge of heading straight towards the skies. But Ichigo was not intending on letting Uryu get away, "Wait! What the hell's going on!? You still haven't answered me!" he called out to his four-eyed friend, who was still turning his back on him while floating in the air. "Say something!" Ichigo said, only to not be given a response. This only made Ichigo more distressed. "URYU!" he yelled in anger, but his voice did not reach him, as Uryu, Yhwach and Haschwalth were quickly sped up to the skies like a bullet of light. But as that happened, a strong wind blew in the aftermath and it occurred all over the Sereitei.

Orihime and Chad had realized that they needed to get away from the tower and they pushed Ichigo back to the Orihime's platform. But the orange-haired man was still not giving up on Uryu. "URYUUUUUU!" Ichigo shouted once again, as the wind blew stronger and stronger, almost like a hurricane. But Orihime noticed that her platform was on the verge of cracking.

In the nick of time, Tessai appeared along with Jinta and Ururu and the tall Shinigami was now focusing on something. "Hang on tight, young ones! I will protect us from this wind!" he yelled and performed a Kido-spell in the middle of the air. "Kigai no Jomon!" Tessai yelled and he performed a barrier that eventually transformed into a turtle-like armor.

The winds were strong enough that it even blew away the turtle armor and it was sent down to street level. But fortunately, the Kido-barrier protected everyone within from the destructive winds.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Author's note: That was chapter 19. It told us about how our friends in Hueco Mundo decided to return to the Sereitei, as well as some plans Allowin had for his Dechados. He is planning some sending a group of them to the Soul Society for reconnaissance or some sort, while recruiting new members. We also noticed something similar happen in Silbern with the Schutzstaffel. And the Shinigamis are now fighting the Quincies in the Sereitei. The next chapter will tell us about Ichigo's next move. Now let us see the new term we got introduced to in this chapter.**

 **Sombre – Spanish for "Shadow": A group that was recently formed by Augustus Zod Allowin. What their objectives are, other than infiltrating, remains to be seen.**

 **And let us not forget about the voice actors that these new Dechados have received. If the Shinigamis have a range of different voices, then Arrancars can also have that.**

 **Lyoness Mahlangu – Lex Lang**

 **Arlettine Bracquemond – Melodee Spevack**

 **Uvaanog Chelute – John DeMita**

 **FUN FACT: The manga that Tessai was reading at the beginning was…yes you guessed it. Naruto. Heck, I may plan on refencing each series in my fanfics, although I will not say it directly, of course. Both Naruto and Bleach have similarities when it comes to characterization, which is different from those of Dragon Ball and One Piece.**


	20. Shooting Stars

**Author's note: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 20: Shooting Stars**

 _In the icy cityscape, Sereitei, Soul Society_

The rain was falling down upon the transformed landscape of the Sereitei and Orihime had used her Santen Kesshun to form a cover where everyone could sit under. But things had been silent ever since the group witnessed Uryu standing beside Yhwach and Haschwalth. Seeing that had only given them all questions and questions that remained unanswered. The one who seemed mostly broken by Uryu's true loyalties, was Ichigo.

The orange-haired man, wearing his new Shinigami-outfitsat on a rubble and faced the ground with nothing but anger. Ichigo had incredible difficulties in coming to terms with this. Why, of all the people he knew, would Uryu join the Wandenreich? He had so many questions, but he never got them answered.

"Hey Ichigo, about your friend Uryu. Did her ever tell you about his mother?" the young boy thought about the conversation he had with his father back in the Kurosaki Clinic, where he learned about the truth of his mother, Masaki Kurosaki. His talk with Isshin had revealed to him that Masaki was in fact a Quincy. He also learned about the true reason she died during that rainy day. But there was more, as Masaki was not the only one to have died that day. That also included Uryu's mother: Kanae Katagiri. "His mother was Kanae Katagiri, a Gemischt Quincy. 9 years ago, on June 17th, she lost consciousness and died 3 months later" the explanation Isshin told him continued to remind Ichigo about how both his and Uryu's mothers died. "Auswahlen. 9 years ago, Yhwach made a "selection" of Quincies. I've heard that Quincy folklore also tells about a sealed king. According to that, the sealed king of the Quincies would gain his heartbeat after 900 years, his intellect after 90 years and his power after 9 years. "To regain his power, Yhwach stole the power from all the Gemischt Quincies, whom he conserved to be impure and made it his own. Because of that night, Kanae, who was already weak, died And Masaki lost her power and the fight and died" the explanation continued to haunt Ichigo's mind, as he was trying to get a picture of why despite all this, would Uryu still be working for Yhwach.

"Why are you doing this, Uryu?" Ichigo asked inside his head, gritting his teeth while doing so. "Why the fuck are you on Yhwach's side!? That bastard murdered our mothers!" he asked once again, his feelings conflicted. The orange-haired boy faced his right hand and gripped it tightly. "His blood may flow in my veins! But I am still gonna make him pay for what he did to mother!" Ichigo added, as he was determined to fight Yhwach.

Orihime, Tessai and the others knew that it was too difficult for them to start a conversation with Ichigo, especially when he was feeling that bitter. But things were out for a surprising twist, as Chad suddenly approached Ichigo, lifted him up in the air and threw him to a nearby ruined tower, much to everyone's outrage. No one expected the tall man to be doing this kind of thing to his friends, especially Ichigo.

"WHAT THE HELL, CHAD!?" Ichigo asked in outrage after being thrown.

"What are you doing, Ichigo?" Chad asked loudly, forcing Ichigo to snap in surprise. "We're also shocked that Uryu was there! But worrying about that won't change anything!" Chad went on explaining.

"Well said!" Tessai surprisingly joined in and faced Ichigo with his serious gaze. "We are talking about Uryu Ishida here. If he has chosen to stay on their side, he must have thought deeply about it" the tall Shinigami remarked while adjusting his glasses. Ichigo was listening to what they both were saying.

"But even if that's true, it won't change what we have to do!" Chad pointed out to everyone as they listened. "We're still gonna stop whatever chaos the Wandenreich is up to! They are a threat to the Human World!" the tall man added to his explanation.

After thinking about what both Chad and Tessai had said, Ichigo eventually faced the ground in realization, knowing that both men spoke the truth. "You're right" he noted and eventually got of the ruined tower. And walked up to his friends. "I can't allow the Wandenreich to do as they please. The Human World, Hueco Mundo, they will also suffer if that bastard Yhwach makes it to the Soul King's Palace!" Ichigo said while thinking about what he had learned about the Soul King. "Now about Uryu. He's too stubborn, and we'll never be able to persuade him!" the orange-haired man remarked.

"Exactly" Chad said in agreement.

"That's why I wanna go after him and ask the reason! And if that doesn't satisfy me, I'll kick his ass and take him back!" Ichigo made a declaration and began his move.

Both Chad and Tessai smile when seeing how determined he sounded. "And what if his reasoning makes sense?" Tessai suddenly asked Ichigo, who was still on the move.

"Simple! I'll kick his ass and take him back all the same!" Ichigo responded. But there was something else drifting inside Ichigo's head, as he thought about his four-eyed friend, something he did not wish to share with the others. The orange-haired man gritted his teeth in anger while thinking about this. "Uryu, I don't care whatever your agenda is. But whatever you do, stay the hell out of the fight between me and Yhwach! He and I have some unfinished business!" Ichigo thought, really hoping that Uryu would not interfere in his own agenda.

"That sounds reasonable" Chad noted when he heard what Ichigo had said in response to Tessai's question.

"Indeed, it does!" Orihime said, smiling by seeing how Ichigo's spirits had been lifted.

But Jinta was dumbfounded by seeing this. "What the hell did I just see now?" the red-haired teenager wondered in his head while seeing how quickly Ichigo was one person here and one person there. However, he grinned. "Heh, he's still the same carrot top. I like him" Jinta said.

"Whoa, it looks like I was a bit late" a familiar voice could be heard and it was Urahara, standing on the rubbles with an umbrella. He gazed upon the area before fixing his cunning smile on Ichigo and the rest. "Anyways, glad to see you all again, especially you, Ichigo" he said to him.

"Urahara" Ichigo said in surprise, as Tessai, Jinta and Ururu approached their leader and reunited with him. "What are you doing here?" he asked as he was joined by Orihime and Chad.

The blonde-haired man fixed his cunning glance on Ichigo. "What I'm doing here? That's a good question" he remarked in a humorous manner before fixing a more serious glance. "Anyways, shall I get you a ticket to the Royal Realm? It might take some time though" Urahara suddenly asked, making sure that Ichigo wanted this.

"Please do" Ichigo immediately responded. "I cannot waste more time here" he said before facing the ground. "Yhwach is more cunning than I thought. How could I have allowed myself to be fooled again!?" he admitted to those around him.

"I know. But there's no need to despair just yet. He still has to contend with the Royal Guard, and they will make sure that no one gets passage to the Soul King's Palace so easily" Urahara encouraged him. "Now then, shall we head to the Department of Research and Development? It is there where the "ticket" lies" he then told him, making Ichigo nod his head in return.

The wind that had appeared throughout the Sereitei had sent the Shinigamis to various locations and Renji and Rukia found themselves covered by boulders. But with the help of Hihiou, Renji managed to pull those things away.

"You okay, Rukia?" Renji asked while moving away the boulder.

"Yes, I am" Rukia replied.

"That shockwave was huge. We all got separated. I don't sense Captain Kuchiki's Spiritual Pressure nearby anymore" the red-haired lieutenant said and began eyeing Rukia. "And by the way, did you notice the Spiritual Pressure?" he asked her.

Rukia nodded her head. "Yes…it looks like it wasn't my impression" she replied before thinking about the one whose Spirtual Pressure belonged to. "Why…Uryu?" she asked lowly, wanting to know why he was with the Wandenreich all of a sudden.

As the two lieutenants got out of the boulders, a voice interrupted them. "What's this? You two used to be friends with Uryu Ishida? Now I see!" it came from the Sternritter: Bazz-B, who floated in the air. "Aren't you guys angry that your friend changed sides? Well, we're angry at him too. If you wanna kill him, I'll be more than happy to help you!" he exclaimed, his voice having no deception inside.

"What did you just say?" Rukia asked while gazing up at him.

But Bazz-B was in for a surprise, as Renji attacked him using Hihiou, but the Sternritter avoided it and faced the red-haired Shinigami, who only glanced at him dispassionately. "Quit bullshitting us, you chicken head! Like you say, we're angry at Uryu for siding with the enemy without saying anything. But we don't need your help to beat him up" Renji explained, while Rukia only glanced at his behavior.

"Tell me something, are you angry now?" Rukia quizzed her fellow lieutenant.

But something was happening with Bazz-B. "Chicken head?" he said lowly while scratching his chin. "Are you fucking referring to…MY STYLISH MOHAWK!?" the Quincy angrily asked out loud, the veins inside his head showing themselves.

Renji found amusement in this. "Yeah. Are you pissed off, chicken? You get up early to lay eggs, isn't that nice?" he kept insulting Bazz-B, who was still fuming with anger.

"So, you're that kind of type too, huh!? I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" Bazz-B declared and pointed his hand towards Renji. "You have cool eyebrows, so I thought you had some fashion sense! But I guess I was wrong!" he explained, much to Renji's shock and realization, who couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"You…you think my eyebrows are cool?" he asked in disbelief, not expecting to be complimented by the enemy.

Rukia only sighed in annoyance by seeing this. "I hope you're happy" she said.

"Wait! You have a nice personality and…" Renji was interrupted by Bazz-B once again.

"TOO LATE, ASSWIPE!" he yelled back and suddenly readied a new kind of attack. "BURNER FINGER 4!" he yelled while firing a blade composed of fire.

It caused a loud explosion and it was shock the entire cityscape. But as the smoke cleared, Bazz-B was stunned to see that Rukia had managed to user her Zanpakutou to form a pillar of ice. She and Rukia were hiding behind it, but the pillar melted quickly. However, the two lieutenants had taken some damage from Bazz-B's attack, as it was indeed destructive.

"Dayum! You've really fucked this place up!" a familiar voice came to Bazz-B, as the Sternritter: NaNaNa Najakhoop stood there with his hands in his pockets. "Ain't wise to blow off the entire hood to pieces, Bazz-B. Just sayin" NaNaNa added with an advice directed at his fellow Sternritter.

But the punkish Sternritter only scoffed and flipped his middle finger at him. "Piss off, NaNaNa! I've no time to bet lectured by you!" he told him.

When Renji got a look of what he was seeing, his jaw almost dropped on the boulders. "Oh no! Not you again!" he angrily exclaimed at the sight of NaNaNa. "Will you stop stalking me!?" he added, much to Rukia's confusion.

"What are you talking about?" she wondered lowly, not getting why Renji resented NaNaNa that much.

NaNaNa was only poking one of his ears while listening to this. "Bruh. You sayin that I'm stalking you and shit? Hell naw! I just happened to be here after that shockwave and when I woke up, I saw this bigass fire and here I am" the Sternritter explained the whole story.

Bazz-B was finding NaNaNa to be tiresome and simply faced both Renji and Rukia. "Please kill him. Seriously, he won't be missed" the Sternritter with the Mohawk basically said while pointing his thumb at the scrawny Quincy.

"Now there's something we can agree on" Renji noted with a smirk before brandishing his Zanpakutou. "Anyways, I don't give a rat's ass about what you Sternritters think about each other. You bastards murdered hundreds of us in the previous invasion, including those of Squad 6. And as it's lieutenant, I don't intend to let those member's sacrifices go in vain! I'll stop you!" he declared.

NaNaNa only glanced at him with little enthusiasm, which was based upon his frown. "You still on to that, dawg?" he said before readying his fighting stance. "Fine by me! Let's see if that homie beside you is more interesting than you. I bet he has a cooler Zanpakutou" he said to them both.

Rukia only snapped in outrage over hearing what the Quincy just said, while Renji only dropped a sweat. The Lieutenant of Squad 13 felt very insulted by that statement and she pointed her Zanpakutou at him. "Why do you call me a homie? I'm a woman!" she angrily exclaimed.

Hearing this caused NaNaNa to snap in surprise. "Woah…you're a woman?" he asked stunned. Eventually, NaNaNa fell onto the ground, laughing his ass off, much to Bazz-B's utter confusion. Renji and Rukia were also surprised by seeing this. Why was he laughing? "You a woman!? Shit! I mean, you ain't got jugs, girl!" he exclaimed while continuing laughing.

"Seriously! You never realized back there that she was a girl?" Bazz-B wondered in his head. "I knew that the moment I took my eyes on her, let alone heard her voice" he added, still not getting what his fellow Sternritter's deal was.

Renji was about to calm down Rukia, but stopped as he could see how she was fuming with anger over hearing NaNaNa's rude remarks about her appearance and body type. "I AM A WOMAN! DO YOU WANNA SEE MY BOOBS!?" she angrily yelled at him, much to Renji's utter disbelief.

"Rukia…...chill out" he said lowly, but realized that she was not listening.

NaNaNa got up, trying to catch his breath. "Naw, girl. That ain't jugs! And you ain't no woman" he simply told her while fixing his black and white grin. "A REAL woman's gotta have it all! Jugs that bounce, a booty that shakes, lips that sucks the rod and hips that don't lie! That's a REAL woman!" he then explained his own definition of what a woman looked like.

Renji was flatly dumbfounded. "What the hell? This guy's even worse than Kon, no kidding!" he thought while hearing all this talk. "If that guy was near either Orihime or Rangiku then who knows what he would've done to them" he added to his thoughts about the women who were known to have voluptuous bodies.

"So unless you have any of those…..you're nothin' but a….." NaNaNa was interrupted by an angry voice of Rukia.

"DANCE! SODE NO SHIRAYUKI!" she angrily activated her Shikai and began dancing with her Zanpakutou. "SOME NO MAI, TSUKISHIRO!" the young woman exclaimed and the area around her began freezing, with NaNaNa being caught while Bazz-B managed to escape.

"So, that chick's an ice user too, huh?" the man with the Mohawk remarked after seeing the pillar of ice. A cocky grin formed on his face. "Hell yeah! I'm gonna enjoy this!" he exclaimed and prepared one of his attacks. "BURNING FINGER 2!" he exclaimed while swinging a ring of fire at the ice.

* * *

 _In the Royal Realm, high above the Sereitei, Soul Society_

The Vestibule Road was destroyed with an immense Spiritual Pressure that had appeared with the arrival of Yhwach and his trusted associates in the Wandenreich. Even now, panic amongst the upper citizens was spread across the five floating cities. However, the only ones who did not show fear in their eyes, were the proud members of Squad 0, also known as the Royal Guard. They along with the military forces would rush to the frontline and prevent the invaders from reaching the Soul King's Palace, which was without a doubt their destination.

"So here we are" Yhwach uttered out words as he, Haschwalth and Uryu were making their way towards the floating pillar-like building in the air. "The Soul King's Palace, lying right before our eyes" he remarked while proceeding moving.

"I understand your feelings, Your Majesty" Haschwalth suddenly spoke up, forcing Yhwach to stop.

"What do you mean, Haschwalth?" the emperor asked his second-in-command. "Looking at a rotten gravestone does not make me feel the slightest emotion" he went on explaining.

The blonde-haired man bowed his head in shame. "Right. I am sorry" he apologized.

"Now let the attack commence. Summon the Soldat" Yhwach ordered and Haschwalth responded without hesitation.

A shadow began enveloping from Haschwalth's hand and it formed into a five-pointed star. Out from it, a band of the Wandenreich's foot-soldiers known as the Soldat emerged and landed beside their leaders. Without delay, they ran towards the stairway that lead them to the Soul King's Palace.

But something had begun attacking the Soldats and fended them off with ease and it was in the form of an ore. Someone appear and it was without a doubt, one of the members of the Royal Guard.

"Hey there! Do you know where you are?" Tenjiro Kirinji asked while flashing his unique hairstyle for them to see while having a toothpick in his mouth. "You're in the Royal Realm. And we don't allow any uninvited visitors" he told them in a serious manner before readying his fighting stance. "I'm First Officer of Squad 0: Tenjiro Kirinji, Divine General of the East" he introduced himself and faced his opponent.

Yhwach was finding him to be amusing. "And you suppose that someone like you can stop me!?" he demanded, while taunting Kirinji at the same time.

Kirinji only spun his Zanpakutou before stopping it. "I wouldn't have come out if I didn't think so!" he basically replied and before everyone knew it, water began attacking the Soldats that were stationed around Yhwach. But it was not just water, it was hot water! It began burning the Soldats intensively and they vanished one, by one. "So, what do you think? Is my water hot enough?" he began asking the invaders while the water spun around him. "This hot water is my own special creation! It can squeeze blood and Spiritual Pressure out of people! If it's too hot, tell me! Because I'm not gonna make it any cooler though!" he said while Yhwach and his associates were trapped in the water.

But Kirinji jumped in the air and he activated his own Shikai by simply removing the tip of his ore. It eventually revealed the blade and it shined brightly. "Shine! Kinpika!" the man activated his Shikai and it shined brightly.

But as Kirinji was aiming his attack at Yhwach, the emperor formed a smirk underneath his moustache. "Heh, you are nothing but predictable" he commented at what he was seeing.

* * *

 _Outside the Rukon District, Soul Society_

While conflict raged behind the walls of the Sereitei, the surrounding districts barley paid attention to what was happening. But many of the Souls living in the area could feel the atmosphere taking place, and it made them feel unsafe. But what many had noted was the fact that none of the gatekeepers stood at their posts.

But in the forests of the Soul Society, things seemed much more peaceful than it did in the Sereitei. The local wildlife, which usually consisted of deer, boars and other types of animals, minded their business in this serene landscape. But it was also at this place where a Garganta suddenly appeared, scaring away the animals. But instead of Hollows, four Dechados and members of the newly-formed Sombre exited it, thus walking into this place surrounded by woods. They were Pieddot Picasso, Lyoness Mahlangu, Arlettine Bracquemond and Uvaanog Chelute. These four Dechados had been tasked with doing some spying in these parts of the Soul Society. And of course, they would be staying in the forests, as they did not want to attract attention from normal Souls.

"We have arrived in the Soul Society" Pieddot noted while looking up to the skies, which he could see along with the treetops. "But I smell smoke and fire in the air. It probably comes from the Sereitei" the Arrancar in burlap mask added to his explanation.

Lyoness was suddenly sniffing the grass and he licked his lips with satisfaction. "Heh, I bet the boars and deer here taste good" he remarked, wanting to go on a hunt.

"This is no time for slacking off, Lyoness" the stern voice came from Uvaanog, who crossed his arms at what he was seeing. "Remember our duties as Dechados. It is time that you start acting like one" the Arrancar with the moose-skull as his face said.

Arlettine was amused by hearing this. "A wise statement, Uvaanog" the purple-haired woman said and faced Lyoness with a smirk. "Better control the beast within you, my feral friend" she advised him.

The man with the reddish-brown mane only growled like a lion when hearing this. "Careful what you wish for, birdbrain" he told her sternly and faced Uvaanog with a similar expression. "And who the hell are you to judge me on how to behave? You are nothing but a passive fool without any…" before Lyoness could continue, he was interrupted by the voice of Pieddot.

"Silence! All of you. Remember that we must not attract unwanted attention from anybody" the imperial researcher reminded them and they all zipped their mouths as Pieddot reached for something in the chest he had brought with him. "Ah, here we have it. This will help us get a better view of this situation" the Dechado said, as he held a telescope made of bones.

"Shall we move to another location?" Arlettine asked while looking around. "This place does not look like an ideal place to set up camp" she added to her suggestion.

Pieddot nodded at her. "Of course, we shall. But remember, it is important that we all stay out of the open fields. A terrifying battle is currently taking hold in the Sereitei, and His Highness has strictly told us to not go there. We will let the Shinigamis deal with the Quincies" he said while explaining to them carefully.

The three Dechados knew better than to argue with Pieddot's intelligence, so they decided to follow him. But as they began walking in the forests, they stopped as they could feel that someone was watching them. It turns out, that it was true, as there was somebody standing beside the group of four, right now.

"Well, this is a rare sight. Arrancars in the Soul Society" the cunning female voice came from Kukaku Shiba, who simply stood there smoking her pipe. She was dressed in her white robe, while fixing her eyes on the four visitors. But she was not alone, as the young woman was having someone standing beside her. It was a young black-skinned boy, who looked awfully similar to Yoruichi, only that he was younger and had his black hair tied into a ponytail. "But then again, I don't suppose you're here to rescue Aizen, right?" Kukaku then asked them with humor in her voice.

The three newcomers narrowed their eyes and were on the verge on moving against her, although they did not show it. "Mind your tongue, woman!" Uvaanog told her sternly.

"Why are you and how did you find out about our location?" Arlettine demanded an answer.

Kukaku only shrugged her shoulders. "Easy there, visitors. I'm not with the Sereitei and never has been. My loyalties and allegiances are my own" the black-haired woman insisted to them while puffing out some smokes from her pipe. "However, being a dweller in this peaceful part of the Soul Society makes me wonder why Dechados from the Imperio de Hierro would be skulking around these woods" she then added cunningly.

The three newcomers snapped by hearing this. "How in the world does a mere Soul like you know about our titles and our empire!?" Arlettine wondered in disbelief.

All of a sudden, they could all hear Pieddot chuckle in amusement by hearing this. The man with the burlap mask turned around to get a glimpse of the two people who were standing behind them. He fixed an amused glance with his mask and took a few steps forward.

"You are quite knowledgeable for being a resident of the Rukon District. And judging from the symbol on your outfit, you are from the Shiba clan, are you not?" Pieddot asked her. "I know noticed that one of the Soul Society's "observes" was wearing similar symbols on his pants" he added to his explanation.

Kukaku whistled in amazement by hearing this. "Wow, you caught me there. I am from the Shiba clan as you say. You may call me Kukaku Shiba" the woman introduced herself and was then reminded about something. "Wait…..of course…Ganju" she thought about her younger brother who had been to El Dorado.

"How interesting. I am Paragon Pieddot Picasso, imperial researcher to His Highness" the Dechado said in return before noticing the young boy's presence, who simply snapped in surprise by being glanced like this. "That boy…..reminds me of Yoruichi Shihoin" he then remarked.

Suddenly, the young boy gasped by hearing that name being mentioned. "What? You have seen my big sister!? Tell me where she is!" he suddenly demanded from Pieddot while glancing at him seriously. He even went far as to ready his fighting stance. "I swear, if you have done something to my big sister, then I'm gonna…OUCH!" he suddenly had his head banged by Kukaku, who was only filled with dispassion over seeing this.

"For crying out loud, kid! Didn't Yoruichi ever tell you to pick your fights wisely?" Kukaku asked him in an annoying manner. But she then noticed the Dechados. "Oh, yeah. And this little boy here is the current head of the Shihoin clan: Yushiro Shihoin. Can come across as an idiot, but his talents are undeniably strong" she went on introducing the boy to the Arrancars.

For some reason, Lyoness felt himself getting interested in tasting these two strangers, and his mouth began water inside of him. "You two look interesting, based upon what I am hearing from you" he remarked while taking notice of Kukaku's voluptuous body. "Especially you, woman. I bet you taste fresh" he then told her.

Kukaku only raised an eyebrow, while Yushiro felt himself slightly uncomfortable by hearing what Lyoness just said. Nevertheless, the black-haired woman simply narrowed her eyes at him. "Listen, you overgrown kitten. Talk like that to me again, and I'm gonna make sure that you will get an ass-whooping from me personally" she sternly told him.

Both Arlettine and Uvaanog chuckled by hearing what she just said, and Lyoness felt anger boil inside of him. His eyes were focused on Kukaku alone. "This only makes me want to taste you more…AAAAAAARRRRRRGGHHHHHHH!" Lyoness was suddenly electrified by a simple poke from Pieddot's claw. This made the Arrancar fall on his stomach.

Pieddot sighed in annoyance by seeing the Dechado on the ground. "He still has some maturing to do" he noted in his thoughts before facing the two other Dechados. "Uvaanog, you may carry Lyoness for a while. He will wake up soon. Arlettine, you may carry the chest while I take the telescope" the researcher told them and they obliged without hesitation. The Arrancar in the burlap mask then nodded at Kukaku and Yushiro. "Now if you excuse us, we have some work to do in these woods. And I assure you that we have no intention of harming any Souls while we're here. That I swear as a member of the Dechados. But if you wish to help us, then you're more than welcome" Pieddot told them before departing with his fellow Dechados.

As they watched the four Arrancar wander further into the deep forests, Kukaku simply turned around to walk away. "Come Yushiro. We can rest safely now that these guys are not gonna harm us" the woman told him, but Yushiro was not convinced.

"But how do you suppose that they will keep their word?" the young boy asked her with curiosity.

Kukaku simply smiled smugly at him in return. "These Arrancars are neither interested in the affairs of the Shinigamis and the Quincies. They already have a nation to protect" she told him, but then faced forward. "While I'm definitely an enemy of the Wandenreich, I don't consider myself that much of a supporter of the 13 Court Guard Squads as well, even though I had a brother who held it in high regard" she admitted to the young boy while thinking about her brother Kaien Shiba.

Yushiro only glanced at her with a raised eyebrow, before facing forward, indicating that he had other things on his mind right now. "Well, I guess that could be said the same thing about me, even though I am the current head of one of the Four Great Noble Families. But being that was something I never expected to become" the young boy admitted to Kukaku.

"Maybe we're not so different after all" the woman noted in amusement. "Now let's head back to the mansion. We'll continue where we left off" Kukaku told him and they headed for that direction.

* * *

 _Inside the basement of the Department of Research and Development, Sereitei_

The moment Ichigo and his friends entered the basement of the Squad 12 Barracks, they were surprised to see a cannon, which was similar to the one standing outside the Shiba-mansion. Right now, Ichigo and his friends were standing outside, eyeing it up and down. They were indeed impressed by its size.

"When did you build a cannon identical to Kukaku's in the basement of the Squad 12 Barracks?" Ichigo asked Urahra, who was working on some data.

The laidback Shinigami was more than happy to respond to his question. "This base was actually built by Captain Kurotsuchi, who predicted that something would happen, because of Squad 0's visit of the Sereitei and the Court Guard's visit of the Royal Realm. When I joined in, it was almost finished" the blonde-haired man revealed to the trio of friends.

Hearing this caused Ichigo to form a smirk in return. "Heh, well that's amazing. I thought he was just a crazy lunatic" he remarked in return.

"Nah, Kurotsuchi is a genius. But I still surpass him though" Urahara pointed out before facing the cannon. "But still, this cannon is not a complete copy. The Shiba clan's cannon is built with their secret technology. And that is not so easy to imitate and copy. In fact, this cannon breaks with only one shot" he went on explaining.

But Ichigo and his friend were dumbfounded by what they heard and the orange-haired man only lowered his head in anger and grumbled. "One shot…really?" he asked with open disappointment. He then glanced at the cannon with narrowed eyes.

"You three can just enter the cannon now, but don't move too much while you're inside. I will be careful to not make a mistake once" Urahara told them while working on his computer. But he could notice that Ichigo was still behind him waiting for something. As Orihime and Chad had entered the cannon, Ichigo faced Urahara with a somewhat neutral glance on his face. "Oh, something the matter, Ichigo?" Urahara asked while turning around.

Sighing deeply, Ichigo spoke up. "Listen, my dad told me the whole story. Including about how he met my mother" he spoke up lowly, his voice filled with emotion. Urahara widened in surprise, yet did not open his mouth to speak. He simply let Ichigo do the talking. "I know that my mother was a Quincy, but that she also was on the verge of dying because of a Hollow inside of her. So I before I go, I just wanna say thank you…...for what you did back then" the orange-haired man said, before bowing his head before Urahara.

While surprised by seeing this, Urahara soon formed a smile with his own mouth. "Oh no, Ichigo. I couldn't have done it without your dad's help. He was willing to sacrifice his position as a captain, all for the sake of saving Masaki. That is something I admire him for" the blonde-haired man explained lowly in return before putting a hand on his shoulder, as Ichigo had raised up his head. "But hey, thanks for telling me this, anyway. I know that this must be hard on you" he replied, forcing Ichigo to form a slight smile in return.

Suddenly, the sound of the lab door opened and in came Vice-President Akon. "Hey Kisuke. Your guest has arrived. She's saying that they've finished the job" the black-haired man told him.

"Splendid! Just send them right here!" Urahara said before facing Ichigo. "Just go inside the cannon and take your seat. Chad, Orihime and two others are already sitting there" he told the orange-haired man while following Akon through the door.

Hearing this made Ichigo walk towards the cannon, looking up while entering it. "Well, this piece of shit better not screw this up!" he remarked in his thoughts angrily, as he knew that it maybe was not likely that they would make it to the Royal Realm. As the Substitute Shinigami took his seat, he was surprised by seeing both Ururu and Jinta sitting there. "What the.…..you're coming with us?" he asked in a surprised manner.

Jinta was leaning against the wall while resting on his hands, while Ururu simply waved him in a friendly manner. "Of course, we are! I'm not gonna stay here and watch the boss tap on his computers all day and night!" the red-haired teenager said in return, with his kanabo at his side. He then fixed a mischievous grin while thinking about something. "If I'm gonna get closer to Yuzu, then I better get closer to her family. I'll start with carrot top. Their dad's just a dumbass while Karin's annoying" he thought about a plan for getting to know Yuzu's family better.

"Hey Ichigo" the orange-haired boy looked at Chad, who suddenly fixed a smile while holding a tint of his new clothes. "What do you think about my new clothes?" he asked him. "That new outfit of yours is definitely cool" he said while commenting Ichigo's new look.

Ichigo smiled slightly. "Why thank you. Yours are not so bad yourself" he said while returning the favor.

"What about mine?" Ururu suddenly spoke up and revealed her ballerina-like dress.

The young man simply nodded his head in acknowledgment. "Yours are…...creative, Ururu" he told her while looking at Jinta's. "It looks cooler than Jinta's" he then said.

Hearing this only made Jinta grumble with anger and he looked at another direction, pretending he was not listening to what was being said about his clothes. "Butthole" he thought in his head, knowing well that Ichigo had good hearing.

"What about my new clothes?" Ichigo snapped when hearing Orihime ask him nicely. The orange-haired man turned to look at the young woman. Orihime smiled as her face met Ichigo's, as she still had a crush on him, although Ichigo never noticed it himself. "Well, what do you think? Isn't it pretty?" she asked while giggling slightly.

Ichigo did in fact survey Orihime's new outfit and even though Yoruichi and Rangiku had attempted to tease him with their feminine charms in the past, Orihime had never done that. Therefore, he never felt sexually aroused whenever she was near him. This was someone he had known since they were kids.

"What I think, you ask?" Ichigo asked lowly, not sure about how to respond. But something hit in his head. "Well, I do think you're showing a bit too much" he replied.

Instead of feeling embarrassed, Orihime immediately fixed an offended look on her face. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" she asked him while crossing her arms.

"Nothing" Ichigo simply replied. "It's just that your outfit is showing much of your breasts and hips, almost as if you're a stripper or a prostitute" he said, much to the outrage of Orihime.

Chad and the two teenagers watched this with unease, as Orihime suddenly stood up on her feet and faced Ichigo with an offended glance. In fact, the orange haired woman swatted her hand at Ichigo's left cheek, leaving a handmark.

"OOUCH! WHAT THE HELL'S YOUR PROBLEM, ORIHIME!?" Ichigo demanded while rubbing his sore cheek.

"You're such an asshole! You ask what my problem is!? You just said that this outfit makes me look like a stripper or a prostitute! Do I really look like one to you!?" the young woman surprisingly berated Ichigo, who was stunned while hearing this. Orihime eventually sat down. "You could've at least said "it looks good on you" or something like that! But then again, it was Urahara who made it, so maybe I was just deceived!" she said, surprisingly sounding angry. Orihime then crossed her arms and didn't bother to look at Ichigo.

Chad and the teenager were only stunned to see what Orihime had just done and could see that Ichigo was responded by simply giving her the cold shoulder in return. In fact, Chad began regretting ever taking up the subject, wondering if that would've prevented this from happening. But then again, Ichigo had said some words, that Orihime perhaps interpreted as offensive and disgusting. Normally, she would've never done something as outrageous as to slap someone's cheek's. But she had grown and matured, and was no longer the naïve lady she used to be.

"Tch, I don't get what her business is!" Ichigo noted in his thoughts while taking a brief glance at Orihime, who seemed to be facing the wall beside her. This made Ichigo think about how this really happened. He sighed deeply. "I was confused, but saying such words to someone as friendly as Orihime is inexcusable. Come one, we've been friends since childhood and have been through so many things together" he added to his thoughts, and decided to take a decision.

Chad and the two teenagers watched as Ichigo slowly moved to Orihime's seat. It was apparent that the young woman was sad on the inside, considering that Ichigo had hurt her feelings when he said the clothes made her look like a prostitute or a stripper. Taking a deep breath, Ichigo gently put a hand on Orihime's right shoulder and she immediately faced him with surprise.

"Orihime…...sorry for saying that about your outfit. It was really mean and disrespectful of me and I sincerely regret it" Ichigo spoke from the bottom of his heart while Orihime listened closely. "I'm sorry. And by the way, your outfit really looks good on you, that it does" the orange-haired man apologized while complimenting her outfit.

Having known Ichigo for so many years, Orihime knew that he spoke the truth. In fact, the orange-haired woman embraced him in a tight hug and Ichigo returned it gladly. Chad and the others watched with smiles as the two friends hugged to get over this unpredictable episode.

Once they were finished, Orihime fixed a somewhat shameful look on her face. "I'm sorry for slapping you, Ichigo. I just lost control when I got angry" she admitted before getting an idea and smiled. "Here! Let me make it up to you by using Santen Ke…." Orihime stopped when Ichigo simply put his hands on hers and shook his head.

"It's okay, Orihime. It was nothing compared to what I have felt before" Ichigo told her. "Besides, I pretty much deserved it" he sarcastically remarked, causing him, Orihime and the others to laugh.

"Oh, I'm almost crying!" everyone in the cannon saw Urahara standing in the hole, covering his mouth with his hand fan.

Everyone in the cannon simply stared at him, as no one spoke. The silence lasted only four seconds, when Ichigo finally spoke up. "What the hell are you doing?" he asked the blonde-haired man.

Urahara removed his hand fan and smiled sadly. "I become so touched whenever two friends get back on friendly terms with one another! It makes my heart melt with….." Urahara suddenly got a foot into his face by Ichigo, and this sent him flying, eventually crashing into the wall.

All the others watched as Ichigo returned to his seat and crossed his arms in dispassion of what Urahara had done with Orihime. "You're really starting to get annoying" the orange-haired said towards Urahara.

"Tch, tell me about it" Jinta joined in, starting to actually like Ichigo for once.

But as Urahara got up, he saw that Yoruichi had entered the basement and was heading towards Ichigo and the rest in the cannon. Ichigo also saw her and smiled. "Yoruichi….you're here?" he asked.

The purple-haired woman simply smiled smugly in return. "It's been a long time, hasn't it Ichigo?" she said while shrugging off her cloak. "I hope that you're still as concentrated as ever" she added.

"Hmmm…..showoff" Ichigo noted in his head while glancing at her.

"I'm so glad you're here, Yoruichi!" Urahara exclaimed while smiling at her. "Now did you get the examples like I asked you to?" the blonde-haired man asked and Yoruichi suddenly moved her cloak to reveal many small bottles that hung around the cloak on the inside. "Nice, just what I needed" Urahara responded smugly while picking up the small bottles.

"What is that?" Ichigo asked while noticing the small bottles.

"I asked Yoruichi to investigate the distortions created by the Quincies between the Human World and the Soul Society. I first believed that they created that distortion to confuse the Soul Society and separate their battle power" Urahara explained to Ichigo and his friends. "But when Yoruichi did her investigation, she found out that a great amount of energy was created in the instant the distortion was created or vanished. In other words, a quantity of moving energy large enough to connect two worlds" he revealed while Ichigo and the others listened closely. "And after that, at the request of Captain Hirako, Yoruichi joined Hiyori Sarugaki and the Vizards in collecting the energy in case it was necessary. I also realized that someone had already built this cannon. But enough of that. Shall we start?" Urahara turned around to face those in the cannons.

The team was ready and Yoruichi joined took her place in the cannon. They were ready to blast off into the sky. However, before Urahara could continue, somebody had already entered. Ichigo and his friends were also surprised to see who it was.

Yoruichi smirked by seeing this. "So, you finally made up your mind, huh?" she remarked as standing before the cannon in a new outfit, was Tessai. But the tall Shinigami wasn't wearing any ordinary outfit. This was his outfit during his time as Captain of the Kido Corps. He held his staff in his right hand.

Urahara turned around and smiled at what he was seeing. "I'm happy to see you wearing that outfit once again, my friend. It sure brings back many memories" the blonde-haired man told him.

Tessai simply nodded his head in return. "Thank you, boss. Now it is time for me to go" he said and walked up into the cannon, much to the surprise of the others, except for Yoruichi. "I have been holed up in the shop for far too long. It is time that I return to the frontlines and fulfil my duty as the former Captain of the Kido Corps. Therefore, I will accompany you to the Royal Realm" the tall man told everyone.

Jinta snapped in outrage over seeing this. "Are you kidding me!?" he asked inside his head. "Why the hell must he come along with us!?" the red-haired teenager added to his thoughts.

But Tessai fixed his stern glance at Jinta, who snapped in fear. "Is there you wish to say to me, Jinta?" he asked him strictly, causing the teenager to simply shook his head as a no.

"Hey! Are you folks leaving without even invite me to the party!?" a loud voice came from behind the lab doors and in came, to everyone's surprise, Ganju Shiba, riding on his boar Bonnie. The long-haired man faced everyone with his usual grin. "Don't tell me that you're planning on leaving good ol' Ganju behind!" he exclaimed while jumping off Bonnie.

Ichigo widened in surprise after seeing Ganju standing there. "Ganju…...how…I mean" the orange-haired man was simply stunned when seeing him,

But Ganju only glanced at him with a stern glance. "Hey, what's that look supposed to mean!? Aren't ya happy that I've decided to show up!?" Ganju asked while throwing his arms in the air.

"It's not that….I just….." Ichigo was suddenly interrupted by Ganju pointing his finger at him.

"Oh, I get it! You're saying that I'm not gonna be useful to you, is it!?" he angrily asked and suddenly reached for something underneath his clothes. He then showed Ichigo and the group a map for him to see. "Well suck on this, dandelion-head! Cause I got a map on the road to the Royal Realm, including the 72 barriers that you need to pass through. Now how's that!?" he asked out loud.

Ichigo was getting tired of hearing this bicker and decided to get serious for once. "Listen Ganju. I don't doubt that you will be good use to us" Ichigo spoke up, thus stunning Ganju. "But are you willing to follow us into the battle? This will be a fight that none of us may be able to walk away from, just so you know" the orange-haired man wanted to make sure if Ganju was serious about this.

Surprisingly, the long-haired man fixed a silent expression and stopped acting so brash. "You think I don't know that?" Ganju asked lowly before clenching his fists tightly. "I AM AWARE OF IT ALL, BUT I WON'T BE RUNNING AWAY THIS TIME! I'VE BEEN THROUGH MANY TRIALS BEFORE AND THIS MAY BE THE HARDEST I EVER FACE!" he exclaimed out loud. He then calmed himself and fixed a smug smile. "But then again, I'm not someone who's planning on backing down from a challenge! You still need someone who can take care of your stubborn ass" the long-haired man added, fixing a slight smile while facing Ichigo.

Even though the orange-haired man was stunned and surprised when hearing Ganju's words. He soon formed a slight smile on his face. "You know. Those were just the words I wanted to hear from you" he admitted and Ganju and then made a gesture with his thumb. "Now get your ass in here. We'll be blasting off soon" he told Ganju who did as he said.

Urahara smiled when seeing this and made preparations for the cannon to fire. "Okay. Now that you're all inside, I will make preparations. Now before I do the countdown, let me just say this to all of you" Urahara told them and faced them with his cunning smile. "Whatever you do up there, don't die on us all who are down here. If you do, then we will all chase you back into the afterlife!" Urahara jokingly said before launching the countdown, as well as opening the roof above them.

Ichigo faced up towards the skies, knowing well who he would face. He even gritted his teeth slightly. "I'll be there…Yhwach! I'll be there and make you pay for what you have done to my mother!" the orange-haired man thought as he faced upwards.

"5…4…3…..2…1…LAUNCH OFF!" Urahara said and the entire cannon began launching itself in the air, almost like a rocket or a spaceship.

Everyone inside was surprised by how they were flying like this, instead of relying on the Reishukaku. This only explained why it could only be shot only once.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Author's note: That was chapter 20. Now about Ichigo's personality. Instead of saying that he intends to stop Yhwach for the sake of the Soul Society, he has a grudge against him for the death of his mother. He also angrily resents Uryu for choosing to side with Yhwach. Also, I made some changes for certain scenes, including the one about Orihime's outfit. I didn't want it to be as comedic and wanted to let Ichigo get introduced to her new independent personality. I also added Tessai, Jinta and Ururu to Ichigo's group, because I wouldn't let them be sidelined to do nothing. I added NaNaNa to Bazz-B's confrontation with Rukia and Renji, because he's funny. In the next chapter, I may want tell us about how the Human World is doing, and actually let some of the Arrancars we have been introduced to get a new perspective of Humanity, among them Augustus Zod Allowin. But I will explain how the battle in the Royal Realm is folding, and may tell you something about those happening in Sereitei as well.**


	21. Behind Blue Eyes

**Author's note: This chapter was inspired by a song from The Who with the same name. There also exist other versions, including one by Limp Bizkit. This chapter will be exclusively focused on the Human World, and reveal something cool. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 21: Behind Blue Eyes**

 _1 day ago, in Karakura Town, Japan, Human World_

While the Wandenreich commenced their second invasion of the Soul Society, the Human World remained unaffected by the events that were currently transpiring. People in Karakura Town were minding their own business as usual. In light of what had happened recently, there were fewer Hollows entering the Human World, considering that the Wandenreich had hunted them down and slain them. But today, the usually peaceful town would get an unlikely visitor from Hueco Mundo, or more specifically El Dorado.

The ancient and might Emperor of the Imperio de Hierro himself: Augustus Zod Allowin, had exited a Garganta and was now slowly descending down towards the town. None of the Human took notice of him, as they couldn't even hear the white-bearded man, let alone see him.

Allowin found himself standing in the middle of a street, watching as Humans passed by him, most of them busy with their usual stuff. He saw a bench that was empty and the old man decided to sit there by himself, watching as the crowd came and went by. What was a powerful being like him doing in watching these Humans? So far, he had not made any attempts to devour them, let alone kill them. He only sat still and simply watched them from both sides.

"Humans….." the ancient Arrancar spoke up, his voice slightly filled with dispassion in it. "In their world, they view themselves as the most intelligent. But in the true world that really exists, they are nothing but chickens living in a giant chicken coop" he then commented.

However, despite having such opinions on Humans, Allowin did not as much as try to suck out their souls. He had to power to kill these Humans, let alone entire Karakura Town, and most of its defenders were busy fighting in a war. But yet, Allowin never made a move against any Human. He only sat and watched as the Humans minded their own business as usual.

Suddenly, he could see a beautiful butterfly fly pass him. But the tiny creature was losing balance and fell down, only to land in the strong handpalms of Allowin. The ancient Arrancar leaned closer to get a look at the colors on the butterfly's wings. His old eyes widened, as he was fascinated by the colors. It was both black and green, emerald green. Seeing those colors made the old man think about something.

"Green….." he said while studying the colors. "Green…...like back when Hueco Mundo was an idyllic paradise" he said, recalling back to a time when Hueco Mundo was not a desolate place as most foreigners and strangers knew it. No, he was thinking about a time when Hueco Mundo was wonderful, filled with greenery, on both the ground and on the mountains, as well as some tints of river and waterfalls.

Enveloping green light in his handpalms, the butterfly suddenly flew from them and continued on its journey. Allowin looked up to see the butterfly take off and fly to whatever it's destination was. The ancient man also looked up to the sun, and he was also reminded about something when his weary eyes met the golden ball.

"A sun….it shines brightly" Allowin said and closed his eyes to think about something. "Just like the one Hueco Mundo had" he added to his thoughts, thinking about a time when there was actually day in the realm of the Hollows, not just the eternal night. He thought about the time when the sun came up, it exposed the paradise that was Hueco Mundo, including its greenery and water. There was even Hollow-wildlife and it was more than a place for hunting.

Allowin opened his eyes and slowly floated into the skies and gazed down upon the Humans that were walking in the streets. He then fixed his eyes on somewhere that caught his interest. It was a playground, where a soccer field was right beside it.

Landing there, Allowin found himself a bench to sit on and watched as so many Humans were playing or doing other things at the playground. But he could see that there were many parents who were playing with their children.

Seeing how much fun the children had, as well as how much love they received from their parents immediately made Allowin think to a time he actually used to be a parent. True, he had mated with an Arrancar-woman and together.…..they had only one child, which was a beautiful boy, despite being an Arrancar. Allowin was probably among the first Arrancars to become a father.

"Terra…my love" Allowin recalled a woman he knew, someone who was probably considered the most beautiful of all Arrancars in that age. And he himself was considered to be too weak and too ugly to be paired up with someone as attractive as Terra. But yet, despite all the stronger Arrancar-men who wanted her hand in marriage, she chose Allowin…..or Augustus as he was often called at that time. Why she did that remained to be answered, but he had always heard that she always desired to bring love to those who deserved her blessing. Many had sometimes called her for the Earthmother, as wherever she went, the fauna sprouted. This was similar to how he himself became known as the Skyfather. "With you at my side, I became the perfect warrior that any of our kind craved to be" he went on thinking to the woman he was proud to call his wife, or lifemate, which was another term for being a couple.

Allowin also slowly began thinking about the son they conceived together. "I am always thinking about you, Terra. And you as well…Konstantin" he then thought about his son: Konstantin Zod Allowin. But how both he and Terra died…..was something Allowin had wished he could never have witnessed.

While Allowin took his time to watch the children play with their parents, he could heat someone call out to him from behind. "Hey you, old geezer with the long white hair and muscular torso!" the Arrancar slowly turned around and could see a black-haired teenage girl dressed in soccer clothes. "Could you pass me that ball right beneath you?" she then went on asking him.

But Allowin was only left stunned, as he couldn't believe that a young Human was able to see him, and other Humans were not. "What is this?" he wondered in his thoughts, while he kept glancing at the young girl with nothing but astonishment.

But the black-haired teenager seemed very impatient and pointed her finger at where the ball was. "Stupid, old man! I asked if you could mass me the ball beneath you!" she snapped in annoyance.

This time, Allowin looked down and saw the ball underneath his bench. He got up and picked it up as the girl requested of him. It was a football and the ancient Arrancar could see that there were other people waiting for him to give the ball back, although they could not see him, unlike the girl. This suddenly got him an idea and he decided to try out something and aimed at the goal which were standing on the other side.

"Hmmm…..see if you can catch this" Allowin thought to himself and threw the football as powerful as he could. The football went so fast, that the girl was awed as it passed by her. But as the ball was on its way, the other teenagers suddenly stepped away from it, not wanting to get hit. The keeper at the goal made his stance, indenting on catching it, but he got the ball straight into his stomach and was sent against the net. That was painful for him to feel and the keeper fell onto the ground, his eyes pale and blood running from his mouth. All the kids watched in awe and shock at the same time, while Allowin simply shrugged his shoulders. "Heh, child's play" he noted and walked back to his place at the bench.

As the ancient Arrancar refocused his eyes on the children and parents that played in the playground, he was once again called out by a voice, this time sounding more pleasant and kinder than the one he heard before. "I hope that my sister didn't say anything disrespectful to you" the old man looked to his right side and saw a light blonde-haired teenage girl with two pigtails running down from her hair. She was smiling gently when Allowin's weary eyes met hers. "She always speaks before she thinks, so she can say things that may be considered as hurtful" she added to her explanation, while Allowin was simply surprised that this girl could see him as well.

But Allowin snapped in surprise, as he noticed something. "That little girl's smile…...is she…Konstantin?" he wondered in his head. He could not believe it, but this girls' hair and kind-hearted expression reminded him of his deceased son. "No, my son is dead…...I never had a daughter" he then thought, realizing that this was another person. But still, she reminded him of Konstantin.

"What are you talking about, Yuzu?" the black-haired girl suddenly appeared beside her sister and fixed admirable eyes upon the Arrancar. "You! How did you do that!? That throw of yours! Teach me how to do it!" she demanded while feeling so energetic.

But Allowin was still silent, not even saying a word, considering that he was stunned by seeing how these two girls could see him, as well as Yuzu's close resemblance to his deceased son.

"Come on, girls! Give the old man some space. You're ganging up on him!" a male voice could be heard and I came from a black-haired man, who approached the two teenage girls. The man simply grinned as his eyes met Allowin's. "That throw you just did was awesome! Even I was impressed!" the man remarked while giving him a thumb up gesture.

This time, in seeing a man talk to him and see him, Allowin decided to respond. "You can see me?" he asked them lowly, his voice filled with surprise.

"Sure we can! With a long hair and beard like yours, we noticed you as if you were Santa Clause!" the man said, only to be punched on his chin by his black-haired daughter. "Ouch! Why…...Karin?" he asked while rubbing his sore chin.

"Quit bringing up the Santa Clause, dad! We know he's not real!" the girl named Karin angrily berated her father, who got up on his feet.

He only shrugged it off and faced Allowin with a grin one more time. "Anyway, I'm Isshin Kurosaki, owner of the Kurosaki Clinic" he smiled while putting his hands on each of his daughters' shoulder. "And these two young ladies here are my twin daughters. The sweet and friendly one is Yuzu, while the rude and mouthy one is Karin OOOUUUUHHHHHH!" he yelled in pain, as Karin had elbowed his crotch. She did not like the way Isshin just described her in terms of personality. Isshin was once again sent to the ground, holding his hands by his crotch. "Really….Karin? You attack your old man's nuts?" he asked while tears began streaming from his eyes.

"Because you made me look like a fool, dumbass!" Karin snapped, angrily twitching at the same time.

Despite the what he saw happening between the father and daughter, Allowin remained silent, as he was surprised to see that this entire family could actually see him. He then rose up and was about to walk away, until Yuzu asked him something.

"Wait, do you have a name, mister?" she asked him and this made him stop on his tracks.

"And how come you're dressed like a man from the dark ages?" Karin added her to Yuzu's. "I don't mean to be nitpicky or anything, but I'm just curious" she added to her question.

Stopping, Allowin slowly turned around and faced both girls with his usual glance, which was neither that of anger nor happiness. Since these girls were a special case, the ancient Arrancar felt like they deserved to have an answer. "I am Augustus Zod Allowin. Emperor of the Imperio de Hierro and the true Ruler of Hueco Mundo" the long-bearded man told them before walking away slowly. Eventually, the old man gradually began floating in the air and flew towards the skies.

Both Yuzu and Karin were both amazed by seeing this, as they could see him flying into while others could not. Isshin had slow gotten up on his feet and was smiling by what he was seeing. "Boy am I lucky to have been able to get a closer look at him. He is just as depicted in the legends" he noted in his head while recalling something he had read. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but this man is definitely more amazing than Yamamoto and Aizen combined. They are nothing compared to Augustus Zod Allowin" he added to his thoughts, unusual for a former Shinigami captain to think about such things.

As Allowin flew up in the air, he could only reflect on what he had seen when meeting those Humans. To him, they seemed very harmless, especially the two girls. Maybe not all Humans were as ignorant as they were.

* * *

 _Later, on the top of a construction project, Karakura Town_

As the night was descending upon the town, Allowin sat on the top of a skyscraper, that was under construction. He was facing the entire town, as the moon descended itself over the peaceful town, despite it being a vulnerable target for Hollows. He found this place to be quite peaceful.

"So, even the Human World is known for its peaceful nights" he noted lowly while gazing up to the pale white ball in the air.

While he was sitting there, he could hear a Garganta open behind him, yet he didn't move a muscle. Out from the Garganta came three members of the Dechados: Durran Lupinus, Annabelle Luisenbarn and Luddenwig Van Gogh. They were both curious about what their liege were doing so late in the Human World. They each took a seat beside their leader.

"You have been here all day, Your Highness" Durran revealed to him and faced him. "Are you certain it is wise to stay in the Human World, knowing that the Wandenreich may discover your appearance here?" he asked Allowin, wanting to make sure if his superior was okay with this.

The ancient man simply faced the paragon with the wolfhead as his Hollow-shell and only nodded his head. "I am confident that I won't be caught, Durran Lupinus" he said to him and began looking up to the skies that where lit with moonlight. "I only wanted to see how the sun here looked like. And it was beautiful….just like the one that we once had in Hueco Mundo. Even the greenery here is wonderful" he explained to both paragons.

"I understand your feelings, Your Highness" Luddenwig said and bowed his head. "Our realm never deserved to be reduced to a desolate and waterless world. The Soul Society should've received that punishment" he then expressed his own opinions on the matter.

Annabelle sighed deeply, as she knew they were all speaking off. The elderly woman recalled to what had happened in the past. "I may not have caused it, but if I knew about Barragan's selfish schemes in order to destroy us all, I would have stopped him" she admitted to her fellow Dechados.

Both Durran and Luddenwig faced the elderly woman, and they could see how somewhat disappointed she was behaving, while at the same time also feeling a sense of guilt. They could not blamer for feeling like this, as after all, the sole Arrancar who betrayed his kind by helping Yhwach defiling the Vida, was her younger brother: Barragan Luisenbarn, a stubborn and selfish man with noble blood, who had always desired greater power and to rule Hueco Mundo as it's ruler.

Suddenly, the Arrancars could see a butterfly that flew before them, and Allowin reached out his finger, the butterfly immediately landing on it. "Ah, you seem to be able to see me now, little one" Allowin remarked, as this was the same butterfly he had seen earlier. He was very attracted to the color of its wings and soon, Durran, Annabelle and Luddenwig began having similar feelings towards the butterfly. "Now, fly away and take care" the ancient Arrancar said and the butterfly continued on its own journey in the air.

The three Dechados noticed that their emperor was fixing a slight smile, and they both wondered why. Could the butterfly perhaps have helped in lifting his bitterness of his past?

"Your Highness….." Durran said lowly, not getting what he was smiling for.

But the white-bearded man faced his subordinates, whom he had often considered his children, as they were important to him. Because of what had transpired 1000 years ago, Allowin saw protecting the free citizens of El Dorado as his duty. And that also included the Dechados, whom he held in high regard.

"It is time for us to look forward. While we have suffered many tragedies, our retribution over our enemies will come in time. Therefore, we will make them learn see what true despair looks like" the emperor said and began eyeing Annabellle. "I understand your sense of guilt, Annabelle. But being a leader is not always about making the right choices. I too have made some myself and they still come back to haunt me to this day. But even so, I will stop at nothing….to see Hueco Mundo returning to the paradise it once was. That I promise you" he told her, while eventually making sure that Durran and Luddenwig got this as well.

The three Dechados quickly formed a line and kneeled before him with open admiration and respect, knowing that as long as they were with Allowin, they had a great leader to follow.

Annabelle looked up and faced her superior with a smile. "Thank you, Your Highness" she said, feeling grateful over following a leader such as him.

"HEEEELP!" Allowin suddenly snapped and looked towards the direction the shout came from. The voice sounded very familiar, as it belonged to Yuzu Kurosaki, the girl he had seen earlier.

"What is it, Your Highness?" Luddenwig asked while seeing his superior gaze up floating in the air. But the white-haired man suddenly felt an incredible Spiritual Pressure, as did his fellow paragons. "Wait…this Spiritual Pressure…...this isn't that of a Shinigami or a Quincy!" he exclaimed in surprise.

Durran was sniffing in the air and suddenly gritting his teeth like a wolf. "You're right! This is something very different. This isn't even an Arrancar!" he said while facing Allowin. "Shall we investigate?" he asked the emperor, who was already flying towards the destination, forcing Annabelle, Durran and Luddenwig to follow him without hesitation.

"What kind of creatures could be wandering around Karakura Town at a time like this?" Annabelle

* * *

 _50 minutes earlier, at the Kurosaki Clinic_

Inside the home of the Kurosaki Family, Isshin was currently being visited by none other than the Director of Karakura Hopsital: Ryuken Ishida, who was also Uryu's father, despite Uryu never referring to him as such. Despite the two men having similar personalities, they both seemed to get along pretty well. Another reason for that was mainly because they both knew Masaki very well.

"Now what's the rush here, Ryuken?" Isshin asked while puffing some smokes with his cigarette. "It's not every day that you and get to have a good chat like two friends" he remarked smugly while smiling at the four-eyed man, who seemed very stern in appearance.

Ryuken put out his cigarette and faced Isshin with a stern glance. "I just wanted to have this talk with regards to our sons" the white-haired man revealed to him seriously. "No be honest with me, have you told Ichigo about his mother?" he asked him and made sure that the black-haired man got everything he said.

Isshin fixed a similar glance and simply nodded his head. "Yeah, I have" he replied lowly. "And I also told him about Kanae, as well as Yhwach" he then added.

"I see" Ryuken noted while watching his cigarette disintegrate, before putting on another in his mouth. "I just wanted to hear about that. What your son wants to do is up to himself" he added to his explanation.

"But what about Uryu?" Isshin suddenly asked him and Ryuken stopped igniting his cigarette. "You do know that Uryu is taking a risky gamble, right? I mean, he's willing to go that far, just to destroy Yhwach. What if he already knows what Uryu's up to?" he then asked while wanting some answers out of Ryuken.

The white-haired man adjusted his glasses. "I have repeatedly warned him about the consequences, but my warnings have fallen on deaf ears" he said while taking the cigarette in his mouth. "The boy may possess the intellect of mine, but he is as optimistic as his mother was" Ryuken remarked while thinking about his son.

Isshin could not help but to smile. "Heh, Ichigo's gonna be pissed when he finds out, just saying" the black-haired man noted and suddenly looked into his glass of water. "But I sometimes worry that after telling Ichigo this story, he will become a different person than what he has always been. His view of the world may change. And that may be just what Yhwach is looking for" Isshin noted to his friend.

"I have managed to analyze on how this Sternritters function" Ryuken revealed, much to Isshin's surprise. "Like all Quincies, they rely on Reishi to fight their opponents. However, there is a difference between the Sternritters that exists now and the Sternritters that existed 1000 years ago" the four-eyed man told the Shinigami, who was keen to know more.

"What are you saying?" Isshin asked.

Ryuken put out the cigarette from his mouth. "From what I have seen based upon Urahara's research, they Sternritters possesses an enormous amount of power, similar to those of a Shinigami captain. And the reason for that….is because they have allowed Yhwach to engrave their soul, let alone giving them a Schrift" he explained to Isshin. "While all Quincies do share blood with Yhwach, not all of them has their souls engraved by him. That is the difference between the Sternritters of old and the Sternritters of new" he told him.

"And engraved soul" Isshin uttered out lowly before recalling something he learned. "Now about this form that these Sternritters are known to use. What is this Quincy: Vollständig?" the Shinigami asked the Quincy who listened closely.

"The Quincy: Vollständig is what many of the Quincies call their most sacred and ultimate form. It is considered the successor to the Quincy: Letz Stil, whom many Quincy considered to be outdated an inferior" Ryuken answered. "When the newest Sternritters had their souls engraved by Yhwach, it allowed them to achieve greater power, something that surpassed the Quincy: Letz Stil. The Quincy: Vollständig is the result of this achievement of power and to obtain it, one had to undergo serious training to master their control of Reishi" Ryuken explained how it became what it was. "The only Quincy to reject and protest this idea and evolution was my father: Soken Ishida. He believed that the Quincy Vollständig if used too much, would only cause the user to die. He was actually right" the four-eyed man admitted to Isshin.

"Woah….." Isshin noted while hearing all this. "But if Uryu were to allow Yhwach to engrave his soul…..wouldn't that make him bound to the emperor?" he suddenly asked.

"AAAAAARGHHHHHHHH!" both men suddenly snapped as they could hear a familiar voice coming from outside. Isshin got up and reached for his Shinigami outfit while Ryuken reached for Heilig Bogen.

"That wasn't just anyone!" the black-haired man said while gritting his teeth. "That voice came from Keigo Asano, one of Ichigo and Uryu's classmates!" he said.

Ryuken then held his bow tightly. "Then let us see who that is. But there can't possibly be Hollows around these parts" he noted and the two men were ready to exit.

In the street near the Kurosaki Clinic, four friends of Ichigo and Uryu: the stupid Keigo Asano, the gentle Mizuiro Kojima, the tomboyish Tatsuki Arisawa and the perverted Chizuru Honsho, where hanging around with each other during the evening and had just a good time, before they were being confronted by three terrible beings.

But these were not just any terrible beings, as they were adorned in black cloak, white buttons and masks. They each had a different physique, with one being big and muscular with strong arms, the other being normal sized and having, and the third being a curvy woman. Despite their different sizes, they all wore the same outfits.

The big and tall one laughed deeply by seeing the group of Humans tremble before them. "Look at those weaklings! I can't wait to smash them to bits!" he said and cracked his giant knuckles.

"Those boys look like they could need some punishment. I will gladly make them submit" the woman said while talking in a lustful manner.

But the one in the middle stepped forward and faced the group of Humans. "Since you Humans can see us, then I suppose that we will have to eliminate you. We don't want to leave any witnesses" he said and was about to make his move on the humans, before he could feel something happening above them. Looking up, the three could see a rain of Heilig Pfiels heading straight down to them. "TAKE COVER!" he then shouted and he and his buddies vanished from where the rain would hit them.

Using Shunpo and Hirenkiyaku respectively, Isshin and Ryuken appeared right before the group of friends, who were surprised by what they were seeing. Isshin looked over his shoulder and faced them with his usual smile.

"Yo, sorry about being late! We came as soon as we could!" he told them.

"Mr. Kurosaki and Mr. Ishida" Tatsuki said in surprise while watching the fathers of her classmates appear before them. "How did you know we were here?" she asked them.

This time, Ryuken was about to answer. "We heard someone whose shouting was loud as a woman. We could hear it from the Kurosaki Clinic" the white-haired man told her.

Hearing this caused Keigo to snap in outrage. "Hey! I'm not shouting like a woman!" he hit back.

Mizuiro mused about hearing this. "Heh, tell me about it" he noted with humor, although Keigo could not hear it.

"Anyways, you kids better stay back and let the adults handle this!" Isshin said to them and motioned for them to run away. He and Ryuken then focused their eyes on their opponents, who had showed themselves before them once again. Both their eyes widened by what they were seeing. "No way…you're…." the black-haired Shinigami was at loss of words.

"Togabitos…..from Hell" Ryuken noted grimly before aiming his Heilig Bogen at the trio. "What are you doing outside the gates of Hell? Sinners like you does not deserve to be wandering freely in the Human World!" he demanded an answer from them.

The one in the middle only scoffed by hearing this. "You call us sinners? That's funny coming from a Quincy, who only rely on Reishi to fight!" he taunted him and then readied his fighting stance. "I am called Zhong and have been tasked with finding the location of the Substitute Shinigami: Ichigo Kurosaki. So tell me about his location, Isshin Shiba!" he suddenly demanded from the Shinigami.

Isshin firmly held his Zanpakutou and faced the trio of Togabitos with nothing but anger. "BURN…ENGETSU!" he shouted and his blade began enveloping in flames before swinging his blade angrily. "YOU THINK I'LL HELP YOU!? OVER MY DEAD BODY!" he shouted and performed a technique which was similar to that of his son. "GETSUGA TENSHOU!" he yelled and swung a crescent of fire that managed to actually hit Zhong's two partners, but Zhong himself had disappeared and he now stood right from the two mens' location.

"Klavier!" Ryuken shouted and fired some multiple arrows only for Zhong to vanish, yet Ryuken chased him with his Hirenkiyaku and they both fought in the air. While in the air the four-eyed man formed a smirk with his mouth. "You said that I was reliant on Reishi, you say. Apparently, you seem to have forgotten something" he taunted him and suddenly appeared behind the Togabito by using Hirenkiyaku once again.

"Damn it! He's fast!" Zhong cursed and noticed that Ryuken was firing another set of arrows. This forced him to reflect quickly. "Lichang!" he said and suddenly formed a forcefield around himself by using his aura, therefore deflecting the arrows. The Togabito laughed by what he was seeing as the forcefield disappeared. "Hah! Try again, Quincy!" he taunted Ryuken, only to feel that someone was appearing behind him.

"Better not take your eyes off me, buddy!" Isshin taunted and swung his blade, only for Zhong to vanish again. Isshin only grinned when seeing this. "Oh no you don't!" he said and used his Shunpo to appear behind Zhong, who was ready to attack Ryuken.

"What!?" the Togabito said as he was struck by Isshin's slash.

The Togabito was forced to the road, and both Isshin and Ryuken landed before the man in black garbs. Zhong was panting as he got up on his feet, even though his mask covered his face. Both men readied their stances, with Ryuken loading another Heilig Pfiel.

"Damn you…...Shinigami-pig and Quincy-rat!" Zhong cursed at them and readied his stance.

Ryuken formed a smug smile while aiming his arrow at the Togabito. "You seem to have quite interesting techniques for being a dweller of Hell" the Quincy noted but then fixed a frown. "But then again, I see that you're only a lower-rank Togabito, aren't you?" he asked him.

"A lower-rank!?" Zhong asked in anger.

"Yes, many Togabitos' power varies. For example, I see that you do not possess the ability called Gāng, which is a Togabito's answer to an Arrancar's Hierro" Ryuken pointed out and suddenly fired a small arrow, fooling Zhong into vanishing, only for Ryuken to take notice of it and fire at him with Klavier. This arrows landed some damage in the Togabito. Ryuken mused to what he was seeing. "I see that you fell for my trap. You expected me to fire multiple arrows at you, yet you insisted on moving away. Therefore, you used what you call a Zouguò, which is basically the Togabito's answer to a Shinigami's Shunpo, a Quincy's Hirenkiyaku and an Arrancar's Sonido" he went on explaining.

Isshin was only amazed by the knowledge his friend possessed. "How the hell do you know so much about them?" he asked the four-eyed man.

"The Quincies possess more knowledge about Hell and it's inhabitants than you Shinigamis, because they have sometimes relied on them" Ryuken told his friend. "Another cruel punishment Yhwach did to his subjects, was to banish them to Hell, where they were trapped there for all eternity" he added to his explanation.

Isshin simply shrugged his shoulders before brandishing Engetsu. "Whatever. It's time that you go back to your room in Hell, Mr. Offender" the black-haired man said cockily.

Zhungo was suddenly chuckling lightly and it caught both men by surprise. "You're saying that I'm going back to hell? Fine! I'll gladly do that, taking with your daughters with me!" he said and all of a sudden, his two associates appeared before Isshin and Ryuken, holding each of the Kurosaki-twins in their grasp.

"YUZU! KARIN!" Isshin yelled and aimed the tip of his Zanpakutou at Zhong! "YOU SON OF A BITCH! LEAVE MY DAUGHTERS OUT OF THIS!" he angrily demanded, only for the three Togabito's to almost removing their masks.

"Uh, uh, uh, I wouldn't be so reckless if I were you!" the leader said as he held his mask. "You do know what happens when we Togabitos remove the masks that conceals our identities, do you not?" he asked him, forcing both Ryuken and Isshin to back down. "That's right, the moment we take off our masks, the Gates of Hell appear and we will be forced back into it! And of course, your precious girls will be having a nice vacation in Hell!" he said before laughing out loud.

Ryuken narrowed his eyes. "You are a despicable coward!" he spat at Zhong, who only laughed again in return.

"Say whatever you want, it won't change my mind. Now let's move on to negotiations" the Togabito said and faced Isshin. "Enough screwing around! Tell us the whereabouts of your inbred son, or else I'll have Hell the glorious opportunity in receiving two little girls as visitors!" he angrily threatened the Shinigami.

But while Isshin was bidding his time, he could suddenly see that both Zhong's partners screamed in agony while letting go of Yuzu and Karin. The leader noticed this and he was outraged.

"Motherfucker! Who the hell's going on!?" he angrily demanded, but suddenly could see three Arrancars standing behind the two lying Togabitos. It was Durran, Annabelle and Luddenwig. "Arrancars!? What are you doing here!?" he angrily demanded.

But Isshin, Ryuken and the two girls were stunned and surprised by who was just appearing above them. Lowering himself was Augustus Zod Allowin, the mighty ruler of the Imperio de Hierro. The ancient but muscular Arrancar landed on the ground, with it sanding winds to both sides. The imposing figure he exposed, struck fear into the Togabito.

"What the…" he uttered out words in shock.

Ryuken widened in his glasses, not believing what he was seeing just now. "An Arrancar…yet his Spiritual Pressure is…..enormous!" the white-haired man noted by what he was seeing.

"That's not just any ordinary Arrancar, Ryuken" Isshin said, his eyes never taking off the muscular man. He was practically amazed. "This is Augustus Zod Allowin, the true ruler of Hueco Mundo" he added with a short explanation.

The old man heard this and fixed his eyes upon Isshin, his weary eyes widening in surprise, considering that he had seen the man from before. "You are that man from today" he noted lowly while glancing at him, but then saw his outfit. "So, you're a Shinigami? That explains why you were able to see me" he then noted warily.

But Isshin simply scoffed at him. "Alright, you caught me. But I'm no longer with the Sereitei, you see" the black-haired man told him while giving him a thumb gesture. "These days, I work at a clinic with my two lovable daughters" he said while flashing him a smile.

Allowin did not give any response to Isshin's behavior and focused his eyes on Zhong. "Dweller of Hell, what are you doing in the Human World?" he asked him strictly. "And why do you commit something as disgraceful as to take innocent children hostage?" he then went on asking.

"He knows about honor? Intriguing" Ryuken noted, as he was starting to get slightly amazed by the way Allowin spoke.

"ISN'T HE JUST COOOOL!?" Isshin asked his friend, his eyes beaming with pride over seeing Allowin confront the Togabito.

Yuzu and Karin were unsure about what to do with seeing Allowin getting ready to fight the Togabito. But the two girls suddenly saw Durran, Annabelle and Luddenwig walk in front of them and made sure that they were protected. In fact, Durran looked over his shoulder and smiled at them warmly.

"This is no place for you children. It would be best if you went home along with your father" the black-bearded man with the woflhead said to them in a surprisingly gently way.

Annabelle did the same thing. "My fellow paragon speaks the truth" the elderly lady told them gently. "I would stay far away if I were either one of you. Things are sure to get ugly, now that our leader has found out about what is lurking in Karakura Town" she advised them in a grandmotherly fashion.

"His Highness will not hold back on this one, especially since he is a Togabito" Luddenwig remarked to his comrade when seeing how distressed Zhong was behaving.

Zhong suddenly concentrated his Spiritual Pressure and aimed his hands at the giant Arrancar. "You will come no further, monster! Yìngbī!" he exclaimed and suddenly tried to use his hands to force the Arrancar away with wind. But Allowin did nothing to evade it, as he simply stood there crossing his arms in dispassion.

"Is this the best you have to offer?" Allowin simply asked and all of a sudden, released his Spiritual Pressure while unleashing a shockwave that blew Zhong away. After the shockwave, a red aura was enveloping over Allowin's muscular body. "RABIA!" Allowin exclaimed.

Both Ryuken and Isshin were stunned by seeing this. "Such incredible power!" the four-eyed man remarked by what he was seeing.

"You think this is over!?" Zhong yelled and made his move against Allowin by jumping into the air. "I will not be bested by a demented Hollow!" he angrily exclaimed and was about to move his hands to attack him.

But while seeing the Togabito in the air, Allowin took a deep breath before breathing at the creature in black garb, thereby freezing him. Allowin managed to actually freeze the creature into the air by simply breathing at him, and his breath was cold. "Hielo!" the ancient man said and while the frozen Togabito was on the verge of falling down, Allowin grabbed him and flew up towards the black skies, much to everyone's awe, expect for the Dechados, of course.

"What is he doing up there?" Isshin asked while gazing upwards.

As Durran was narrowing his blue eyes, they soon snapped and warned those around him. "Everyone get out! His Highness is attempting to perform the Aterrizaje on the Togabito! It will shake the ground!" he warned them all and everyone got away as far as they could.

When they were far away, they could see Zhong falling onto the ground while being frozen, yet he did not shatter into many pieces. Only the ice on him broke and disintegrated. The Togabito was lying on his back. But before everyone knew it, Allowin suddenly landed fast with his feet, right on Zhong's stomach. It was painful for the Togabito to feel as the landing was like a hammer hitting a spiker. The landing was so intense that it created a pit in the middle of the road. This resulted in chunks of dust coming out.

Once the dust settled, Allowin emerged victorious out of the pit, but the battle was not over just yet, as Zhong's two partners had awakened and were on bent on fighting the ancient man.

"DAMN YOU, ARRANCAR-BASTARD!" the woman yelled in anger.

Despite being two, Allowin had reason to fear them as they were technically weaker than Zhong. All of a sudden, his eyes glowed red and he fired something out of his own eyes. They almost seemed like heat vision, but at the same time, it also looked like a Cero. "CERO CALOR!" he exclaimed, as the man angrily fired red long Cero from his own eyes. Despite being small, it was incredibly powerful and none of the Togabitos managed to withstand it. In fact, once he was finished, each of his opponents had a large hole in the middle of their bodies, eventually making them fall into the ground.

Allowin's eyes returned to normal and he was still narrowing, mostly at the fallen Togabitos. "You should have stayed in Hell. Challenging me only leads to your demise" he told them before heading over to his Dechados, who knelt before him in respect.

"Your Highness! Congratulations on your victory" Annabelle said, as she faced the two Togabitos. "These monsters are more resilient than we first thought. They managed to survive getting stabbed" she noted warily.

"But then again, these Togabitos were not the strongest" Durran remarked and suddenly faced his superior. "How in the world did they manage to escape from their captivity in Hell? And what reason have they for being Karakura Town?" he then asked both his comrades and his superior.

"Maybe we can answer that" the voice came from Isshin, as he, Ryuken and the two teenage girls approached the group of Arrancars. When seeing the fact that there was a Shinigami and a Quincy approaching them, the Arrancar's pulled out their weapons, this snapping the black-haired man. "Woah, easy there, paragons. I told your emperor that I'm no longer with the Sereitei" he said, before snapping as he forgot something. "Oh, and this guy beside me is not with the Wandenreich, just to fill you in" he then added, much to Ryuken's own annoyance.

But Luddenwig was not convinced. "Spare us this nonsense, Shinigami" the white-haired man said before he noticed Ryuken staring at him in a cunning way. This made Luddenwig narrow his eyes in return. "Is there something you have to say, Quincy?" he asked the four-eyed man.

"No. However, I find it astounding to see one of the Quincy's condemned to Hell managed to survive. There exist stories about a certain Quincy, who tried to usurp Yhwach, only to be sent to Hell as a punishment" Ryuken told, causing Luddenwig to have his yellow eyes widened. The four-eyed man simply nodded his head in return. "That's right. I know who you really are, one of the original members of the first generation's Sternritters: Luddenwig Van Gogh" he told him smugly.

But before Ryuken knew it, he had a blade pointed right before his face. While being surprised at first, he did not seem to back down and only stared at the angered Luddenwig unfazed. The white-haired man before him was angered over hearing his statement.

"DON'T REFER TO ME AS THAT!" Luddenwig angrily said, his teeth gritting in anger. However, he began chuckling lightly, thereby calming himself. "I left being a Quincy when that bastard Yhwach betrayed me and sent me to Hell. There, I languished for nothing but a great injustice" he said while removing his cape and removed a plate of his silver armor. It showed his stomach, where there was a hole at the bottom. Ryuken's eyes widened when seeing this.

"But how? When a Quincy comes into contact with Hollow-blood, it dies!" the four-eyed man pointed out.

Luddenwig only laughed at that statement. "Hollow-blood? Fool. I had this hole when chains were bound to me in Hell! But all those memories are dead to me" the white-haired man said and walked towards Allowin and kneeled with respect. "There exists only one god and one emperor. And that is Augustus Zod Allowin. He is the only true pillar of justice in this world" Luddenwig said in open admiration of his leader.

But everyone's attention suddenly turned to the pit that Allowin had created, where above it, the Gates of Hall appeared, where two giant skeletons could be seen hanging at the door.

"The Gates of Hell….." Allowin said lowly, as the gate opened, revealing itself the destructive environment which was inside. But as the gates were opened, chains began sprouting out from it. "Fall back!" the emperor told his subordinates and they backed away from what was happening.

The chains were held around the three Togabitos, who were already dead. In fact, the outfits disappeared, revealing their pale-skinned bodies and gores of weapons. It was just as Ryuken thought, these were only lower-rank Togabitos. Now that these creatures were exposed, their bodies began disintegrating into nothing but dust.

"They're…...vanishing!" Isshin remarked in shock.

Once the bodies were turned into dust, the chains were drawn back into the gates, yet it was still open. In fact, as the group stared into the opening, they could suddenly see somebody's silhouette in the red clouds. Allowin and his Dechados stood ready, wary about whether there were more Togabitos to come or not. But everyone was surprised by seeing fiery eyes emerge from the opening gates.

"THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING!" a brutish male voice could be heard from the gates. "A NEW ERA DAWNS FOR HELL AND WE WILL TAKE THE FUTURE INTO OUR OWN HANDS!" it said once again, before the gates closed and vanished from their sights.

After the Gates of Hell had vanished, there was nothing but silence among the group. However, Allowin was at least thinking about what he had just witnessed and heard.

"Something is not right" Allowin noted in his head while reflecting over this. "What happened to Hell's cycle? Has a new form of leadership emerged in that accursed realm?" he wondered, suggesting that maybe someone was ruling Hell.

Durran stepped forward. "Whatever the circumstances, it is obvious that the Quincies are not the only ones that desires conquest. Something new has transpired in that place over the years" the Arrancar added, with his fellow Dechados agreeing to what he said.

"Then we better tread carefully for now" Annabelle noted. "From the way I see it, these Togabitos didn't seem to be escaping from their captivity" she said before turning her eyes on Isshin and Ryuken. "They said they were looking for your son. Now tell me, has he ever been to Hell before?" she then asked Isshin specifically.

Taking a deep breath, Isshin nodded his head in return. "Yes. It was during a time when certain Togabitos sought to make an escape from Hell, and their leader exploited my son's Inner Hollow to free him. However, this leader was defeated with the help of Hell, that is" he told them.

Allowin got very intrigued by this. "Tell me, Shinigami. Who is your son?" he asked the black-haired man.

"It's the Substitute Shinigami: Ichigo Kurosaki" he revealed.

When hearing his name, the Arrancars became surprised about hearing it. They had heard that name before but from where. In fact, they did not learn about Ichigo's identity from their newest recruits from the Dechados or the Legionarios. No, this was something else.

"I see now" Allowin spoke up and faced Isshin, who only smiled smugly in return. "So he is your son" the emperor noted.

"Heh, damn straight" Isshin exclaimed with pride. "I knew that you guys would know his name. He's a celebrity, even in Hueco Mundo!" he added with nonsense, much to the distaste of both Ryuken and Karin.

Annabelle only mused by hearing this. "We know who he is and what he has done for some Arrancars. But he is not a celebrity in Hueco Mundo, Isshin Shiba" she said cunningly, forcing Isshin to snap.

"Hey dad, what's she talking about?" Karin asked while wanting to know the answer. The black-haired man was sweating and knew that he had to come up with something to hide, so he whistled. Karin only twitched by seeing this. "Quit being so damn childish, you wacko!" the teenage girl yelled and slapped her father's face.

Realizing that they had done what they came for, Allowin faced his subordinates clearly. "We have done a good job here this evening, my children. Now let us return to El Dorado. I have much to ponder, not just about the Wandenreich's second invasion" the white-bearded man told the paragons who nodded their heads in return.

Durran used Descorrer to open a Garganta and the group waited until it was strong enough for them all to enter. But before the group walk into the Garganta, they stopped by hearing a young voice calling to them.

"Hey, Mr. Allowin!" the ancient, but muscular man turned around and could see Yuzu standing there, with Karin right beside her. To his surprise, the twins bowed their heads before them, intending to show their gratitude for helping them. "Thank you for saving us, and helping dad and Mr. Ishida in defeating those bullies. Since our brother is away, you and your men came and saved Karakura Town. We are grateful" the girl with the pigtails said, before facing the old man with her sweet smile, as did Karin. "Will you come back to visit Karakura Town someday?" Yuzu then asked Allowin.

The emperor was stunned to hear this, seeing that a young Human was asking about whether he would ever come back to visit this town. As Allowin was only reminded about his deceased son when looking at Yuzu's curious expression, the man with the long hair and beard only nodded his head as a yes in return.

"Yes, I will come back, someday" he told her and both Yuzu and Karin seemed happy to know that. Seeing their reaction, Allowin formed a smile underneath his beard, as he was happy to see those young Humans smile. "Next time, I will bring the entire Dechados and the Legionarios for you to see. Maybe we can learn that some Humans are intriguing. Until then…..farewell, young ones" he told them and he and his subordinates entered the Garganta, with the portal shutting itself in the process.

Both Karin and Yuzu had seen both scary, but at the same time, fantastic things as well. They learned that there existed many more amazing people in the world, regardless of which age they were. While they missed Ichigo, the girls knew that he would come back someday. But that remained to be seen, as Ichigo was in a different place now, as well as a different phase of his life.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Author's note: A great chapter! I had always desired for the Arrancars to be given a new perspective of Humans, and I thought that Ichigo's family would serve as a perfect representation. While doing that, I aslo wanted to Togabitos to appear in the story, as they will also play an important role in the Thousand Year Blood War. The next chapter will take us back to the Soul Society, including to where Ichigo is right now.**

 **And here are some of the terms we have learned in this chapter. Tite Kubo is known for using languages as motifs on each race (like Japanese with Shinigamis, German with Quincies and Spanish with Arrancars). So far, Kubo has not done that to the Togabitos. Therefore, I have taken to honor to give the Togabitos a Chinese motif. I gave the Interminables a French motif already. Therefore, see some techniques that the Togabitos use, as well as what Allowin performed in this chapter.**

 **Lichang – Chinese for "Force Field": With this unique ability, Zhong is able to produce a forcefield within himself. It is strong enough to deflect a Heilig Pfiel.**

 **Yìngbī – Chinese for "To Force": This ability revolves around using winds in order to force its target away.**

 **Zouguò – Chinese for "To Walk Past": This is a Togabito's answer to a Shinigami's Shunpo, a Quincy's Hirenkiyaku and an Arrancar's Sonido. Whether it is better than them remains to be seen.**

 **Fāxiàn – Chinese for "To Find/To Discover": This is an ability that Togabitos use to locate and measure a Spiritual Pressure. It is their own version of an Arrancar's Pesquisa.**

 **Gāng – Chinese for "Steel": A Togabito's outer skin with high spiritual hardness that serves as armor. It's their answer to an Arrancar's Hierro.**

 **Rabia – Spanish for "Rage": This is an ability that Allowin uses to empower himself physically. It can also dispel any attacks directed towards Allowin.**

 **Hielo – Spanish for "Ice": When Allowin breathes, it becomes so cold that it can freeze whoever stands within his reach.**

 **Aterizzaje – Spanish for "Landing": Allowin uses his feet when diving down towards his opponent, thereby landing on whatever his target is. The attack is powerful and can create tremors.**

 **Cero Calor – Spanish for "Heat Cero": Allowin fires Cero from his eyes, which is very powerful and long at the same time. It can be seen as a more powerful version of the Cero Còrnea.**


	22. Balancing the Scales

**Author's note: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 22: Balancing the Scales**

 _In the air above the Sereitei, Soul Society_

Inside the flying cannon, Ichigo Kurosaki and his team consisting of Yasutora Sado, Orihime Inoue, Ganju Shiba, Jinta Hanakari, Ururu Tsmugiya, Yoruichi Shihoin and Tessai Tsukabishi, were sitting and waiting for their arrival at their destination: The Royal Realm. While the trip was long, it was worth it, considering their intentions on preventing Yhwach from reaching his goals. But would they make it in time?

Ichigo was now sitting against the metal with his arms rested behind his neck. Ever since they took off from the Squad 12 Barracks, the orange-haired man had been pondering about how he would fight the Emperor of the Wandenreich. But his thoughts were interrupted by the voice of Orihime.

"Hey Ichigo, Yoruichi, Chad, Ganju" the young woman called out their names and they focused their attentions on her. "I don't know what you think, but this really brings back memories. Back then when we were saving Rukia. I remember how Yoruichi was in her cat form" she mused to herself while recalling back to the time when they were in the air to save Rukia from her execution in the Sereitei. But that was a long time ago.

Yoruichi couldn't help but to smile smugly at this, recalling how she looked to fool everyone with her cat form. "You know I can still transform myself if you want to" she told her.

"Now, now, Yoruichi. I think you look perfect just the way you are" Tessai told her.

But Orihime suddenly fixed a disappointed look on her face, as she thought about someone. "But Uryu was with us at that time" she said, sounding somewhat slightly bitter. True, the orange-haired woman had also been saddened to see a good friend of hers go over to the enemy side. "Does any of you think he will come back?" she suddenly asked lowly.

Ichigo was filled with so many conflicting thoughts, yet he knew he had to respond to his childhood friend. "Of course, he will come back. I mean, nobody's that heartless" Ichigo said, although there was a hint of uncertainty in his voice. "But on the other hand, I've got a bone to pick up with Yhwach. That bastard has gone too far with all the lives he has already stolen" Ichigo said, gritting his teeth in anger over saying that line. "If Uryu choses this path of his, then I'm still not gonna back down. I'll pin his ass against the wall and make Yhwach pay for his crimes" the orange-haired man said.

"You sound so…...bitter Ichigo" Yoruichi noted while watching Ichigo's expression. "Is it just me or are you starting to get focused on vengeance?" she then asked the Substitute Shinigami.

Ichigo fixed his stern eyes upon the purple-haired woman. "You don't know the half of it" he replied lowly. "Anyway, everybody knows the plan. When we're up there, off to fight the bastard and his buttslave" he told them in a surprisingly foul way.

Yoruichi cocked an eyebrow and knew that even though Ichigo had changed since Aizen's defeat, there was a few things that he lacked. Therefore, she decided to get more personal with him, by fixing a sympathetic glance towards the orange-haired man.

"Ichigo. I know why you carry this grudge against Yhwach. And I don't blame you for having it" she told him, much to his surprise. "But if you are to stand against him, you can't allow rage to overcome yourself. Because that's exactly what he want…what Aizen wanted" Yoruichi pointed out.

Ichigo was only surprised to hear those words, yet he didn't do much as to speak back. He faced the metal floor, trying to reflect on what he was just told, But he eventually faced Yoruichi and smiled lightly.

"Alright. I guess that I can't argue with you on that one, Yoruichi" he told her before trying to face everyone sitting around him. "Listen up, everyone. I don't know if I should call your crazy or stupid for joining this trip, but I am very grateful that you wanted to come with me" Ichigo then said, expressing his gratitude for those who sat around him.

Chad gave him a thumb gesture in return, while smiling lightly. "You can count on my assistance, Ichigo. I've been training for this!" the tall man noted. "There is no going back from this battlefield" he said to the orange-haired man.

"I am also prepared" Tessai said while adjusting his glasses. The tall man was having his staff beside him, and he wore his outfit from his days as the Captain of the Kido Corps. "With my great intellect and abilities, you will be happy to have me on board, Ichigo" he said to him.

Yoruichi smiled smugly after hearing this. "I am too" she said while facing Ichigo. "You will need all of us on this trip, Ichigo. That I can assure you" she told him, forcing Ichigo to simply nod in return.

"Don't got so cocky with me, Yoruichi" the orange-haired man thought.

"I'm also here!" Jinta said and held onto his kanabo. "I'm hoping to kick some Quincy-ass anyways so this shall be fun!" the red-haired teenager exclaimed and grinned cockily.

For some reason, Ichigo slumped inside of him by hearing Jinta's words. "That kid's really full of himself, isn't he?" he wondered while staring at the boy's confidence in himself.

"You can count on my support as well" Ururu spoke up, as she meek girl held onto her rocket launcher. "Since Quincies use bows and arrows, they will not stand a chance against my rocket launcher" she said, although she was slightly confused.

"Ururu has incredible strength, that I don't deny" Ichigo thought in his head while watching her. "But even if that's true, is that enough strength to take on a Sternritter-level Quincy? I don't think so" he concluded, suggesting that the young girl could rather deal with the Soldats or other types of troops in the Wandenreich.

"Don't forget about me!" Ganju exclaimed and leaned onto the metal wall with a proud expression on his face. He then faced Ichigo. "Don't forget, I managed to take on that flamboyant Shinigami, whom I tried to outrun. I used fireworks to win!" he said, recalling the time when he fought Yumichika.

But Ichigo only sighed in annoyance by hearing this. "But Ganju, you forget something. We're dealing with Quincies whose levels surpasses or equals to that of a Shinigami captain. If you expect to fight someone on the same level as Yumichika, then you've obviously mistaken" the orange-haired man sternly pointed it out.

Ganju snapped in irritation by hearing this. "I know that, already! Are you suggesting I only joined you so that I could take on the inexperienced Quincies? Get real! In a place such as the Royal Realm, you don't bring inexperienced fighters with you if you plan on conquering it" he answered in return, before calming himself. "From what I know, the military in the Royal Realm is drastically different than the one in the Sereitei. And I'm not just talking about the Royal Guard and it's five members. Hell, even the common soldiers aka the Divine Soldiers are more focused and disciplined than normal low-ranked Shinigamis" the long-haired man told Ichigo and the rest were listening.

Tessai nodded his head in return. "I have heard so many things about these Divine Soldiers. It is said that their fighting style is equal to that of a Shinigami lieutenant" the tanned-skinned man noted.

"That's just a bunch of fairytales" Yoruichi spoke up flatly. "Yes, they are good. But I seriously doubt that they will be enough to stop the enemy" she pointed out to everyone.

"I'm glad that all of you are sharing this information with all of us" Ichigo commended her, Tessai and Ganju, before specifically facing Ganju with a slight smile. "I believe in your words, Ganju. You prove us that you're willing to face the enemy. I'm impressed" the orange-haired man praised the long-haired man.

Ichigo began gazing upwards to the cannon's ceiling, as did the rest of the group. They were on their way to a battle which would definitely be chaotic. But the first question was whether they would make it in time. That remained to be seen.

* * *

 _In the icy cityscape, Sereitei_

While Ichigo and his group were on their way to the Royal Realm, the fight between the 13 Court Guard Squads and the Sternritters continued below them. Ikkaku and Yumichika had also been separated from their comrades by the shockwave, which ended them in battling Sternritter Z – The Zombie: Giselle Gewelle. The black-haired girl had raised dead Shinigamis as zombies, which they had become by making contact with Giselle's blood. She had almost ended up tricking the two members into attacking her, only for them to realize her true intentions.

But Ikkaku and Yumichika had to contend with the zombified Bambietta Basterbine, who used her Reishi bombs to attack them. They kept going on until Captain of Squad 12: Mayuri Kurotsuchi arrived with not just Nemu, but also new inventions to counter Bambietta's bombs. But there was more that Mayuri had brought with him, in order to fight the Shinigami zombies. In hopes of resolving to less drastic measures, Mayuri used the newly-resurrected Arrancars, he had found in the vault of Szayelaporro Granz, the former Octava Espada in Sosuke Aizen's Arrancar's army. Thanks to Mayuri, they were still alive and breathing.

The five Arrancars that Mayuri had resurrected was the former Privaron Espadas: Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio and Cirucci Sanderwicci, the briefly Sexta Espada: Luppi Antenor and two Arrancars from different Fracciòn: Charlotte Chuhlhourne from Barragan Luisenbarn's and surprisingly Di Roy Rinker from Grimmjow Jaegerjacquez's. While three of them were found in Szayelaporro's vault, the others were found as corpses in Karakura Town, especially with Di Roy, who was frozen and almost cracking.

The five Arrancars, under control of Mayuri, did fight off the zombified Shinigamis, although Yumichika took great issue with Charlotte, still recalling their last battle. But all that changed when Giselle called out something that really shocked the two members of Squad 11. What they believed to have seen was a zombified Toshiro Hitsugaya. He dealt with both of them, before facing Mayuri, who was more than happy to test his drugs on the zombie, for the sake of the Sereitei. With the help of a time loop-like drug, Toshiro fell on the ground and the scientist tested his drugs on him. But the scientist was in for a shock, as what he previously thought was Toshiro, was nothing but a fake.

Mayuri saw that it was ordinary Shinigami, who was just as tall as Toshiro. His face and real eyes began revealing itself, bore he disintegrated, thanks to Giselle's actions. And before he knew it, zombified versions of Kensei, Rose and Rangiku appeared behind him, yet the scientist was mostly focused on the Sternritter.

"What is the meaning of this?" Mayuri asked lowly while facing the girl in a wary manner. "How in the world can an ordinary zombie like him, possess the abilities of Captain Hitsugaya!?" he demanded while the zombified Shinigamis were on the verge of attacking him, only for the Arrancars to take care of them. Mayuri watched as they fought. "If I am to believe in my instincts, those three are not the real, Matsumoto, Mugurama and Otoribashi. They are only imposters that you have created. But how can they possess the same abilities?" he wondered in slight disbelief.

Giselle found Mayuri to be amusing. "Remember when I said that I can zombify Shinigamis by simply spread my blood on them?" she asked him. "Truth is, if my blood is mixed with these Shinigamis' blood, then I will be able to change them into any person that I want. You see, I have been given access to the blood samples of these Shinigamis and have tasted them as well" the Sternritter told him.

Mayuri was stuck dumbfounded by her statement. "But that's preposterous! I am the only one who possesses the blood samples of all captains and lieutenants! How did you get hold of them!? Did you steal them from my lab!?" he angrily asked the Quincy while pointing his Zanpakutou at her.

Giselle only scoffed at him in a whimsical manner. "Aren't you a grumpy, old man?" she quizzed him before fixing a smug look on her usual goofy face. "Don't get your knickers in a bunch. I never had the need to infiltrate that filthy place to steal a blood sample. All that I had to was to drink the blood the Shinigamis had left behind from their bodies" she told Mayuri, before holding up her Heilig Bogen.

There was something that the Captain of Squad 12 did not understand yet. "If Hitsugaya and the others were not zombified, then what happened to their real bodies?" the scientist wondered while recalling that his computer had failed to detect their Spiritual Pressure throughout the Sereitei. "There could be two answers to this mystery. The first, the missing captains and lieutenants are dead, and their real bodies has been confiscated by the enemy. The second, the missing captains and lieutenants have…." Mayuri's pondering was interrupted by a skull-faced arrow almost hitting him, although the scientist managed to dodge it with ease.

"What's the matter, Mr. Scientist? I thought that you were gonna come here to do some experiments on my zombies" Giselle asked tauntingly at him. "Well, say something" she told him.

Mayuri only glanced at her with dispassion and annoyance. "My, my, you really are an annoying little girl, interrupting me while I am pondering" he remarked sternly in return before fixing a smug look at the Sternritter. "Now as for your question, I do have some experiments I would like to test on these extraordinary zombies of yours. Just watch them now" he then told her while pointing his finger at the three zombified Shinigamis, that were on the floor, much to Giselle's own surprise.

"What!? But how?" she exclaimed in shock over seeing her puppets being beaten by mere Arrancars.

Mayuri went over to them and used his drugs on each of them. By infusing these zombified Shinigamis with blood samples of famous Shinigami captains and lieutenants, Giselle's zombies would become his zombies. Kensei, Rose and Rangiku stood up and faced the Sternritter.

"I put drugs into the blood of those Arrancars, so that each time the captains fought, they would only be travelling back into time until the effect would work" Mayuri said as the Arrancars listened, not believing what they just heard.

"What did that sick freak just say!?" Cirucci asked to her comrades.

Luppi was feeling the same thing. "How should I know? I'm not the one who knows about science" the young Arrancar said.

But something was boiling inside Dordoni as he listened. "Coño! This bastardo must have infected our bodies while we were left for dead!" the goofy Arrancar surprisingly exclaimed in an angry fashion.

"I don't care what you all think!" Di Roy said as he glanced at Mayuri. "How about I try killing you until there is nothing of you…" before the Arrancar could continue with his threats, he was electrified thanks to Mayuri pushing his remote.

"Mind your manners, pitiful creature! Don't forget who brought you back!" he rebuked Di Roy. But the scientist began concentrating on the Sternritter. "As I already told you, I also have the blood samples of every Shinigami captain and lieutenant. And to be telling you this in a simple way: your zombies are now my zombies! That means I win, and you lose" the scientist revealed with a grin, his puppets standing behind him.

Giselle was about to make her move, as were Mayuri and his men, only for them to snap, as they could both hear someone laughing cunningly on the sidelines. Neither of them had heard of this voice, and as they turned to the side, they were stunned to see who was standing there. It was an Arrancar, but not just any ordinary Arrancar. It was one of the Dechados: Pieddot Picasso. But was it really him? The man in the white burlap mask took small steps forward while facing both parties.

"I see that you are marching out the zombies. Intriguing but also cruel at the same time" Pieddot noted smugly. The Arrancar then looked over his shoulder to face the surviving, but also gravely injured Charlotte, who had been slashed thanks to the zombified Toshiro. The purple-haired man could barely stand properly. "Thank you for filling me in, Esclavo. You may not be bad after all" he then thanked him, although Charlotte did not give him any response, as he only panted in return.

For some reason, the four Arrancars began gradually moving towards Pieddot, as they had never seen him before. "Who the hell are you!?" Luppi asked while facing him with suspicion.

"And what have you done to Charlotte, weirdo!" Cirucci asked in her sassy tone as usual.

But suddenly, Pieddot aimed his claws at the four Arrancars and there was a small crossbow attached to his arm. Before the four Arrancars knew it, Pieddot fired a tiny dart on one of them each, and the darts hit their faces.

"Do not fret, misguided souls. These darts of mine are giving you a cure from all that drug and poison you have been exposed to by that Shinigami captain" the paragon told them and began facing Mayuri, who only glanced at him unfazed. However, the captain did take some steps towards the mysterious Arrancar, who only glanced at him cunningly. "You have to something to say, Shinigami?" Pieddot then asked him.

Mayuri simply chuckled lightly by what he heard him saying. "My, my, you really lack manners to say such, considering that you are standing in the Sereitei, which is the domain if us Shinigamis" he told him, before pointing his Zanpakutou at the Arrancar. "But I could care less about it. Based upon the cape, as well as the description I was given to by Kyoraku, you are one of the so-called Dechados, unless I'm mistaking" he told the man in burlap mask.

A smug expression was formed inside Pieddot's burlap mask, as he found Mayuri to be amusing. "You are correct, Captain of Squad 12, as well as current President of the Department of Research and Development: Mayuri Kurotsuchi" the Dechado said in return. "Maybe I should introduce myself. I am Paragon Pieddot Picasso, the imperial researcher to His Highness himself. I have heard that second to Kisuke Urahara, you are the smartest in the entire Soul Society. Is that really the truth?" Pieddot suddenly asked the Shinigami.

Mayuri's eyes widened in surprise, as he didn't expect the Arrancar to know what his name was, let alone the fact how he hated to be placed one step behind Urahara. He clenched Ashisogi Jizo tightly, not being able to hold back his urge to simply stab him. "I see…you think you are tough, is that it?" the scientist asked and stabbed Pieddot with his Zanpakutou, much to the Arrancar's surprise. Mayuri felt some relief and satisfaction by performing this on the Dechado. "I am sorry for being this rude, but I am getting just more and more intrigued by this empire that you serve. But as much as I would've liked to know more, I have other important manages to attend to, so just do me a favor and die so that I can be on my way" the scientist said to Pieddo, like it was no big deal for the Arrancar to die, considering that Mayuri disregarded life.

As Pieddot was having the Zanpakutou pierced in his chest and thought to be dead, the paragon suddenly formed a smug grin on the inside of his burlap mask and this caught Mayuri completely by surprise. In fact, the scientist backed further away. Pieddot simply laughed, first doing it lowly before letting it out loudly in mockery to Mayuri's actions. The Shinigami only gritted his teeth in anger by hearing this.

"This is the man who succeeded Urahara as the smartest man in the Soul Society?" Pieddot asked the man dressed in white armor in an insultingly way. "Ridiculous, just utterly ridiculous! If you were that intelligent, then you would have known by now that what you see before you…is not the real me!" he said before revealing something underneath his cloth. To Mayuri's own surprise, he sees a small locker, in which cogs are running and working. At the same time, he could also see that oil was leaking from the wounds instead of blood. Pieddot laughed once again at Mayuri's cluelessness. "Such a clown! Did you honestly think that this was the real me? This is only one of my many androids that I have created, something that looks exactly like me. And you are probably wondering how I was able to get this android inside the Sereitei. Well, the android's exterior is made with Sekkiseki. With it, my android is capable of passing through the Shakonmaku with ease" the Dechado explained as Mayuri simply stood and listened.

But the scientist refused to believe what he was hearing. "You lie! There is no way that anything can…." Mayuri paused by seeing another locker being opened, revealing a bomb which was going off in five seconds.

"And by the way, I have activated this android's self-destruction mode from 5….4…..3….2" he began the countdown.

Once it was finished, an explosion appeared and it was big, although Mayuri and his zombies managed to avoid being taken by the explosion. In fact, they had hidden behind some rubbles, and as the commotion ended, Mayuri was eventually joined by his lieutenant Nemu Kurotsuchi. She was still dressed in her white outfit, similar to her captain.

"Master Mayuri. Shall we move on to the next phase?" the woman asked her creator.

The Captain of Squad 12 faced her with a stern glance. "Not yet, Nemu. We first have to deal with the zombie girl and those lousy Arran….." the scientist was stunned to see that neither the Arrancars or Giselle were still with them, as they were gone. This only infuriated Mayuri. "Damn! All of them used my distraction by that Arrancar to escape! He will pay for humiliating me like this!" he cursed out of anger.

Nemu knew that she had to find a way to calm her master's outburst. "But at least we have the captains and Lieutenant Matsumoto" she insisted to him.

"But they are not even the real ones, Nemu!" the scientist told her. "No, Hitsugaya, Matsumoto, Otoribashi and Mugurama, all of their bodies are out there somewhere. Whether they are dead or alive remains to be seen" he explained before facing the zombies he had gotten control over. "But we will keep these zombies with us for a while, until we found their real counterparts" he concluded. But Mayuri was still thinking about the android that Pieddot had used to communicate with him. "What was one of the Dechados doing in the Sereitei, anyway? I thought that they had no interest in our battle against the Wandenreich. But then again, this was only one lone Dechado, so he was probably sent as a spy" Mayuri concluded and then ordered Nemu and the zombies to follow him.

* * *

 _At another place in the icy cityscape_

Byakuya Kuchiki and Shuhei Hisagi had been sent off to another location in the icy cityscape, where they were forced to contend with Sternritter L – The Love: PePe Waccabrada, who had used his ability to get in control of his fellow Sternritters: Candice Catnipp and Meninas McAllon. The two women had begun attacking both Liltotto Lamperd and Robert Accutrone, thus sending them away from the Shinigamis. Therefore, PePe would have both Byakuya and Shuhei by himself.

At first, Byakuya thought that Shuhei would easily deal with PePe, but he was wrong. In fact, Shuhei had tried to attack the round man, but he had already been caught by PePe's ability. The Schrift PePe had been given by Yhwach: The Love, gave him the power of Induced Infatuation. This meant that anything that was hit by PePe's ability, would follow any command he said.

As Byakuya had dealt with Shuhei, he moved on to confront PePe, but despite finding his attacks predictable, there was one thing that he failed to predict. PePe was able to use his ability on Zanpakutous as well, as Senbonzakura was now obeying every command PePe gave him. And to make sure that Shuhei was still willing to fight for the Quincy, the fat Sternritter activated his Quincy: Vollständig: Gudoero, which meant: Sexuality of God in the Quincy language.

With Shuhei in possession of Senbonzakura, as well as his own Kazeshini, Byakuya kept battling the lieutenant with hand-to-hand combat. But that was until Mayuri Kurotsuchi arrived with his zombies. They dealt with both Shuhei and PePe, and returned his Zanpakutou to him. But the proud Captain of Squad 6 had some questions for the scientist. Mayuri was more than happy to answer, and explained the whole story, including the fact that these were not the real captains and lieutenants. The Captain of Squad 12 told him on how he was able to make these Shinigamis his servants. At the same time, the zombies also dealt with PePe, who was trying to use his ability to attack on the zombies, but to no avail. The fat man was then sent flying away by the zombified Kensei.

"And that is how I was able to do it" the scientist told his fellow captain about the story of these zombies. "They may not be the real Mugurama, Otoribashi and Matsumoto, but at least I saved whoever these Shinigamis really are from death" he said like it was no big deal.

Byakuya was not impressed by his words. "It doesn't matter who they are. You could have let them die peacefully. Why only prolong their suffering when all that they desire is to escape being toyed with their bodies?" he firmly asked Mayuri, who only glanced up to the cloudy sky.

"As usual, we all have different opinions" he replied, but he was not finished speaking. "But don't you think that protecting the Sereitei even after one's death would be the dream of any soldiers of the 13 Court Guard Squads?" he suddenly asked the proud captain.

The black-haired man only narrowed his eyes by hearing this. "That is nothing but sophism" he simply said sternly.

"Whatever" Mayuri said and faced Byakuya with a smug look. "At least I am not someone who blindly follows orders based upon a false propaganda. Wouldn't that be called sophism, Captain Kuchiki? You did after all murder an entire village of Interminables" he then said, forming a teasing smile in the process.

The moment Byakuya heard those words coming out of Mayuri's own mouth, his eyes snapped back to the horrors of the past. Without even thinking, the black-haired man threw some of Senbonzakura's blades at the scientist and they narrowly missed him, although Mayuri's right cheek had received a cut. The scientist became outraged.

"What the hell was that for!?" he angrily demanded at Byakuya, who was fixing a surprisingly deadly gaze on Mayuri. Despite seeing him like this, Mayuri grinned cockily in return, indicating that he was not afraid. "What's wrong? Did I ruffle some feathers?" he teasingly asked the black-haired man.

Byakuya suddenly pointed his Zanpakutou at his fellow captain. "Do not toy with my patience, Kurotsuchi!" he lowly, yet strictly berated him. "Had you not been a captain, let alone a Shinigami, I could have killed you for saying those words to me!" he then added with more harsh words, which was actually not typical of Byakuya.

Mayuri only glanced at his fellow captain with nothing but dispassion in return. "Don't be so ignorant about yourself, Kuchiki. You blindly followed Yamamoto and your grandfather into this campaign, almost like a zombie" he pointed out while even motioned his head at the zombies he had found, indicating that he was comparing Byakuya to a zombie. The man in white clothing eventually fixed himself a smug smile. "But in the end, you are just like me" he said.

"I am NOTHING like you!" Byakuya angrily snapped at the scientist. "And for the record, you are nothing like Urahara, as you will always be stuck under his shadow" the long-haired man pointed out.

The Captain of Squad 12 snapped in outrage over hearing Byakuya say such things to him, as Mayuri fervently hated whenever somebody said that to him. "That's it!" he exclaimed and drew his Ashisogi Jizo, with Byakuya readying Senbonzakura. The two captains were on the verge of battling, before each of them were stopped by two other captains of the Court Guards.

Shinji Hirako of Squad 5 was blocking Byakuya's passage while Sui-Feng of Squad 2 was blocking Mayuri's. They had arrived just in the nick of time to stop the two captains from starting a terrible and unnecessary fight.

"You two guys mind telling what the fuck you're doing?" Shinji asked in his usual foul language. "And how come Kensei, Rose and Lieutenant Matsumoto look like a trio of mindless zombies?" the blonde-haired man then focused his eyes on his fellow Vizards.

"They are not the real ones!" Mayuri told both him and Sui-Feng. "One of the Sternritters has the ability to transform her zombies into anything she desires. She does that by simply drinking their blood and mixing it with her own" the scientist added to his explanation.

Sui-Feng only faced this grimly and looked at both Mayuri and Byakuya. "We are in the middle of a battle, yet you two wanna focus on fighting each other!?" she angrily asked the two captains, dismayed by what she had seen them doing. "Both of have forgotten what it means to be part of the Court Guard! And by doing so, you disgrace our legacy" she criticized them.

"Bah! What do you know about legacy!?" Mayuri suddenly confronted Sui-Feng, who only glared at him in return. "All of us standing here knows that compared to Yoruichi Shihoin, you are nothing but a spineless apprentice without guts! Your actions at this "summit" only proves it, based upon what I have been told!" the man in white clothing began badmouthing Sui-Feng.

The blue-haired woman could not stand being badmouthed and given an unfairly comparison to her former captain. Slowly, she pulled out her Zanpakutou and glared daggers at Mayuri, who still had Ashisogi Jizo in his hand.

"You better take back what you just…...you pale-skinned cocksucker of Urahara!" she spat in return and Mayuri only got angrier by the minute.

But before any fight between the Shinigami captains could escalate any further, the line of rubbles that laid before them were blown away to bits and dust came out, with the captains forced to back away from what was happening. But as the dust settled, the four female Sternritters and Robert had stood before them in a line. However, Liltotto was carrying a black hand, which she suddenly began chewing on. Both Byakuya and Mayuri could see that the belonged to PePe, as she had indeed been eating him.

"My, my, that girl has quite an appetite for having such a small body" the scientist noted, before facing smugly at the Sternritters. "Nevertheless, I grow bored with you Quinces, especially you, zombie girl!" he said while specifically facing the black-haired girl.

The three zombified Shinigamis began their move against the Sternritters, but Robert, who stood in the middle took a few steps forward and holy light enveloped around him as he removed a Sanrei Glove. "Even the dead feel pain of my bullets! And I will gladly show you that!" he exclaimed as Robert was now activating his Quincy: Vollständig. "Grimaniel!" he said the name of his form, which was Walk of God in the tongue of the Quincies. He had gained wings that looked like they were made out of pixels and a Heiligenschein shaped like a star-formed Quincy Cross.

As the zombies jumped in the air, Robert quickly aimed his pistols at his targets, and without delay, he fired repeatedly, the bullets driving them up towards the air, making sure that they stayed up there.

With them in the air, another of the Sternritters activated her Quincy: Vollständig and it was Candice, which resulted in her getting lightning bolt-shaped wings and a Heiligenschein of electricity. She then flew up towards the zombies. "I'll let these freaks taste real lighting, empowered by my Enelisen!" she aggressively exclaimed while saying the name of her form, which was Electricity of God in the Quincy tongue. Candice then threw her arms up in the air and concentrated on forming a large thunderbolt up in the skies, before sending them down towards the zombies. "Electrocution!" she yelled and the thunderbolt hit all the zombies, eventually sending them down.

The four Shinigami captains had been able to avoid getting hit and were now watching as the thunderbolt struck the ground. As the strike ended, the four captains could see the skeletons belonging to what was previously the zombies. From what they looked like, they seemed much smaller and did not match the exact physique of Kensei, Rose and Rangiku. Therefore, they were not the missing captains and lieutenants.

"NO!" Mayuri exclaimed as he fell down to his knees, seeing his zombies being turned into nothing but skeletons. He angrily faced Candice up in the air. "YOU FILTHY WHORE! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?" he angrily asked while looking up to the blonde-haired woman.

Candice simply shrugged her shoulders as she faced. "I'd be worrying less about some skeletons if I were you!" she said in return and suddenly vanished with her Hirenkiyaku. But she did that for a particular reason and the captains could see that someone was up in the skies.

It was Meninas McAllon, but suddenly, she activated her Quincy: Vollständig with her Sanrei Belt. In this form, she had gained Reishi wings which were in large heart-shapes as well as a Heiligenschein over her hat. But changes had also happened to her body, as there were immense muscles on Meninas' body, except for her head of course. Her clothes also seemed ripped off, except for the torso of her outfit.

"Amazonigen!" Meninas said the name of her new form, which meant Strength of God in the Quincy language. Truth be told, Meninas did look like an Amazon woman, which explained the name of her form. But the woman was diving down towards the ground and dug herself in a hole.

But the sound suddenly erupted and Meninas flew up with a giant rock she picked beneath the earth itself. It just as large as the 13 barracks in the Sereitei. Without delay, Meninas threw the giant rock at the shocked captains, who knew they had to react.

"HOOOOOLY SHIT!" Shinji shouted in outrage as the giant rock fell towards them. "EVERYONE, MOVE YOUR FUCKING ASSES!" the blonde-haired man added and none of them even bothered to fight back and immediately vanished as fast as they could with the help of their Shunpo. In fact, Shinji narrowly managed to avoid getting crushed underneath it, and he took his time to catch his breath. "Fuck…...that was scary…holy hell!" he said lowly while panting.

Byakuya suddenly appeared beside him. "You appear fine, Captain Hirako" he noted lowly while gazing up at the giant rock that he saw beside him. The black-haired man was just as shocked as his fellow captains were. "Such immense strength…...who would have thought that someone like her could lift a rock of this size?" he noted in slight disbelief.

"That's something we'll have to worry less about" Shinji said and gained composure. "It's obvious, these Quincies are hellbent on killing us for real" he said while pulling out his Zanpakutou. "Perhaps it's time to fight for real" he then noted with his smug grin.

But suddenly, both captains could feel someone appear beside them from the rock and to their shock, it was Robert. He was using his ability to appear inside the giant rock, while sticking his upper body and arms out with his Reishi pistols. Both Shinji and Byakuya resorted to use their Shunpo and vanished as he fired his pistols.

Byakuya faced him and aimed his finger at the Sternritter. "Bakudo 61: Rikujokoro!" he said and successfully managed to trap Robert in six wide beams of light. The Captain of Squad 6 was trying to catch him while using this ability, which would prevent him from hiding or moving any further. Robert was caught in surprise when he felt the beams hold him.

Shinji grinned. "Way to go, Kuchiki. You caught that bastard!" he said while brandishing Sakanade.

Despite seeing this, Robert forced a smirk underneath his moustache, as he was silently chuckling by seeing this. "Such delusional creatures" he commented lowly before to the captains' shock, freed himself from the Kido-spell with ease. Robert also got out of the rock and faced Byakuya with a dispassionate glance, as he was still in his Quincy: Vollständig. "Imbecile! After seeing my power, you thought you could trap me with a mere Kido-spell?" he asked Byakuya and aimed his guns. "With my Grimaniel, I can enter and exit anything that I please, even a Kido-spell as strong as the one you just performed!" Robert taunted before firing.

On the giant rock, Sui-Feng suddenly stood on top of it, confronting Meninas, who were descending down towards the top, facing the Shinigami. The blue-haired woman narrowed her eyes.

"You have skills, but you don't impress me for a minute" Sui-Feng commented.

Meninas was only glancing at her in a surprisingly bored expression on her face, which contrasted greatly to her usual naïve expression. "Is talking all you Shinigamis do?" she suddenly quizzed her and the muscular girl landed on the rock. "I was expecting you to be more focused, considering your status as the Commander of the Stealth Force" she then remarked.

Sui-Feng only felt herself twitch in anger over hearing Meninas acting like a know-it-all. She pulled out her Zanpakutou and brandished it. "You will learn respect, Quincy! Sting all enemies to death…..Suzumebachi!" she said, activating her Shikai, but the Captain of Squad 2 was not yet finished. "Since you want to show me how intelligent you are, I will gladly silence you with my newly developed attack, brute! Mukyu Shunko!" she said and she activated her own Shunko, with vortexes and winds empowering around her.

Meninas watched as Sui-Feng vanished with fast speed, appearing right behind her. The captain was intending on stinging the Sternritter, as she saw Meninas' strength as inferior to her own speed. But as Sui-Feng was about to sting her, Meninas vanished from her sight. Sui-Feng reacted quickly by looking behind, but she could see that the Quincy was not trying to attack her from behind.

"What the hell…" she wondered.

But she suddenly felt her left arm being grabbed and Meninas grabbed her and held it tightly. "I never intended to attack you from behind" the pink-haired girl said to Sui-Feng's own shock. "I simply used my Hirenkiyaku to vanish further away from you, yet your reflexes made you look behind" she added to her explanation.

"You scum! Let go of me!" Sui-Feng yelled as she moved Suzumebachi to stab Meninas on her stomach. But as the tip of her Zanpakutou hit there, it did not stop and Sui-Feng snapped by seeing blood veins protecting the girl's muscular six pack stomach. "NO!" she yelled.

"When I am in my Amazonigen, my Blut Vene's defensive capabilities increases. Therefore, your Zanpakutou can't inflect damage upon me" Meninas told her before firming her hold on Sui-Feng's left hand, much to the captain's agony. "You may have the speed, but it won't help you against my power!" she surprisingly berated her and broke Sui-Feng's hand, causing the captain to scream in agony. But Meninas let go of her grip and backed away from her opponent, who was on her knees clinging on to her left hand. Even now, her hand was bleeding while her fingers were shattered and broken. Sui-Feng faced the Sternritter with an angry glance on her face.

"YOU BITCH! YOU BROKE MY LEFT HAND, YOU FUCKING QUINCY-BITCH!" she yelled out in anger at the young girl with profanity, which was actually unusual of her. Sui-Feng pointed her right hand and Suzumebachi at the Sternritter, her eyes filled with anger and hatred. "NOBODY BREAKS MY HAND AND GETS AWAY WITH IT! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU! BANKAI!" she yelled and her Zanpakutou changed from Shikai to her Bankai. "JAKUHO RAIKOBEN!" she yelled and aimed the missile at Meninas.

Meninas got shocked when seeing this. "I sense enormous amounts of explosives inside that missile!" she noted, but suddenly snapped when Sui-Feng fired the missile. Meninas got cautious when seeing this. Without even thinking, she used her strong hand and managed to actually hold the missile, although it was flying at a fast speed, thus managing to push the young girl away from her spot, step by step. "This is harder than I thought! Maybe I should resort to my full extent of my Schrift!" she noted in her thougts.

Sui-Feng snapped in shock as she saw how Meninas was holding on her own against the missiles. "Impossible…...how does she….." the captain was even more stunned when she saw that Meninas' size and muscles were expanding and she grew a bit taller than in her usual form.

Meninas' entire body changed once again, and her hat was removed thanks to her size growing, letting her pink hair run along her overgrown body. Her arms and abs were growing taller than the size of her head and there were more muscles in them than in her legs. She looked humongous and she no longer seemed like the usual sweet and nice girl any longer. With her big and strong hands, she was able to hold the missile and eventually held it upwards, eventually letting it fly to the top of the Shakonmaku, where a loud explosion could be heard from above, as it was quite large, although it couldn't break the Shakonmaku.

"NO…..TELL ME THIS ISN'T HAPPENING!?" Sui-Feng yelled in anger and fixed her eyes upon the humongous abomination that was Meninas McAllon.

"That was quite a dangerous attack you just pulled" Meninas spoke up, her voice still as normal as in her smaller petite form. "I cannot allow you to live, Shinigami. Therefore, I must….." the Sternritter was interrupted by somebody attacking her from behind. Turning around, she could see that three Shinigamis were standing with their Zanpakutous ready.

Shinji had also noticed who it was that appeared and his eyes widened in surprise. It was three members from his own Squad 5. "Momo, Matsuri, Fujimaru!" he exclaimed in surprise over seeing his lieutenant, 3rd seat and 4th seat respectively.

Matsuri glanced down at their captain and smiled. "Don't worry about us, Captain Hirako! Omadea offered to take care of Hisagi. We noticed that you could use some help in taking these bullies here!" she called out to him.

Momo smiled at him as well. "We'll handle this as a team!" she insisted to Shinji before facing Sui-Feng, who had gotten up on her feet. "Captain Sui-Feng, swallow your pride and let us handle this. You're to injured to continue fighting. Run while you still have the chance!" she called out to the blue-haired woman.

Sui-Feng only widened by what she was hearing from Momo. "Run away from a fight?" she uttered out the words lowly, before facing Momo with an angered expression on her face. "I would NEVER do something as disgraceful as…..ARRGHHHHHHH!" she was suddenly shocked by Candice, who had fired a Galvano Blast with her Heilig Bogen. This resulted on her falling onto some rubbles.

"Will you ever shut up!?" Candice asked while groaning in irritation. "Seriously, my ears are bleeding by hearing you even speak! I don't get why you were made a captain in the first place!" she added with her distaste of Sui-Feng.

The three members of Squad 5 saw this and became enraged. "That coward! She attacked Sui-Fung from behind!" Fujimaru said while gritting his teeth. He also held his Zanpakutou tightly. "These Quincies have no honor!" he added to his thoughts.

Momo held Tobiume tightly and watched as Candice appeared beside Meninas. "Alright, you two! We can do this! We are members of Squad 5!" she said with both Kudo-twins agreeing with what Momo just said.

"Well said, Momo!" Matsuri said and activated her own Shikai. "Swath….Kotomaru!" she exclaimed and pointed her Zanpakutou at the two.

"Flash….Ryujomaru!" Fujimaru actiated his own Shikai and faced their adversaries.

Candice smirked while seeing how determined they were on fighting them. "Woah, they really think they're up to this" she said and faced her overgrown friend. "Hey Meni, how about you and me take on these three cocky brats? They sure could need some ass-whooping!" the blonde-haired girl told her comrade, who simply sighed briefly before answering.

"Very well, but don't get in my way too much, Candi" Meninas said while reminding Candice at the same time.

The blonde-haired girl simply shrugged her shoulders in return. "Tch, whatever" she replied without worry, considering that Menina was physically stronger than her now.

Shinji only glanced at his three subordinates with a slight grin on his face, realizing that those three were determined to challenge the Sternritters. "Heh, alright. Then you three kids better not let me down, cause I'm rooting for you" the blonde-haired man said. But Shinji felt the need to avoid something, as Liltotto was using her ability, to almost swallow him. The Captain of Squad 5 widened in disgust over seeing her long jaw stretching itself. "Damn. You are one, ugly motherfucker. Do you have your own specialized toothbrush for that mouth?" he then asked her.

Liltotto only narrowed her eyes when hearing this. "Your humor eludes me, Shinigami. It is time that I begin acting serious for once!" she said and suddenly activated her own Quincy: Vollständig, with her getting Reishi wings formed like shark-teeth. At the same time, her mouth began growing wider, as Liltotto were getting shark-teeth inside her jaws. "I bet you taste fresh! So I will eat you with my Numisen!" she said while saying the name of her form, which was Hunger of God in the Quincy language.

Shinji simply smiled cockily and readied Sakanade. "Well, you asked for it, lady" he responded smugly in return.

While the fighting commenced at the giant rock, Mayuri had since after narrowly escaping it, made his way to his lab. He had been angry and disappointed in seeing how his own zombies had failed against the Quincies. Right now, he was scrambling to make his way to the lab, but was suddenly approached by Nemu, who stood before him.

"What are you doing, you dimwit!" Mayuri asked her while sweating. "Get your ass in gear!" he then rudely requested, with Nemu following her superior as he requested. "Damn those Quincy-fiends! My project was a success, until those types of Sternritters appeared!" he recalled on what he had seen.

"Are you running away, Mr. Scientist?" a girly voice came from behind, and Mayuri stopped on his tracks, turning around to face the black-haired girl he knew from before. It was Giselle, who was only sitting on a pillar with a bored expression on her face. "Aww, don't be such a party-pooper! The festival had barely begun!" she said in a goofy way.

Mayuri gritted his teeth in anger and held his Zanpakutou. "You! You and your demented friends ruined my experiments! I am now without zombies, all thanks to you!" he said, having never been so angry and irritated at his opponent.

Giselle only scoffed at his words. "Are you mad because of that? They weren't even yours to begin with" she replied and suddenly stood on her two feet, facing the man in white clothing with her usual laid-back expression. "Besides, I can always acquire more zombies if you so desperately want them" she said and all of a sudden, holy light began enveloping around her. But it only lasted a brief moment and when it was finished Mayuri snapped by what he was seeing.

"No, it cannot be!" Mayuri exclaimed while seeing Giselle's new form. Giselle was now having blood streaming from her eyes and mouth, while certain places of her face were stitched. She was also decorated with skulls on her knees and forearms. Her Heiligenschein was that of a satanic star and it floated above her head. Her Reishi wings were made of bones and she let them stretch to each side. "What manner of creature are you!?" the scientist demanded an answer from the Sternritter.

Giselle only faced Mayuri and his lieutenant with unusual empty eyes, almost as if she was a zombie itself. "You wanted a zombie? Well here you have it!" she told him in a tone that was similar to that of a zombie. "This is my true form. This is my Todentoten!" she exclaimed while telling them the name of her form, which was Death of God in the Quincy language.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Author's note: That was a good chapter! This took us to a glimpse of Ichigo and his group, while delivering us a view of what happened on the battlefield below. I have made some changes to how they were fighting while Ichigo and the others were on their way to the Royal Realm. The zombified Toshiro and co. is also changed with them simply being ordinary Shinigamis, who has the blood of the original. Where they really are, remains to be seen. And about the resurrected Arrancars, I chose to add Di Roy because he had a larger speaking role among those who served as a Fracciòn. Now let us see the new terms we got introduced to in this chapter.**

 **Enelisen – meaning Electricity of God: This is the Quincy: Vollständig belonging to Candice Catnipp. It gives her more control of thunder and electricity.**

 **Amazonigen – meaning Strength of God: This is the Quincy: Vollständig belonging to Meninas McAllon. It gives her increased superhuman strength. (Fun fact: I was inspired by the Hulk from the Marvel Universe and Wonder Woman from the DC Universe when I imagined what her form would look like)**

 **Numisen – meaning Hunger of God: This is the Quincy: Vollständig belonging to Liltotto Lamperd. It gives her increased abilities with her Schrift.**

 **Todentoten – meaning Death of God: This is the Quincy: Vollständig belonging to Giselle Gewelle. It gives her the appearance of a zombie. (Fun fact: I was inspired by Thriller from Michael Jackson when I thought about her appearance)**


	23. Revitalization

**Author's note: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 23: Revitalization**

 _In the Royal Realm, high above the Sereitei, Soul Society_

While the 13 Court Guard Squads battled the Sternritters and other Quincies below them, the Royal Guard and its military had been forced to act, when Yhwach and his associates had entered the place, and sat their course towards the Soul King's Palace. However, when Tenjiro Kirinji was trying to stop them with the help of his Zanpakutou named Kinpika, he noticed how he could not inflect a damage upon the Quincy Emperor.

Knowing that Kirinji was too stressed to fight him, Yhwach, Haschwalth and Uryu proceeded towards the stairs, leaving Kirinji behind. But their way was blocked once again, when someone was standing at the top of the stairs, guarding it. It was Senjumaru Shutara, as well as the common footmen of the Royal Realm's military called the Divine Soldiers.

Yhwach and his associates stopped and watched as Senjumaru formed a line, and fixed her stern eyes upon the trio, or more specifically Yhwach. The emperor was not impressed nor surprised.

"It has been a long time, Yhwach" Senjumaru said sternly. "How dare you enter the Royal Realm uninvited? Your killing of Genryusai only demonstrates your lack of humanity" she added to her statement.

Despite hearing this, Yhwach simply formed a smug smile and began walking up the stairs with one step each. But he did it slowly, looking up at the young woman in the process. "Is that all the words you have for me?" the emperor asked Senjumaru and proceeded taking small steps upwards. "Having heard of that fool Yamamoto's death, I expected you to at least have the courtesy to let me pass. But it seems to me that you members of Squad 0 are ore ignorant than what I expected. Nevertheless, you should know better than to reject my demands, as what I will do actually benefits all of us, even to you Shinigamis" he continued explaining and had reached the top, eventually passing by Senjumaru. "Now if you have nothing else to say, run back to your precious palace while you are still breathing" Yhwach rudely told her and proceeded to move towards the Soul King's Palace.

But Senjumaru was so easy to intimidate. "Insolent fool" Senjumaru said sternly, before a group of Divine Soldiers began charging at the emperor. "You will become nothing but rust on the sword of the Soul King" she added with a quick explanation to Yhwach, who only stood still.

But as the Divine Soldiers charged with their blades, Senjumaru noted that none of the blades were hitting Yhwach, despite them aiming for him. She got only cautious when seeing this, until she could hear a taunting laugh coming from somewhere.

"Who're you calling an insolent fool?" the young voice said, as someone suddenly appeared out of Yhwach's own shadow. It was the long-haired Sternrittter with two tongues in his mouth: Nianzol Weizol. "You're much more insolent compared to us" he said before facing the Divine Soldiers with his lazy expression. "Just look what you see before you. All your attacks just bend and become useless against me. You can't hit His Majesty with that" Nianzol added and faced Senjumaru.

The young woman narrowed her eyes by seeing this. "Another Quincy? Who are you?" she lowly, yet sternly demanded from him.

Nianzol simply glanced at her with a bored expression on his face. "I'm Sternritter W – The Wind: Nianzol Weizol, as well as a member of His Majesty's Schutzstaffel. Other than that, mind your own business" he introduced himself while being rude towards Senjumaru.

"Mind your two tongues, delusional one. I am the Second Officer of Squad 0: Senjumaru Shutara, Divine General of the South. It is unwise to get cocky with me" she simply said without a hint of kindness and then motioned for the Divine Soldiers to act. "Divine Soldiers, eliminate him!" she commanded them.

The Divine Soldiers did as they requested and began launching their blades at Nianzol, who simply stood in his coat and pretended that he wasn't following on the situation. But before the swords could even hit him, they began pointing backwards, as if the tips refused to stab Nianzol. The Sternritter yawned while his tongues were hanging outside.

"You're only wasting your time" Nianzol told the soldiers, who got shocked when he began moving closer to the pointy blades, resulting in them only backing away further. "My Schrift is the letter W – The Wind. All the enemies that I've seen have turned and run away in fear, literally. Nothing hits me, not the water guy, his weapon and even your blades. None of them at all will inflect damage upon me" the long-haired boy added to his explanation.

Senjumaru was now joined by Kirinji, who had been listening to what was being said. "So, that's why I couldn't hit them with my Kinpika. This Quincy acts as an aversion field" Kirinji noted in his thoughts grimly. "I can't believe I stressed my ass off just because of that brat hiding in the shadows" he added, feeling somewhat embarrassed over failing to notice it.

"I see" Senjumaru noted and took a few steps towards Nianzol. "Then I think I have the perfect solution to defeat you" she then said and while Nianzol kept staring at her, what was previously believed to be real pillars soon vanished, as they were only silk pictures covering the real pillars. But out from the cover stood a line of Divine Soldiers, pulling their blades and charging straight at Nianzol. Despite this, the Quincy did nothing to even look at them. "I believe you said all the enemies that you have seen. If so, then you won't be able to turn any of those you have not seen" she then concluded her strategy of defeating Nianzol.

Despite being told about this, Nianzol seemed pretty relaxed. "You know, I get told a lot that I'm not good with words and I never complete my sentences" he said and suddenly began looking backwards over his shoulder, thus bending the blades away from him once again. As hard as the soldiers tried to move, they could not attack Nianzol. "What I meant by enemies I've seen is those whose abilities I've seen. Just because I can't see then doesn't mean they're not enemies" he told everyone around him and began pointing his finger at one of the soldiers' blades. "It doesn't matter where. The moment you come at me, you'll turn away from me" he said and suddenly destroyed the three soldiers by pointing his finger near them, thus cutting them in half. Nianzol took joy in doing this. "Sorry for not being clear enough" he then told Senjumaru.

"Don't worry, everyone has their own bad habits" Senjumaru said, but suddenly narrowed her eyes. "But then again, I don't recall saying that they were the only ones you couldn't see, did I?" she suddenly asked him sternly. Nianzol snapped, as he could see that Senjumaru had a needle in one of her artificial hands, and she stepped towards him. "An enemy is one that is around you, so close that it could touch you without you even realizing it. That robe you are wearing, while you were busy with the soldiers, I took the liberty to make some adjustments on it. And so I did, I remade everything" she then revealed cunningly, with Nianzol noticing that there were four marks on his robe and it caught him by surprise.

"What….no…..no way!" Nianzol uttered out in disbelief.

Senjumaru held the needle in her artificial hand. "What I find unbelievable, is the fact that I myself am a fast worker. People don't call me Senjumaru for nothing" she stated.

Nianzol faced her angrily. "You filthy bitch….." he muttered angrily. "LIKE SOMETHING LIKE THIS WILL STOP ME!" he then spat at her.

"To be able to don a robe from me is an honor. You, a lowly pawn, ought to be thankful and appreciative. And don't you dare think that you would be able to take it off alive" she then said and suddenly held another needle with her artificial arm. "This is the end for you. Puncture…Shinhari!" Senjumaru suddenly activated her Shikai.

The moment she activated her Zanpakutou, Nianzol's robe began piercing through his body, letting blood stream out from all openings. It was obvious that Senjumaru's Zanpakutou had managed to infiltrate his robe thanks to her adjustment. And now, the young Quincy was bleeding, before falling onto the ground in his own pool of blood.

"Oh that's right. We were in the middle of a conversation, weren't we? About bad habits, if I recall" Senjimaru suddenly said with slight humor in her voice. "I always seem to forget to take out those pins when I sew. Quite a bad habit of mine, if you ask me. I do feel very sorry for your own bad habits though" the woman told the dying Quincy while he was lying there in his blood.

But Senjumaru began focusing her attention on Yhwach, and she brought with her more Divine Soldiers to her side. Yhwach had so far only remained unfazed when seeing the battle between her and Nianzol, and it was almost as if he didn't care. Nevertheless, Senjumaru confronted him, along with her troops.

"It looks like we will be able to finally point our blades at you" Senjumaru said while glancing at the long-haired man with moustache.

Yhwach was chuckling within himself, finding Senjumaru to be quite amusing when she believed she could take him on. "Are you certain of that?" he then asked her smugly, before a line of shadow was formed underneath him, summoning more Soldats to his side. "My Soldats are all I need to deal with the Divine Soldiers, but you on the other hand" the long-haired man said and four silhouettes appeared from the shadow, eventually revealing themselves. Senjumaru snapped as more Quincies in hooded coats appeared. "My Schutzstaffel will deal with you" the emperor finally concluded as they stood before him.

These Quincies were Sternritter X – The X-Axis: Lille Barro, Sternritter M – The Miracle: Gerard Valkyrie, Sternritter C – The Compulsory: Pernida Parnkgjas and Sternritter D – The Deathdealing: Askin Nakk Le Vaar. As they (save Pernida) removed their hoods, they assessed what they were up against.

"Well, here we are. What happened to Nian…oh…...oh dear…that's not a sight to behold" Askin was wondering where Nianzol was, until he witnessed his corpse lying in his own blood. The flamboyant man then stroke his hair. "Okay, gotta make myself look good then" he said while facing forwards.

"You got that right!" Gerard said while removing his hooded coat and then putting his shield on the wooden floor. "If you're not gonna make yourself useful, then you can't blame me for cutting you down by accident!" he boastfully exclaimed and pulled out the blade of his called Hoffnung. "These fiends shall taste the wrath of my Hoffnung!" he exclaimed aggressively.

Lille sighed while seeing this. "Listen Gerard, remember what we've talked about rushing off into…" he was too late to explain, as Gerard already flew straight towards Senjumaru, forcing the Captain of the Schutzstaffel to let out a sigh. "Crazy fool" he muttered underneath his breath.

Gerard flew towards Senjumaru, who were using one of her artificial arms to clash with his sword. But as the Quincy with the winged helmet swung his weapon, he cut off the artificial arm, even slashing her in the process.

"Hah! Do you honestly think that you will be able to stop my sword with that thin arm of yours!?" he asked tauntingly.

Senjumaru used Shunpo to dodge Gerard's slash, and then called upon her soldiers. "Divine Soldiers! Soul King Formation! Stop these intruders!" she called out.

Out of the blue, an enormous divine soldier suddenly appeared and landed right behind Senjumaru, fixing its gaze upon the Quincy intruders.

"Wow, that's a huge beast right there…." Gerard remarked with admiration of the giant soldier. He then turned around to face his comrades. "What do you guys think?" the blonde-haired man asked them while pointing his thumb at the giant soldier.

Askin only glanced at him dumbfounded. "Is he serious right now?" he wondered, not getting what Gerard was so excited about. He could suddenly notice Pernida taking a few steps forward.

Lille only scoffed at Gerard's question. "So what if it's huge? It doesn't matter a rat's ass to us" he simply replied before motioning for Pernida come forward by nodding his head at him.

Senjumaru could not help but to overhear the conversation between the Schutzstaffel. "What did you just say?" she sternly asked the black-skinned man.

Lille stared at her with an unfazed glance as Pernida was gazing upon the giant solider. "So what if it's huge? That's what I said, fool" he told her with rudeness in return.

But the giant soldier's body suddenly began compress itself and its bones shattered so easily. Senjumaru was caught completely by surprise when she saw how the soldier was compressed into a round ball. This was Pernida's doing, as the hooded individual kept gazing upon the soldier.

While she was shocked, Lille removed his hooded coat, eventually revealing his Reishi rifle. "Could it be that you for a second thought that you had the upper hand in this battle? It's too late for that now. It's just the same thing with losers in a battle. They understand things too slowly and react too slowly at the same time" the black-skinned man explained, before aiming his rifle at the Shinigami. "You should've already known that the Royal Realm fell the moment His Majesty stepped into this place!" he declared and fired his Reishi rifle, putting a giant hole in Senjumaru's own head.

The proud member of the Royal Guard had her head opened, and her entire body fell onto the wooden floor. Lille only looked unfazed as his target lied dead on the floor, her entire body completely motionless. A pool of blood was formed from her opened head.

"You idiot!" Lille snapped and looked over his shoulder to see Gerard pointing his finger at him. "Why did you kill her there!? It's on His Majesty's path! Hurry and clean up the mess!" the blonde-haired man angrily demanded.

The black-skinned man sighed in annoyance. "Will you calm the fuck down? And besides, I'm the Captain of the Schutzstaffel, so I give the orders around here, got it!?" Lille berated Gerard before facing Pernida. "Pernida, help me with cleaning up this piece of shit" he then requested his assistance.

Pernida gazed on Senjumaru's body, and it began compressing itself, until it was round as a ball covered in blood. It rolled over, while the Schutzstaffel each commented about her.

"What a letdown. I can't believe she's in the Royal Guard" Gerard commented with disgust about Senjumaru.

"You think that's bad?" Askin asked while raising an eyebrow. "I can't believe that Nianzol lost to her. I mean, he has only been walking with those restraints hanging around him" the flamboyant Quincy remarked while glancing at Nianzol's corpse.

Meanwhile, Lille was fixing his only eye upon the five floating cities that existed in the Royal Realm, circling around the Soul King's Palace. "Was there anyone that didn't die right away against us?" he asked while aiming his rifle at each city. His comrades watched as each of the floating cities got shot down, one by one. The moment Lille's shot pierced through them, the platforms collapsed and fell down. "There, that should take care of anyone who stands in our way. We have secured the Royal Realm" Lille said in conclusion.

"Well…that was easy" Askin remarked dumbfounded. "And I had expected this to be more challenging" he admitted.

Lille kneeled before Yhwach, who had both Haschwalth and Uryu at his side. "The way is clear, Your Majesty. You may pass" he said in respect towards his liege.

But for some reason, Yhwach was feeling very suspicious about this and he eyed both ways and everything around. He then faced the blonde-haired man. "Do you sense it, Haschwalth?" he asked him.

The blonde-haired man nodded his head in return. "I do, Your Majesty. Something doesn't feel right. I sense trickery in the air" Haschwalth noted lowly.

Before everyone knew it, the landscape around the entire group began changing and it was done with the help with silks in picture. It completely erased the scene of the falling cities.

"What is this!? The landscape of the place is changing!" Lille noted while looking around with unease. "What the hell's going on!? Where are we!?" he asked in outrage, as he could see that there were trees standing in this landscape.

But he and the other Sternritters were in for a surprise, as Senjumaru suddenly stood there, her wounds completely vanished. But was that even the case? "This is merely a fake Royal Realm created to welcome you" the stern woman explained as the group listened. "The real one is right here…hidden by the Monk Who Calls the Real Name: Ichibe Hyosube" she then revealed to them smugly, as a written seal could be spotted in the sky. The seal vanished and the REAL Royal Realm was shown, including the Soul King's Palace.

Sitting at the edge of the way was Ichibe Hyosube, who simply sat while gazing upon the invaders that had arrived. He then faced Senjumaru with his usual friendly smile.

"Oh, is it time already?" Ichibe asked her. But Lille had taken notice of him speaking and was about to launch his rifle at the monk. "Well that means the Cage of Life is completed!" he exclaimed with a smile.

As Lille fired his rifle, a tree suddenly rose before him, thereby taking the shot. However, the tree did not receive a hole from it, thus shocking Lille. "What!?" he wondered in disbelief.

Sitting on one of the branches was Kirio Hikifune, who was feeling happy when seeing the trees growing taller by the minute. "Yes, I did it. It is finally complete! It's been a long time since I did such a big confinement. It sure was a hurdle" she exclaimed in her jolly-good mood.

The trees were trapping the group in a cage, considering that they even formed a blockade above them. The Sternritters did not know what to do with this.

"So…what do we do now?" Askin asked his comrades as he looked around for a solution. "Any of you got ideas?" he then asked them once again.

"Shut up, Nakk Le Vaar!" Gerard said in return, not caring about what Askin just said. The blonde-haired man with winged helmet was also figuring out how to get out. "What an eerie trick" he noted cautiously.

Lille was trying to fire on the trees once again, and he even did that three times, and with different aims. But it was no use. "Damn! Even if I hit the same spot, it doesn't break. And every time I try hitting the spaces, the branches get in the way" he remarked with irritation when seeing this.

Gerard simply laughed when seeing Lille striving with his shooting. "Hah, and you claim you can shoot through anything? What a disgrace you are, Lille!" the blonde-haired man mocked his comrade

But the one-eyed man simply ignored Gerard's insult. "Arrogant asshole" he muttered in his head, before he was interrupted by Kirio speaking.

"Actually, those shots are going through the trees" the Sternritters turned around to see the chubby woman sitting on a branch while facing down to them. "Handling food is the same as handling life. I cook to create life and I produce the ingredients inside me!" she revealed to them while demonstrating something with her left hand. "This tree bore fruit after receiving the Spiritual Pressure of me: Kirio Hikifune, Third Officer of Squad 0 and Divine General of the North" she introduced herself and faced Lille specifically. "Your bullets are made of highly concentrated Reishi. The tree of life would never miss something that yummy. Even if you pierce it, it grows faster" Kirio went on explaining.

Lille got angered over hearing this explanation and all members of the Schutzstaffel knew that there had to be a way out somehow. But Kirio could read their expressions and looked at them dismissively.

"All of you can go wild as much as you want, but you'll never be able to escape my Cage of Life" she then told them.

"Foul woman! You will regret casting this witchcraft upon us!" Gerard declared while pointing his finger at her, much to Kirio's own amusement.

Haschwalth was not amused by what had happened around them. "What nuisances these people really are" the blonde-haired man noted with distaste in his voice. He then faced his superior. "What is our next move, Your Majesty?" Haschwalth asked Yhwach with respect.

"Have patience, Haschwalth. We will let the Schutzstaffel do the honor of eliminating these incompetent fools" Yhwach answered him plainly in return, before his own eyes pierced through the trees, trying to get a look at the Soul King's Palace, as well as Ichibe sitting and waiting. "However, I will deal with the monk personally" he then revealed, even forming a slight smirk in the process.

Haschwalth nodded his head in respect. "As you command" he said in return.

But suddenly a sound could be heard and the Schutzstaffel were treated to the way of someone who had landed before them with a sword inside the beholder. It was Otetsu Nimaiya, and he wanted to impress his enemies.

"I'm the number 1 Zanpakutou creator, also known as the Fourth Officer of Squad 0 and the Divine General of the West, oh yeah!" Nimaiya began stating his titles while the Schutzstaffel only stood and looked at him dumbfounded. He began a countdown from 10 to 3. "Oh-tetsu Nimaya, the God of Zanpakutou!" he then added, thus ending his own introduction.

There was only silence amongst the four Sternritters, until Askin spoke up of course. "What the hell did I just watch?" he asked out of the blue.

"I really have no idea" Gerard simply responded in return, this time being more gentle to Askin than usual.

"Man, fuck this Royal Guard-bullshit!" Lille expressed his irritation and glared at Otetsu while aiming his rifle at him. "Hey! Unless you have a death wish or something, how about you just stand still and let us kill you? Then, we'll be dealing with less pests on our conquest" he then suggested to Nimayia, who had just picked up his sword and was now flashing it.

"Sorry, but I can't allow slow fry like you to pass" the Shinigami said, before swinging his blade and facing his opponents with serious eyes, that could be seen through his sunglasses. "Now shut up and come at me all together. I'll take all of you bitches down, one by one. All of you better prepare yourselves, cause the fight of Squad 0 starts here" Nimaiya then taunted his enemies.

* * *

 _In the icy cityscape, Sereitei, Soul Society_

The battle in the icy cityscape between the 13 Court Guard Squads and the Sternritters continued, with both sides doing what they could to win the chaotic battle. The fight between the two lieutenants: Renji Abarai and Rukia Kuchiki and the two Sternritters: Bazz-B and NaNaNa Najakhoop was no exception. NaNaNa had of course survived being frozen by Rukia, as he was even more endurable than what he looked like. The black-skinned Quincy also sought to weaken the young woman's Spiritual Pressure by using his Schrift. However, the destructive fight between Bazz-B and Renji had also forced them to avoid each other sometimes.

Renji was currently in his Bankai form, and realized how strong these two Sternritters actually were. "Damn! These Sternritters sure are persistent!" he noted in his thoughts while running through the rubbles. "If only I could find a way to…." The red-haired man's thoughts were interrupted by a loud voice.

"BURNING FULL FINGERS!" Bazz-B yelled as he was shooting fire with all five fingers. This fire spiraled into a vortex and it headed straight for the lieutenant.

Renji immediately used Hihiou as a cover, but found out that it was not enough, as he was forced into a wall by Bazz-B's attack. "FUCK!" he cursed in anger over being in this situation.

Bazz-B grinned over seeing this. "HAH, HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT, ASSWIPE!?" he taunted while finding pleasure in doing this. Renji was still trying to shield himself from the attack, but it was almost no use.

"BANKAI!" an angry voice came from Rukia, and a pillar of ice was brought thanks to her activating her Bankai. "HAKKA NO TOGAME!" Rukia added while her entire appearance changed.

Bazz-B was blown away by the aftershock, and once he got up, his eyes widened and whistled in admiration of what he was seeing. "Wow…...that's one hell of an outfit" he noted lowly, admitting that the appearance was intriguing.

Renji was surprised as well, and gazed upon how beautiful Rukia actually was in her Bankai-form. "So this is it! Rukia's Bankai. Holy hell! Her Bankai puts Captain Hitsugaya's to shame" the red-haired man noted in his thoughts, watching as Rukia began taking slow steps towards Bazz-B, who had so far not frozen.

Rukia only glanced at the Sternritter with her stern eyes. "Turn and run away, Quincy. Anything that is near me gets frozen instantly. I am telling you this for your own good" she lowly and seriously told Bazz-B, as the rubbles she passed by began freezing into ice.

While the man with the Mohawk was stunned about seeing the form at first, he simply shrugged off his fears and suddenly pulled our his Reishi crossbow, aiming it at Rukia. "Sorry lady, but I don't need your help to make me chill. But hey, maybe I can help you with warming your cold heart" Bazz-B suggested and fired an arrow. But as the arrow neared Rukia, it simply froze before it hit her, eventually falling in the ground before the young woman. This caused Bazz-B to frown and he even noticed how cold it was getting around the area. "Shit…..this chick's really determined on freezing me. I better find a way to…" Bazz-B's thoughts were interrupted when he spotted something happening on Rukia.

A pattern had been created around the young woman, and she eventually fell down on her stomach, considering that all parts of her body were under attack. "No…..what's happening!?" she asked in distress.

Bazz-B only shrugged his shoulders and faced the one who had done this, as it was NaNaNa. "Thanks…..but I really didn't need your help" he said with sarcasm in his voice.

"Man, you suck! Show some mothafuckin' appreciation for once, dawg!" the lean Sternritter said to his comrade. NaNaNa then focused his attention on Rukia. "Now as for you, flat-chested hoe, sit yo ass down. I'm about to make you mah bitch!" he then exclaimed to her.

Rukia only looked over her shoulder in anger, while feeling her entire body becoming paralyzed and numb. "You sanctimonious, disgusting…..pig!" she spat at him, only for NaNaNa to put more pressure on the black-haired woman, much to her own agony.

NaNaNa simply grinned with his black and white teeth. "Ain't wise of you to keep badmouthin' me, you hoe! I own all of you as of now" he then went on disciplining her.

Renji's eyes widened in surprise when he saw NaNaNa scheming with his technique. The man with ponytail gritted his teeth. "That son of a bitch! He'll pay for this!" he yelled and ran straight towards his target, only for a Heilig Pfiel to narrowly miss his cheek, thus leaving a cut mark. It was Bazz-B, who had fired his Reishi crossbow with a smirk.

"Hey, hey, hey! You think I'm just gonna letting you go off so easily!?" the punkish Quincy taunted him. "I almost had you there hadn't it been for that frozen chick interfering! Shall we go another round?" he then challenged Renji.

The Lieutenant of Squad 6 simply shrugged his shoulders and forced a cocky smirk in return. "As you wish. But I'll take my chances, chicken head!" he said, once again making fun of Bazz-B's Mohawk and it got him pissed off for real.

Bazz-B got furious once again and aimed five fingers at the Shinigami. "I'M GONNA BURN THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF YOU, COCKSUCKER!" he yelled in anger and was about to launch his attack, only for him to stop when he felt something unusual. In fact, the punkish Quincy began looking up to the skies, and even NaNaNa, did that as well, as the lean man stopped torturing Rukia for a minute.

But they were not the only Sternritters who were behaving like this. Even now, Robert Accutrone had used his ability to appear on the top of a rubble, and the elderly man was facing up towards the cloudy skies that were currently raining on him. Apparently, he knew what was happening above the Sereitei and what their liege had in store for those who were downstairs.

"No…...it cannot be…" Robert uttered out words lowly while facing the skies with fear and shock. "Have mercy on us…..my liege….." he added to his statement in a pleading way.

While he was standing there, he was eventually approached by Liltotto Lamperd, who was confused by her comrade's behavior. She had also heard the words he had said.

"Hey Accutrone, what's the big deal?" the young girl asked him with little pleasantries in her voice. "We're supposed to be eliminating the enemy army" she then added to her question.

After gazing up to the rainy skies for a brief moment, the four-eyed man fixed his shocked eyes upon the young Sternritter. "Have you begun noticing that His Majesty has left the Sereitei?" he asked her warily.

"Duh! Of course, I know! What does that matter to us?" Liltotto asked as if it was not that big of a deal.

Robert was still feeling a hint of worry inside of himself. "He has left us behind, and none of us has been asked to accompany him as his Schutzstaffel to the Royal Realm" he then pointed out to her.

Liltotto remained unimpressed. "So what? We'll just kill the enemy and wait for him to back" she told him while scoffing at his words.

Robert slowly began to show more of his uneasiness and Liltotto was wondering if he had become paranoid or something. But that was not really the case. He only got slightly more distressed by Liltotto's attitude.

"Don't you get it…" Robert spoke up lowly, before he angrily grabbed both of Liltotto's shoulders and moved down to her level. "DON'T YOU GET IT!? THIS IS THE END FOR US!" he yelled out in anger and fear at the same time, forcing Liltotto to actually take his words for real this time. "WE HAVE BEEN DEEMED USELESS FOR THE UPCOMING BATTLES!" he added to his words.

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Liltotto asked while removing himself from Robert's grip.

Robert only facepalmed in sadness. "Newcomers like you know nothing about the horrors His Majesty are capable of performing!" he said before facing Liltotto once again. "The Sternritters was formed for His Majesty! We existed for his sake only! He hated lies, so I am not telling you anyone of those when I say that we Sternritters were formed for his sake. All Sternritters that are deemed useless will be….CUT DOWN BY HIS MAJESTY'S AUSWÄHLEN!" he said in fear and could suddenly feel something struck above him.

Liltotto watched with shock, as light struck down on Robert, the elderly man doing nothing to move. As soon as the light vanished, nothing but a skeleton in a Wandenreich-outfit remained of what was once Sternritter N – The Narrower: Robert Accutrone.

Liltotto was not the only ones that had been witnessing Robert's death, as the other Shinigamis and Sternritters were watching this with horrified looks.

"What the hell…that guy just got…." Shinji noted as he saw Robert's skeleton fall amongst the rubble.

Byakuya was facing up at where the light had come from. He also got a closer look at the skeleton of his adversary. "That man was taking all his life away from him" the long-haired man noted in his head while he could not help but to pity the deceased Sternritter. "Despite committing many serious acts of evil, I cannot help but to feel sorry for him. He fought well, and never deserved a fate such as this" Byakuya added to his thoughts.

But as the Sternritters were watching, a voice soon invaded their thoughts and it came from none other than Yhwach himself. Each of them stood and listened with shocked realizations. "Attention to all of the Sternritters fighting in the Sereitei. As all of you may know, we are all comrades and are on the same page in all battles. And as comrades, we are supposed to help one another whenever one of us are in danger. Right now, my Schutzstaffel is in dire need of your assistance and you shall all help them, by giving them your sources of power and life to them! That is an absolute order! So prepare for my Auswählen!" Yhwach's voice commanded the Sternritters' thoughts, as they each had angry reactions to this.

But as soon as they head heard the announcements, the Sternritters abandoned their current opponents and ran for the nearest hiding place as quickly as possible, not wanting to get killed by Yhwach's Auswählen.

Giselle Gewelle found cover beneath a pile of boulders, in which she had kept the zombified Bambietta Basterbine. She quickly hid while standing on the top of the zombie. She was soon joined by her fellow female members of the Sternritters, who had all used their wings to reach this place. But Meninas McAllon needed to shrink her muscular size and it took some time before she got inside. But as the lights appeared once again, she entered in the nick of time. The light hit right outside the entrance and they noticed something.

"Damn it, my wings!" Liltotto exclaimed while seeing her shark-tooth wings disappear.

Candice Catnipp also felt the same with her own wings, as did her comrades. "So our powers are taken away…...even if we stay away from the light!" the blonde-haired girl noted with distress in her voice.

"What the hell is happening here!?" Liltotto asked out in anger before looking up to face the skies. "WHAT WERE WE TO YOU!?" she asked out in anger.

While they were hiding there, Bazz-B and NaNaNa had also begun finding a way to avoid the lights, and they narrowly managed to avoid them. But still, they could feel their powers being taken away, as the two Sternritters were practically forced to the ground, almost being dragged by not even being near the light.

"DAYUM! MAH POWERS!" NaNaNa yelled out in shock while facing up to the skies. "WHY ARE YOU DOIN' THIS TO US!?" he then asked out in anger as well.

Both Renji and Rukai had been watching the event taking place with shocked eyes. "What's happening!?" Renji demanded an answer from both Sternritters, as they were standing near them.

Bazz-B only looked up at both Shinigami lieutenants with anger. "That's what we would like to know!" he said before facing the skies with outrage. "YOU FINALLY SHOW US YOUR TRUE COLORS, YHWACH! WELL THAT'S NO NEWS TO MEEEEEEE!" he yelled up to the rainy clouds.

Back underneath the boulders, the female Sternritters were all fearing for their own continued existence when seeing that their leader had abandoned them. Giselle continued to hug Bambietta tightly, not wishing to die. Meninas had also showed her fears for her life as well and hid behind Candice and Liltotto, who had their eyes fixed upon this chaotic field.

"I don't wanna die here!" Meninas and Giselle expressed their own fears together while clinging to themselves

"Just get a grip, girls! None of us are gonna die here!" Liltotto told them. "NOT IN A PLACE LIKE THIS!" she then declared loudly.

But she was not the only one to have said that statement out of anger and determination. Bazz-B was having similar thoughts as he and NaNaNa had their powers taken away from them. However, only NaNaNa seemed to be more afraid of dying than the man with the Mohawk.

"IT'S GAME OVER, BRUH!" NaNaNa yelled out in fear while seeing the light. "WE AIN'T GANNA MAKE THROUGH THIS!" he added to his words.

But Bazz-B was not so willing to give up. "Quit telling me this bullshit, NaNaNa! I'm not gonna give up so easily!" he said to his comrade and faced the skies with determination and anger. "THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL THAT I'M GONNA DIE IN A PLACE LIKE THIS!" he then yelled angrily, signaling his determination.

While the Auswählen was still ongoing, the many Shinigamis had taken notice of the lights and that they were coming from above, which they realized that Yhwach was currently in the Royal Realm. Even now, Head-Captain Shunsui Kyoraku had taken notice of the scene, as he was watching it from the transformed Squad 1 Barracks, with both his lieutenants at his side.

"Well, this is quite a scene we're looking at" Shunsui noted to his subordinates while adjusting his hat. "I think it's time for us to make our move, Nanao, Okikiba. The enemy leader is already in the Royal Realm as we speak" he noted warily while facing the transformed landscape.

Nanao snapped when he was hearing what her superior was suggesting. "Hold on, captain. Are you saying we should follow Urahara's suggestion?" she asked him.

"That's right. And I'll leave him in charge of gathering up all the captains and lieutenants at the base" Shunsui told her before he began walking away, with both lieutenants following him. "But first, I gotta get out and assess the current damages the Sereitei has received in wake of this invasion. Then we can continue with Urahara's plan. But I first have something that I need to take care of" the head-captain told them as they listened closely, wondering what their captain had in store for all the Shinigamis.

"But Captain Kyoraku" Nanao interrupted Shunsui and he turned around to face her. "Why is there a need for us to head to the Royal Realm? Isn't it the Royal Guard's responsibility with protecting the Soul King's Palace?" she then began asking him, wanting an honest answer from her superior.

Hearing this only caused Shunsui to chuckle lightly in return. "Now, now, Lil' Nanao. I did tell you all during the captain summit that we of the 13 Court Guard Squads would take matters into our own hands" the pink-clad Shinigami said and proceeded to move on, with his lieutenants tagging behind. "And besides, they may think that they're such hotshots, but I know that stopping the enemy is something only the Court Guard and the Royal Guard and do united, which is why we're going up there" the man with the eyepatch added while keeping up with his pace.

* * *

 _Up in the Royal Realm, high above the Sereitei_

The members of the Royal Guard were in shock over seeing what Yhwach had just performed, as they had first expected him to make his move to attack them. But instead of launching an attack, the emperor was rather concentrating on bringing his Schutzstaffel back to life. And I was just before Nimaiya thought he had easily disposed of them all

Resurrection. That was the thing Nimaiya and the others could see as all five members (Lille, Gerard, Pernida, Askin and Nianzol) rose up from the wooden floor, while having the wings of angels sprouted out from their backs.

"No…how can this…...be!?" Senjumaru asked as she was filled with uneasiness in her voice.

"That bastard!" Kirinji noted angrily inside his head. "He was trapped inside the Cage of Life! How in the hell was he able to simply…...revive his fallen men!?" he added to his thoughts.

But the members of the Royal Guard were not the only ones who were awed by seeing this. Even Uryu widened his eyes when he saw Yhwach revive his fallen Schutzstaffel by merely using his Auswählen. "I…..I never believed such powers even existed!" the raven-haired man remarked in his thoughts, as he was indeed surprised that the emperor was capable of such.

But while Nimaiya and the others had been shocked by seeing the resurrections, they failed to notice how Lille was quickly to fire his Reishi rifle and blow off Nimaiya's left shoulder, until his arm was nearly loose. However, he was bleeding seriously.

"What the hell just happened?" Nimaiya noted while he was on the verge of collapsing, although he could still stand.

Haschwalth suddenly stepped forward and glanced at the Shinigami, while making sure the rest of the Royal Guard listened to this as well. "Auswählen. The power of useless Quincies is collected and distributed who need it. It's a redistribution of power" the blonde-haired man told them while fixing his eyes upon the revived Sternritters. "The ones whose powers are taken away from, dies. And the ones who are given those powers are reborn stronger than before. It's one of the many powers of His Majesty. He is not moving around Reishi, but power. Not even the tree of life that blocks Reishi can stop it" Haschwalth concluded his explanation.

Nimaiya was surprisingly smiling so smugly, despite his serious injury on his left shoulder. "I see…..a new power, eh?" he asked with slight amusement in his voice before facing Lille. "I guess that explains why the bullet of yours that didn't work before…..just managed to put a hole through my shoulder" he then remarked with amusement, although it sounded more like sarcasm.

Lille only narrowed his only eye in displeasure. "There are two misconceptions in your statement. First of all, this is not a "new power". It's my real power, the one I didn't have the chance to use before you interrupted me" the Captain of the Schutzstaffel explained before aiming his Reishi rifle at Nimaiya once again. "And second of all, what went through your body…isn't a bullet" Lille revealed before he fired his weapon towards Nimaiya.

In desperation, both Kirinji and Kirio rushed to their comrade's side, trying to block Lille's shot with their Zanpakutous. However, the two Shinigamis were shocked to see that they had received holes in their weapons, meaning that the shot had pierced through them, eventually hitting Nimaiya in the middle of his chest.

"That's why you can't stop it, no matter how many walls you use" Lille said while moving his rifle to aim once again. "The name of my Schrift is the letter X – The X-Axis. There are no bullets coming out of my Diagramm. It just pierces anything that is between the muzzle and the target. Now that I've explained you all this, could you do me a favor and line up in a row? I'll just kill you all with only one shot" the black-skinned man then said to them.

"Not so fast, Lille!" the brash voice came from Gerard who suddenly began banging his Spirit Weapon on his shield, while a hint of delight could be read upon his face. "You may be the captain, but you can't have all these people to yourself!" the blonde-haired man exclaimed, taunting his comrade in the process.

Lille only narrowed his only eye at the man with the winged helmet on his head. "Quit fooling around, you jackass! We're not gonna have any stupid forms for competition while we're here!" he snapped at him.

"Don't tell me you have forgotten about me" Askin said as he simply approached his comrade with his hands in his pockets. "There are only three of them left, so we can split them between us. How's that?" he then asked both Gerard and Lille, who seemed to be less than enthusiastic about him suggesting something like that. Askin simply sighed and stretched out his arms in disbelief. "Come on! Don't be so sanctimonious with me! We're comrades, aren't we?" he then asked them.

"Hold it!" Nianzol suddenly spoke up and faced his comrades in a vengeful mood. "All of you can have the water guy and the fat lady to yourselves…that filthy armless bitch over there…...is MINE!" he suddenly said while angrily pointing a finger at Senjumaru, who was nothing but appalled by seeing that Nianzol was brought back to life.

Both Gerard and Askin only laughed by hearing his statement, much to the long-haired boy's anger and irritation. "You mean you want that weakling? You couldn't even handle her alone before we came!" the blonde-haired man pointed out to Nianzol, still laughing out loudly.

"Enough!" Lille's voice snapped and it ceased all foolishness and bickering. The Captain of the Schtzstaffel faced his comrades with nothing but irritation. "Apparently, you fools seem to have forgotten something. There is still one member of the Royal Guard sitting outside the Cage of Life, but we will not deal with him" he told them before he faced Pernida and nodded his head at him.

Pernida suddenly walked towards the trees of life and he simply gazed upon them. As the hooded individual, did that, the trees were bent over, almost on the verge of being destroyed. This surprised the members of the Royal Guard, while Yhwach formed a smug smile while seeing this.

"Excellent work, Pernida!" the long-haired man boasted and took off flying through the opening Pernida had created. "Have fun dealing with those vermin, my children. I have a monk to face against!" the emperor told them while escaping the Cage of Life.

"NO! COME BACK HERE, YOU…" Kirinji was held back by Kirio, who glanced at him in a surprisingly firm way. She then looked at him, and the man with the weird hairstyle knew what she meant by that. "You're right. Let's make our stand here!" he said to the chubby woman and they decided to face their opponents.

On the path leading to the Soul King's Palace, Ichibe Hyosube had been sitting patiently and waited for the fight to end, until he could see some of trees being broken. The black-bearded man was caught by surprise when he could see who was escaping from the Cage of Life and was currently floating before him.

"Well then" Yhwach said while glancing down upon the monk, who lifted his head up to face him. "Will you be so kind and let me pass, Ichibe Hyosube?" the emperor requested him in a gentle manner.

But Ichibe only scoffed at his words and rose up to stand on his feet. "Don't call my name so easily" he said and pulled out his Zanpakutou, which was in the form of a brush with black ink on the tip. "Your throat might get crushed" he then added in a surprisingly intimidating way, although Yhwach only faced him unfazed.

However, the emperor could feel Ichibe's Spiritual Pressure and it was powerful indeed. In fact, it was equal to that of Yamamoto himself. Yet despite feeling this, Yhwach had no fear. In fact, he began chuckling slightly after hearing what the monk had just told him.

Ichibe only raised an eyebrow. "What do you find so amusing?" he asked, not getting Yhwach's behavior.

"It's just that…..I can sense the enormous amounts of power that dwells within you. Ah yes, I fell it. Your strength and power now surpasses even that of Yamamoto! You really have improved since the last time we met" Yhwach remarked, commending Ichibe all of a sudden. The emperor then pointed a finger at him. "Which is one of the many reasons why you are listed among the 5 Special War Potentials, instead of that weak-minded fool Yamamoto. You would have been a terrific head-captain" the emperor suddenly revealed to him.

Despite hearing all this, Ichibe's expression remained unchanged, as he was someone not so easy to provoke with words. But he did in fact think about it before speaking up. "Is that so? I don't know whether I should be impressed or disgusted when I hear this coming from you" Ichibe admitted to the Quincy. "Nevertheless, my duties from now on remains at the side of the Soul King and it alone. And you know as well as I do that I would never do something as rash as to become your ally" he then went on explaining.

Yhwach only narrowed his eyes at the monk. "How unfortunate to hear. I had expected someone like you to be less delusional with regard to how this world truly works. But maybe you have not surpassed Yamamoto" the black-haired man with moustache then expressed his opinions.

Suddenly, Ichibe's formerly friendly eyes began narrowing, indicating that he grew slightly tired of hearing Yhwach's words. "You know something, old friend. I grow tired of you constantly comparing me to Yamamoto. And The reason I say this is simple" he said and suddenly lifted his Zanpakutou up before slamming it on the wooden floor, soon beginning to paint a black line before himself. The monk was still glancing at Yhwach with dispassion. "While I may be as vigilant as he was, there is at least one thing that separates me from Yamamoto" Ichibe said and held his brush, eventually releasing his own Spiritual Pressure in which color was black. Even know, there was a sign of growing rage and anger inside the monk and even Yhwach could feel it. "Unlike Yamamoto, I won't go soft on you as he did! And whenever I face an opponent: I will show….NO MERCY! NOT EVEN TO A SPOILED PRINCE LIKE YOU!" he suddenly exclaimed out in anger.

Yhwach only grinned in return when seeing this and he had even unleashed his own Spiritual Pressure. The Emperor of the Wandenreich was feeling so much satisfaction over this upcoming fight with Ichibe. "Yes…this is a fight….A TRUE FIGHT!" Yhwach exclaimed out of madness.

Inside the Cage of Life, the remaining members of the Royal Guard had taken notice of Ichibe unleashing his Spiritual Pressure. They all felt like they could put their faith in him, as Ichibe was the de facto leader of the Royal Guard.

Kirio suddenly stepped forward and held her Zanpakutou, which was that of a large wooden spoon. Surprisingly, the chubby woman was now intending on using challenging the Schutzstaffel. "Very well, it seems that we will have to take drastic measures with regards to this fight" she said and suddenly pointed her spoon at the five Sternritters.

Gerard only smiled cockily at her. "Fool! Do you suppose that you can attack us with that thing!? It's already half-broken!" he berated her while laughing out loud.

The chubby woman only fixed a frown with her mouth and then opened her eyes. "Actually, this is more than just a "thing". It is also my Zanpakutou" she then told him, but suddenly fixed a mysterious smile on her face. "But while it may look like it, it's actually not half-broken!" she sternly added to her statement.

"Schutzstaffel" the five members turned around to face Haschwalth, as he and Uryu stood far behind them. "Stop wasting time with these simpletons. You were brought back to life to crush them! Do it now!" the blonde-haired man was getting tired of what he was seeing.

Lille only glared at the blonde-haired man with irritation. "I give the orders here, Haschwalth! Mind your own damn business!" he snapped at him. The blonde-haired man was about to walk over to discipline him, until he and the others could hear Kirio's voice.

"Nourish….Otsubu!" Kirio activated her own Shikai and the wooden spoon's edge began transforming itself into the blades of an axe. It was intriguing to see how wood soon transformed itself into steel. Kirio lifted her Zanpakutou up and suddenly slammed its butt on the wooden floor. "And now to activate the Cage of Life: Stage 2!" the chubby woman declared and something happened to the trees that acted as bars.

All the trees began coming together and they made a wall and a ceiling, thus trapping everyone inside, including the group of Quincies. Everyone was stunned to see this and they did not know what to do.

"What the hell!?" Askin asked, as it suddenly became dark inside this cage.

"Another eerie trick!" Gerard remarked warily while seeing this.

A small tint of light could be seen from a little hole on the top of the ceiling. However, it was apparent that they had now been trapped inside with the Royal Guard and that there was no way out. The only solution to this problem: eliminating the remaining members of the Royal Guard.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Author's note: Now that was a good chapter! We got to see how Yhwach began his confrontation with the Royal Guard in another way. I also introduced you to the Schutzstaffel and Nianzol is included. Why someone as lazy as him was recruited, you will know in the next chapter. We also saw how the Auswählen affected the Sternritters in the Sereitei. And don't worry, I have no intentions of writing them off as dead. They will play a key part with the Shinigamis plan to invade the Royal Realm. And by the way, since Kubo did not show us the Zanpakutous of Senjumaru and Kirio, I have decided to give them that. The name of their Shikais are Shinari and Otsubu respectively.**

 **Shinhari – These words have both the Japanese words for death and needle respectively It's release command is Puncture.**

 **Otsubu – This means large grain in Japanese. It's release command is Nourish.**


	24. The Royal Rumble

**Author's note: This chapter will tell us the fight between the Schutzstaffel and the Royal Guard and how it went. And of course, it's my story. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 24: The Royal Rumble**

 _In the Royal Realm, high above the Sereitei_

Kirio Hikifune had with the help of her Zanpakutou named Otsubu, managed to trap the enemy invaders insider her Cage of Life. This new cage however, almost functioned as a large jar made of wood. It was almost dark inside, although a tiny tint of light could be seen on the ceiling. But nevertheless, the group if Quincies were now trapped inside this cage, or could it even be considered as such anymore. The Quincies lit the place up, as Jugram Haschwalth was holding a white lantern that was filled with blue light. And it was all thanks to Reishi that it glowed so bright in the darkness.

"This Laterne should help us see clearly in the dark" the blonde-haired man told those around him.

"What is our next move?" Uryu suddenly asked the blonde-haired man, who simply glanced at him with his stern eyes. But Uryu was still tough enough to look him in the eye.

"Because of little information we were given to by the Daten, we will have to deal with these fools without even knowing what else they're capable of" Haschwalth explained to him, without any sort of emotion.

Uryu adjusted his glasses and even held out his Heilig Bogen. "Shall I assist the Schutzstaffel?" he asked the blonde-haired man, who continued to frown upon him.

"No. Your duty is to stand by His Majesty's side and protect him" Haschwalth told him and began facing the five Sternritters that stood before them. "And besides, His Majesty had ordered that the Schutzstaffel deal with the Royal Guard, yet they do not take this seriously enough" the blonde-haired man then went on scolding the five Sternritters.

Askin only rolled his eyes. "Gee, you really don't have to be so mean" the flamboyant man said in return while scratching behind his neck. "God, I'm beginning to have second thoughts about joining this circus" he admitted in his thoughts.

"We're on the job, that we are" the voice came from Lille, as he glanced at Haschwalth with a defiant expression on his face. "His Majesty handpicked me to be the Schutzstaffel's captain. I sure as hell won't let him down!" he then insisted to the blonde-haired man.

Haschwalth narrowed his blue eyes. "Then stop acting like a know-it-all and get your…" before he could continue the lecturing, someone had already stepped in between him and Lille. It was Uryu, who was facing them both with a stern glance.

"Just what are you two doing?" the four-eyed man asked while adjusting his glasses. "His Majesty has placed all of us in charge of dealing with those Shinigamis, yet you continue to bicker and point fingers at each other, rather than concentrating on the job ahead" Uryu told them, and suddenly began facing Haschwalth with a stern glance of his own. "I had expected you to at least have some common sense, considering that you are the Sternritter Grandmaster. But perhaps that's not really the case" he then went on expressing his own views of the blonde-haired man.

Haschwalth simply narrowed his eyes when hearing this. "You do not judge me based upon disciplining, Uryu Ishida" he sternly told the four-eyed man. "As the Crown Prince, you should not speak less and listen more" he then added with little pleasantries in his voice.

"Do not be so harsh on him!" Gerard suddenly spoke up and fixed a smile at Uryu. "This newcomer here has some truth in his words. I like him" the man with the winged helmet expressed his admiration for Uryu's words.

"I also feel the same way" Askin remarked while facing Uryu in a smug manner. "His Majesty may have been wise to pick you as his successor" the flamboyant man added, starting to find some trust in Uryu.

Uryu smiled at them and nodded his head in appreciation for their words. But the group of Quincies suddenly turned around and began focusing on their opponents that had begun revealing themselves on the other side, all thanks to Tenjiro Kirinji and his Zanpakutou: Kinpika. Light shined from his blade. Kirio Hikifune stood in the middle only this time, she looked much more thin and voluptuous in her appearance. This was her other form, as Kirio was known to change appearances.

"I call the second stage of the Cage of Life the Jar of Life" Kirio told them with a surprisingly gentle voice. "These walls of wood are much harder to break through, as they have been empowered thanks to me releasing my Shikai" the purple-haired woman explained to them.

Lille looked around and even fired the walls with his Diagramm, but once again, the shot got only sucked up by the walls, much to his irritation. "I see. These walls are just sucking in my shots like the trees. Damn" he cursed underneath his breath when seeing how futile his shots were.

Kirio only smiled smugly. "That's right. With this upgrade, the Jar of Life's hunger has only increased. Therefore, it is more than willing to taste your shots" she told Lille, before fixing her eyes upon Pernida, who simply stood and glanced at her. "I don't know how in the world you were able to bend my trees, but I think I have a hypothesis, based upon what happened to the trees. Somehow, you have the ability to infiltrate an object, both organic and inorganic, and do with them as you please" she then revealed, while Pernida simply stood and gazed at her.

Senjumaru formed a smirk when hearing this. "Hmm…well that explains what happened to the Second-Class Divine Soldier" she noted, still remembering how the giant solider was easy beaten when Pernida only gazed upon it.

"Hey you!" Lille suddenly demanded an answer from Kirinji, as he could see that his shining blade was not showing the hole it had received from his shot. "How come your Zanpakutou isn't showing the hole? My Diagramm pierced it along with that woman's giant spoon" he demanded an answer while seeing this.

Kirinji only grinned cockily over seeing this. "You're a pushy one, aren't ya?" he remarked before brandishing his weapon. "And for the record, the reason why Kinpika is not showing you the hole on the blade is simple. It doesn't rely on it exclusively to inflect damages. All that I need…is the light!" the man with the weird hairstyle said. Kirinji suddenly began readying an attack with a large blade of water hanging around Kinpika. "Now if you're done bitchin' and are ready to get real, let me show you how we of the Royal Guard really do things!" he exclaimed and suddenly swung the water in a slicing manner.

The line of water was long and it was aimed to take every Quincy with it. Before Lille could use his weapon to shot, Gerard suddenly stepped forward and used both his shield and sword to cut the line, therefore destroying it. Lille had stood behind him and was using his comrade as a cover.

Gerard simply grinned and faced the Shinigami with the pompadour while laughing. "Is this all that you got!? How disappointing!" he taunted Kirinji.

However, Kirinji only smirked in return. "I think it's too soon to get cocky here, Quincy" he noted before snapping his fingers on his left hand, much to the confusion of the Quincies. But Gerard was in for a surprise as he suddenly felt his own helmet crack and shatter into two pieces, this exposing his upper face for everyone to see. There were black sideways M-shaped marks covering the sides of his face, and he wore a thin black braid around his scalp. And of course, his eyes were bright white.

"What trickery is this?" Gerard said, only to feel a cut reaching from his forehead to his stomach. It was not serious, but it left him seriously bleeding. "DAMN IT!" he cursed out in anger while seeing this.

Lille's only eye widened by seeing this. "What the hell? How did that happen!?" he angrily asked in disbelief.

Kirinji only faced them smugly. "Heh, you may have thought that it was only water that I just swung at ya. But you're wrong. Cause what I just slash at you, isn't just water. Inside it, is light as well. The light from my Kinpika" the Shinigami revealed smugly.

But while feeling this pain, Gerard could not help but to chuckle in a smug manner. "Is that so…" he spoke lowly before exclaiming with pride. "Then this might have happened as a miracle!" he said and pointed his sword towards Kirinji.

Before his comrades knew it, Kirinji could suddenly feel himself getting cut, in the same manner as Gerard had just been. He received a cut from his stomach to forehead. The Shinigamis were caught in surprised by seeing this.

"Shit!" Kirinji cursed while blood was dripping from him. He then glared angrily at the Quincy and was shocked over seeing that his own injuries had disappeared completely. The cuts he had received were no longer there and it infuriated the man with the pompadour. "THIS HAS TO BE A FUCKING JOKE!" he exclaimed out in disbelief.

The blonde-haired man only grinned cockily. "So, it was light that attacked me? Well, I have with the help of my Hoffnung, deflected it back at you!" he said while suddenly moving his swords close his face. "My blade is capable of deflecting damages and injuries that I receive from my enemies. Such is the power of miracles!" he boasted with confidence in his voice.

Kirinji only panted while wiping off the blood with the help of his water. "Is that so? Then you'll pay for doing this to me!" he then said back.

"Just a minute, Kirinji" Senjumaru suddenly interrupted him and fixed her stern eyes upon the members of the rest of the Sternritters that were joining up with Lille and Gerard. "While they were too distracted by their comrades' move against you, I secretly managed to pant one of my needles inside that hooded stranger's coat" she then revealed, forcing all the Quincies to stop moving.

Nianzol looked at Pernida and he could see that a couple of markings had been made on his hooded coat. It was the same trick that he had used on him. He faced Senjumaru in disbelief. "What!? But you weren't even close enough to be doing this on Pernida!" he told her while suddenly facing Pernida with distress. "Pernida! You need to remove that coat this inst….." the long-haired man was too late as spikes suddenly began piercing the individual on the inside.

From the way they saw it, it looked as if so many spikes were piercing through Pernida. Senjumaru smirked by what she was seeing and eventually glanced dispassionately at Nianzol. "There is a misconception in your statement, deranged Quincy. Yes, I was near you when I infiltrated your coat with my Zanpakutou, but with him, it is a different case. Allow me to show you why" she revealed and suddenly revealed all her artificial arms, as well as the many needles she held in the hands. The thin threads could be seen, as they were all over the room like a spider's web, much to the shock of the Schutzstaffel.

"What the….." Askin asked in disbelief while noticing that he was that close on walking straight into the web of threads.

Nianzol sweated and could even notice that they were right before him. In desperation, he tried using his ability to make them vanish, but as he tried point his finger at them, they never got destroyed.

"I would be careful if I were you" Senjumaru said to him. "One simple touch and my Shinhari will be able to infiltrate your clothes, like it did with your comrade" she warned him and glanced over at Pernida, who suddenly began bending down. Eventually, the Quincies could see that Pernida was covered by threads, as he had walked right into them.

But for whatever reasons, Pernida did not seem to have blood running out of his hooded coat and he did not seem mortally injured. Lifting up his gaze, Pernida glanced at the Shinigami who had just attacked him and gazed upon her.

"What kind of creature is he?" Senjumaru asked while narrowing her eyes. But as she kept being focused on Pernida, she was in for a surprise, as her artificial arms suddenly shattered into many pieces. The young woman was stunned by this. "What…...how did he!?" she asked in shock while seeing this.

Both of her comrades were surprised by seeing this. "Hey Shutara, what's the big id…." Kirinji was interrupted by a feeling in his left hand, it began circling relentlessly, eventually falling off, causing him to bleed. "AAAARRRRGHHHHHHH MY FUCKING ARM!" Kirinji shouted in pain and agony.

Kirio was filled with shock and distress and suddenly began jumping, only for her feet to crunch themselves in circles until they vanished. The purple-haired woman was filled with distress over seeing this and she landed on her stomach, only to see Pernida standing before the bleeding Shinigamis. However, Kirio was close enough to get a good look at what Pernida really was on the inside, and her own eyes widened. But she was not alone, as Kirinji and Senjumaru also took notice of Pernida's presence, while seeing him through his hooded coat.

"It can't be…..Lord Suruhame?" Kirio asked in disbelief over what she was seeing.

Senjumaru was stunned, as was Kirinji. "Lord Suruhame…but that is none other than the….." she was stopped by seeing her right foot getting compressed, much to her agony. "DAMN IT! I CANNOT STOP IT!" she cursed in anger.

Pernida was only gazing upon the three Shinigami with nothing but his hidden glance. However, something appeared to come out from the opening of his hooded coat, and it sounded like his own words.

"My name is no longer Suruhame…..there is only…Pernida Parnkgjas!" the sentences came out from the opening.

Kirio was shocked by what she heard. "Why…...why of all people…..would Lord Suruhame become an ally of the Quincies!?" she wondered in disbelief, before something hit her in the head. The purple-haired woman gritted her teeth in frustration while seeing he rest of the Schutzstaffel appear besides Pernida. She looked up to them bitterly.

"You are fools" Lille spoke up lowly and aimed his rifle at the woman. "To think that Pernida was able to easily humiliate all of you. Can't say that I am impressed" the black-skinned man added to his dissatisfaction.

"Excellent work, Pernida!" Gerard expressed his admiration for his comrade's actions. "I knew that His Majesty made the right choice of naming you a Sternritter" the blonde-haired man remarked before glancing at Kirio with a sadistic grin. "Now finish her!" he urged Pernida.

But the Schutzstaffel suddenly snapped when they could hear a voice coming out from Kirio's own lips. "Shinuchi" he woman suddenly said, and a shockwave sent the Sternritter flying into the air. Eventually, they all landed on their feet, but could suddenly feel something happening underneath them.

"The floor…...it's flourishing!" Nianzol asked as he could feel grass and plants grow underneath him. "What the hell's going on!?" he added with distress in his voice

Uryu and Haschwalth took notice of it as well, and they could even see the walls and ceiling flourishing with plants as well. They both could not believe their eyes, as everything around them had changed into a flourishing garden.

"The whole place is filled with plants and greenery!" Uryu exclaimed and could notice that there were living plants hanging from the ceiling as well. These plants suddenly sprouted out a clean rain upon everything, including those standing inside the jar.

The two men moved away from a living plant that was on the verge of swallowing them. It was without a doubt about it, the place that become filled with life, almost as if they were in the forest or something.

"This cannot be" Haschwalth uttered out words lowly, as he and Uryu joined up with the Schutzstaffel, who was just as stunned as they were.

But the Quincies were in for a surprise, as Kirio suddenly stood there, her feet having returned to normal, as had Kirinji's left arm and Senjumaru's artificial hands and right foot. All their injuries had vanished thanks to the rain that came from the plants.

Currently, Kirio was sitting on a vine, as it grew from the ceiling. She then looked down upon the Quincies with a surprisingly serious glance. "This is the final form of my Zanpakutou. My Shinuchi: Ukemochi Otsubu" she revealed to them and suddenly stretched out her arms. "When I activate my Shinuchi, my own Zanpakutou becomes this zone of lushness and fertility. And I control all of it. Even now, I requested that it healed our injuries and restored our arms with it's pure rain" she then added to her explanation while suddenly grabbing a nearby apple hanging from a tree and ate it. "And in addition, the trees here produce fresh fruits that are fresh towards me and my allies, and poisonous towards you Quincies" she added with slight humor in her voice.

"The final form of your Zanpakutou?" Lille wondered while getting confused. "Hold on! Your words don't make any sense! The final form of a Shinigami's Zanpakutou is called a Bankai!" the black-skinned Quicny added to his correction.

"Wrong, Quincy-pirate!" the loud, insulting voice came from Kirinji, who simply glanced at them in a cocky manner, still having the toothpick in his mouth. "Unlike the bums that lives beneath us in the Sereitei, we don't call the final forms of our Zanpakutous a "Bankai". No, all of us members of the Royal Guard call our final forms a "Shinuchi" the man with the pompadour explained loud and clear for them to hear.

Uryu's eyes widened in surprise over hearing his. "A Shinuchi" he said lowly. "Is there any difference between a Bankai and a Shinuchi?" he then went on asking them, only for Haschwalth to interrupt him once again.

"Hardly" the blonde-haired man's words were strict as steel itself. He then glanced at the three Shinigamis. "I have read about this before. Long before they were given names, you Shinigamis used to call this final form of yours for a Shinuchi, which meant it was an "Evolved Zanpakutou". It was long before the terms of Zanpakutou, Shikai and Bankai were even founded. And to date, the only Shinigamis to still be calling it as such…...is the five members of Squad 0" the blonde-haired man went on explaining.

"You really are a perceptive one" Senjumaru noted with interest at Haschwalth before facing Kirio. "But I think it is time that we finished this nonsense for once. I for one grow weary of fighting with these scumbags" the serious woman said to her comrades.

Kirio fixed a slight smirk when hearing this and she suddenly held out her right hand, before snapping her fingers. The Quincies stood prepared, wondering if she was trying to launch an attack on them. But surprisingly, she did not move, and no plants or vines could be seen attacking the group. This left the Quincies wary.

"Eh…..what just happened?" Askin asked lowly, before he could feel something and began coughing out loud. "What the hell!? Something's in my throat!" he then said with a hoarse throat.

The other members of the Schutzstaffel began coughing as well, including Uryu and Haschwalth, as they felt no oxygen around them, only venomous air.

"What poison is this!?" Gerard angrily demanded while continuing coughing relentlessly.

Kirio only glanced at them smugly. "Why don't you just take a look around in this environment?" she then suggested to them and the Quincies did as she told them. The group was surprised to see that living plants, from the walls and the ceiling, had their jaws opened and were breathing out purple powder throughout the flourishing area.

Uryu covered his mouth while glancing around him. "Those living plants! They're sprouting poison from their mouths!" the four-eyed man noted with caution.

"Correct. These plants are spewing forth a poisonous powder that gradually infects your bodies, until you all fall onto your deaths" Kirio explained to them with no sign of remorse for her actions. "All that you can do is stay there and wait for your deaths in this wondrous paradise. That will teach you why scum like you should never invade the Royal Realm!" the purple-haired woman added to her words harshly.

But she was stunned when she saw Askin suddenly got up on his feet, the flamboyant man only shrugging his shoulders while licking his lips with satisfaction. She couldn't believe her eyes. Askin seemed to have tasted the poison. He then glanced at Kirio with a smirk.

"That's quite a delicious powder your plants produce, missy. Maybe I should ask for the ingredients" Askin remarked before he faced the stunned Shinigamis with a cunning glance while putting his hands in the air. "However, I believe that this calls for a little makeover for your plants. Gift Ball!" he exclaimed and he suddenly fired a ball made out of poison that floated right up to the air. This ball seemed kind of big and Askin suddenly held out his finger. "And now, Gift Regen!" he exclaimed and snapped his fingers, causing the big ball to explode and a rain of poison suddenly fell down upon the flourishing landscape.

Kirio suddenly used a large leaf as an umbrella and both Kirinji and Senjumaru stood underneath it beside her. The leaf was endurable, as it withstood the poisonous raindrops.

"Damn it! What kind of tricks did he just perform!?" Kirinji demanded before noticing how the greenery around them began withering, including the living plants that were spewing out the poisonous powder. "No! The plants are withering!" he then said while he and his comrades could see how all the plants died out thanks to the raindrops of poison.

"I don't understand! How were you able to survive!?" the chubby woman demanded an answer from Askin, who merely poked his ear to pretend he was not interested in talking to her.

"I told you royal ruffians before. I'm capable of withstanding lethal doses like this, duh!" he simply replied while making a rude gesture to her at the end of his sentence.

Kirinji gritted his teeth in anger. "That still doesn't answer the goddamn question! How the hell are you able to breathe the poision in!?" he then angrily asked.

This caused Askin to snap in realization and he waved his hand at them in a whimsical manner. "Ups…now that you mention it…I think I have neglected to tell you the fact that I'm…well radioactive" Askin said while not taking this seriously enough. But the Shinigamis could not believe the fact that the Sternritter was able to withstand poison such as this as he was indeed radioactive on the inside.

The rest of the Quincies had managed to get a hold on themselves once the poison vanished completely. Lille immediately aimed his Reishi rifle at the Shinigamis, who was caught completely by surprise in seeing this move.

"You've all been a big pain in my ass!" Lille spat and was about to pull the trigger. "Now give my regards to Hell!" he added to his anger.

"Shinuchi" Lille stopped pulling the trigger as he and his comrades heard the voice coming from Senjumaru herself

Before the entire group knew it, large spikes suddenly sprouted up from the floor beneath them all and Nianzol, Gerard and Lille got pierced by some of them, while the rest narrowly dodged them, although there were more spikes to come.

"What is this!?" Uryu asked while using Hirenkiyaku to avoid getting pierced. "Is this that woman's doing!?" he wondered while gazing at her.

Haschwalth gritted his teeth in frustration as he brandished his sword. "Fools! How could you have been taking so easily!" he scolded the Sternritters who had been caught.

The spikes soon returned to the floor and the Sternritters were freed as a result. Senjumaru glanced at them all in a deadly manner. "Tsutsuma Shinari…that is the final form of my Zanpakutou" the woman revealed while suddenly stretching out her artificial arms. "It takes the form of giant spikes that impales anything it come across, but just the floor underneath you. Even now, my Shinuchi is all around this jar!" she revealed to them all.

And it was the truth, as some wraps suddenly vanished from the walls and the ceiling above them all. There were giant spikes hanging, with them ready to attack their targets.

Gerard was clutching his damaged stomach while looking up. "This is a trap!" he exclaimed in outrage while moving around.

Lille was in desperation trying to fire his rifle at Senjumaru, but the injury he received from getting impaled in the stomach somewhat made him loose focus. "Fuck! I can't aim clearly!" he said in frustration.

"We'll never survive this!" Askin exclaimed in fear and suddenly ran behind Uryu and Haschwalth, covering behind them as a result.

The rest of the Schutzstaffel also hid behind the two as well, but Haschwalth was only glancing dispassionately when he saw what was happening around them. Uryu noticed this and became confused.

"Why are you so unfazed by this!? We're not gonna make it!" the four-eyed man demanded an answer from the blonde-haired man.

Haschwalth only sighed in annoyance when hearing this. "All of you think that this is the end for us?" he asked them sternly while glancing at the Shinigamis. "It is hardly over for us! These royal fools will not prevent His Majesty from reaching his goal. And I will show you all why!" he declared to the Sternritters.

Senjumaru narrowed her eyes. "I grow tired of your arrogance! Now perish before us!" the woman shouted and the giant spikes each headed straight towards the group of Quincies that had been gathering around Haschwalth. The tips of the spikes were almost reaching him.

Haschwalth merely closed his eyes and sighed. "It seems to me that I may have to intervene in this fight as well" he said lowly.

But before the giant spikes could hit their targets, they stopped before they even reached to the group. The Shinigamis could see this and were shocked, as they had expected the entire group to be pierced. After a few seconds, the spikes moved away from the group of Quincies.

"But how…." Senjumaru was in disbelief over seeing this.

But as the spikes vanished, the Shinigamis could see Haschwalth standing before the Schutzstaffel, holding a hefty and bulky shield with his left arm. From what they saw, no injuries could be seen on him or the other Quincies.

"What the hell…" Kirinji asked lowly by what he was seeing.

Haschwalth took some steps forward while Uryu stood behind with the Schutzstaffel. The blonde-haired man remained as calm as he always was during a battle. "I suppose that my Freund Schild should be able to do the job" he noted lowly and suddenly looked over his shoulder to face the Schutzstaffel. "I will report this behavior to His Majesty once this is over!" he said to the Sternritters without any pleasantries.

"How interesting" Kirio noted by what she saw. "You used that shield of yours to protect you and your comrades. I never knew that Quincies possessed such advanced tools" she added to her explanation.

But Senjumaru only huffed by what she was hearing. "Well I am not impressed. And I will just continue sending spikes towards you until you die My Shinuchi is unavoidable!" the woman said sternly while glancing upon the Quincies.

Haschwalth could not help but to form a slight smile while hearing what the two women were just talking about. "You two ladies deserve some respect for being members of the Royal Guard. However, what you are saying is nothing but a bunch of utter nonsense" he replied and suddenly began moving his shield while frowning deeply. "To you, Senjumaru Shutara, I say that your Shinuchi will never kill us. Why? Well, I will gladly correct what Kirio Hikifune just said" he suddenly began focusing his gaze upon the purple-haired woman. "My Freund Schild does not function as a defense against physical attacks. Rather, it absorbs all misfortune that would occur to me and allows me to redirect it towards it's origins. And in this case…that would be Senjumaru Shutara" he concluded his sentence.

As his explanation was finished, Senjumaru suddenly felt piercings in her entire body, with blood sprouting out from her body, much to the shock of her comrades.

"DAMN…..WHY…." Senjumaru yelled as she felt her impaled and forced to the ground, her injuries including holes in her body.

"I am more than an advisor to His Majesty, as well as the substitute emperor" Haschwalth told him while suddenly narrowing his blue eyes. "I am also the Sternritter Grandmaster, as well as Sternritter B – The Balance: Jugram Haschwalth! All the misfortunes that has dared to near me, has only run back to their origins" the blonde-haired man added to his explanation.

Kirio was suddenly feeling herself coughing endlessly and Kirinji was feeling distressed over this situation.

"You bastard! What have you done to her!?" he angrily demanded.

"Oh, it seems that my Freund Schild also managed to absorb the poisonous powder her plants were sprouting out on me earlier. It simply wishes to return the favor and give her a taste of her own medicine" Haschwalth explained while seeing the purple-haired woman coughing out blood.

"NO…" Kirio said while she felt her entire body becoming infected with poison. She could even feel it in her eyes. "WHY…I MADE IT BECOME UNVULNERABLE TO ME!" she yelled while continuing coughing.

Haschwalth could not help but to smile by what he was seeing. "Hmmm…..what a pathetic trio. I salute your hard efforts, Royal Guard. But it is time to end this match. His Majesty expects us to finish soon" the blonde-haired man said while facing Kirinji, who gritted his teeth in frustration.

Clenching his grip on his Zanpakutou tightly, the man with the pompadour knew that he and his comrades were in serious danger. But they could not rely on Ichibe to help them, as he was currently busy dealing with Yhwach. But there were other reasons. Yes, Kirinji simply refused to give up his dignity by letting Ichibe come in and save the day. No, he was a powerful member of the Royal Guards, just like the monk. And something struck inside the Shinigamis mind and it gave him a realization.

"Heh, it looks like it's finally my time to shine now, Hyosube. I will be the one to save us all, not you!" Kirinji noted smugly in his head and began confronting Haschwalth and the Schutzstaffel.

Haschwalth simply narrowed his eyes once again. "Retreat if you wish to live, clown! You are of no worry to any of us!" he said with iron in his voice.

Kirinji only gritted his teeth in anger while hearing this. "I wouldn't call someone a clown without knowing him personally. And I've already told you: I WILL NEVER RETREAT!" he said while aiming Kinpika at the group of Quincies and a vortex of water began circling him. "SHINUCHI!" Kirinji yelled and the man suddenly began circling around the entire group.

The Schutzstaffel were too slow to react, as they could see Kirinji drag with him water while circling around them. Before everyone even knew it, the entire jar was filled with hot water on the inside. The water slowly inflicted damages upon the Quincies while it began healing Kirio and Senjumaru's injuries.

"WHAT IS THIS!?" Haschwalth yelled as he felt his skin burn while he couldn't as much as swim.

"SHIT! I CAN'T MOVE IN THIS DAMN WATER!" Lille yelled while his skin also felt some burns.

Meanwhile, Kirinji only stood and enjoyed the view of his opponents being caught inside his Shinuchi. "Did you all think that I was gonna defeat you without even showing you the final form of my Zanpakutou!?" he asked cockily while floating in the water. "Well here it is! My Shinuchi: Nagareru Kinpika!" he exclaimed boastfully while seeing his opponents suffer.

Uryu could see that it didn't help to swim as he felt both water filling his lungs, while his skin also burnt. But considering that he and the other Quincies were not low-level Soldats, it would take long before their skin would burn completely. He could see the other Sternritters struggling to move.

"DAMN IT!" Askin yelled out in anger while feeling his fingertips burn. "I CAN'T SWIM, LET ALONE ATTACK!" the flamboyant man added to his frustration.

"I….WILL NOT….DIE LIKE THIS!" Gerard expressed his open defiance to what he was seeing and feeling.

Kirinji only sat on the wooden floor with the toothpick in his mouth. "Heh, struggle all you want! Once you get caught in my Shinuchi, there's no way out!" he told them. "All that you can do is stay still while you all die in a watery grave!" he told them while making sure that there was no escape from his Shinuchi.

As the Quincies were floating in the water, and Kirio and Senumaru slightly recovering from their injuries, things seemed to be that the Royal Guard would emerge the winners. But while struggling with swinging, Nianzol suddenly raised his arms in the air and removed his coat, as it was easy for him to take it off while in the air (although he was actually in the water). After taking off his coat, Nianzol's body was exposed, as he wore white belt-like restraints all over his body, except for his arms and legs. On the middle of the restraints was a Quincy Cross, which looked like the Wandenreich's emblem. The emblem began glowing brightly and so did Nianzol's restraints. A holy light began enveloping all around the young boy with two tongues. Kirinji took notice of what was happening and became furious.

"YOU GOTTA BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!" Kirinji snapped angrily while cursing.

Yes, the bright light surrounding Nianzol began enveloping the entire Jar of Life and it came as a shockwave. This came quickly once the restraints were activated thanks to the emblem hanging on the middle of Nianzol's chest.

On the outside, the Jar of Life began exploding, quickly tossing out the walls and ceilings of wood, as well as the water that it had previously been filled with. The reason for this was simple: a hurricane suddenly descended upon the platform and it tore nearly everything apart, expect for the wooden floor. But even pillars on the wooden platform were swept away from the wind.

Kirinji was using Kinpika to hold himself onto the wooden floor, while grabbing Senjumaru. Kirio had used whatever powers she had left to create three trees, so that she and her comrades could lean onto, not wanting to get blown away. The hurricane was strong and Kirinji and Senjumaru were blown to the tree landing right beside Kirio.

Kirinji looked before them, although the hurricane made his eyes narrow, making it impossible for him to see clearly. "A HURRICANE…IN THE ROYAL REALM!?" he exclaimed in frustration by what she was seeing.

Kirio held onto her Zanpakutou. "What kind of power is that!?" she asked in disbelief, until she and her comrades snapped by seeing the bright light vanishing, thus revealing the group of Quincies. However, they were stunned to see what had happened with Nianzol.

The young boy was now wearing white shorts, but his upper torso was completely exposed. Nianzol wore actually shoes that were breathing air, considering that the young boy was currently floating. The young boy even wore a white leather pilot hat, as well as googles. His wings were that of a stunt kite and it hang so perfectly on his back. His kite-like wings were also made out of Reishi. Above Nianzol's head, a Heiligenschein had emerged, and it was a propeller with five blades spinning around. It was a propeller from a plane and it almost looked like a star, thanks to the five pointy blades. But there was more to Nianzol's new form. Even now, winds begin blowing with the young boy's body and they flew him, as the hurricane descended upon the platform. There was no mistaking it. This was without a doubt the Quincy: Vollständig of Nianzol Weizol.

Nianzol faced his opponents and fixed a smug smile with his two tongues. "Ah, it's finally great to be able to get out of these restraints for a while. I haven't done that for weeks" he noted to himself before pointing a finger at the Shinigamis while fixing his gaze upon them. "Surprised, Shinigamis!? Well you should be! Because now that my restraints are gone…..nothing can hit me nor injure me! That is the best thing with my true form: Lufthansa!" he exclaimed with pride while seeing the name of his form, which was "Wind of God" in the Quincy language.

But while the Shinigamis were forced to deal with the winds, the rest of the Quincies were standing far behind from Nianzol's presence, as they did not wanna expose themselves to winds that blew with Nianzol. But despite that, they could still feel some tints of the hurricane that had arrived. So far, they had only been given minor burn injuries on their skin, which would eventually go away.

"Damn…now I understand why His Majesty chose him to be on our team" Askin noted lowly while feeling how cold it suddenly got around them. This made him shiver. "My entire bones freeze" he added while trying to warm himself.

Gerard used Reishi around him to form a new winged helmet, in which he eventually put on. "I must admit that Nianzol really saved us back there. He has gratitude" the blonde-haired man admitted with a cunning smile by what he was seeing.

But Lille only narrowed his only eye and felt anger boil slightly inside of him. "This is so bullshit! Those bastards have made me look like a clown in front of the entire group!" he thought and suddenly reached for his rifle once again. "I'm sick of these games! No longer will I get thrown under the bus!" Lille exclaimed and ran straight towards their opponents.

Gerard noticed him and only joined in. "Now this will be fun! Wait for me, Lille!" he said and they both ran towards Nianzol.

But the long-haired boy took notice of his comrades running, so without even facing them, Nianzol blasted wind towards them by using his Reishi wings. Thie wind was powerful enough to even destroy some planks on the wooden floor and it forced both Lille and Gerard to jump back.

"What the fuck, Nianzol!?" Lille asked in anger while facing the young boy. "Are those goggles of yours making you blind or something!?" he added to his anger.

"I don't need your help in dealing with those weaklings now that I know their abilities!" Nianzol said in a very rude manner. "So shut up and let me have the scene for once!" he said and slowly began floating towards the Shinigamis.

Both Sternritters were furious over hearing this and were about to go after Nianzol, only for Haschwalth to block their passage with his sword. The blonde-haired man glanced at them with dispassion. "Fools, if you really wanted to defeat them so badly, you should've activated your Quincy: Vollständig as well. Yet here you allow yourselves to be ridiculed" he then began scolding the two Sternritters.

By hearing this, Gerard fixed a bright grin when hearing this and even fixed his eyes upon Lille, who faced him in return. "You heard what he said! Let's go full power and see if Nianzol will act so tough then!" he suggested to him in a competitive way.

When hearing this, Lille suddenly opened his left eye that had the x marking covering around it. Surprisingly, he even fixed a smug smile when hearing what Gerard's own suggestions was. "As you wish" he responded in return.

"But remember what His Majesty told you" both Sternritters faced Haschwalth as he glanced at them strictly. "Do not obliterate their bodies. We need their corpses!" the blonde-haired man said to them.

Kirinji, Senjumaru and Kirio looked in distress as Nianzol began approaching them. As Nianzol got closer, the Shinigamis could feel the winds blowing stronger, and the trees behind them even began to bend over. Seeing this only made them more stressed.

"Fuck! This tree is getting weaker by the minute!" Kirinji said and held Kimpika tightly. He then faced his comrades. "We can't allow ourselves to be humiliated like this! We must stop them!" the man with pompadour yelled and charged towards Nianzol with his weapon.

Kirio held Otsubu to her and even fixed a smug smile in return. "You know something. I agree with you on that one, Kirinji!" the young woman exclaimed and suddenly joined in with her comrade.

"I WILL NOT DIE LIKE THIS!" Senjumaru yelled in defieance and suddenly joined her comrades in charging towards their opponent.

While surprised by seeing them still having some courage left, Nianzol simply laughed. "You morons are stupider than I thought! There is no hope for you!" he said and was about to use his winds, only for something different to happen. Someone was had shot both Senjumaru and Kirio right in their stomachs and it made them both fall onto the floor, with Kirio falling on her stomach while Senjumaru falling on her back. Nianzol was outraged and quickly turned around to see who had attack. Seeing who it was, the young boy got more outraged. "LILLE, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" he yelled.

"Shut the hell up, you malformed boy!" the voice came from Lille, who was now in his Quincy: Vollständig. Lille had eight Reishi wings that had three holes in them each. He also wore a white furred coat, almost as if he was a priest, although his arms and feet could be seen. An oversized Heilligenschein floated above his head and Lille's face was covered by white lines, although his eyes could be seen. Lille was currently floating and he had even exposed his hand palms, in which x markings could be seen on each of them. "You should know better than to challenge me when I have activated my Jilliel!" he said while explaining the name of his form, which was Judgement of God in the Quincy tongue.

Nianzol only glanced at him bored, but suddenly noticed that something had happened while he had turned around to face Lille. And yes, something had happened.

"YOU….SON OF A….." Kirinji said those words while blood ran from his lips. The Shinigami with the pompadour had been stabbed by none other than Gerard, who had used his Hoffnung to stab them. But Gerard was in a different form now. "I WILL…..GET MY….." Kirinji felt the blade being pulled out and Gerard used his foot to make him fall onto the wooden floor.

In fact, the blonde-haired man was now in his Quincy: Vollständig. He now wore a Norse helmet made out of Reishi. His shield and sword had also changed with the shield now having five points like that of a star. Thick patterns were now covering his arms and legs, and he also had a pair of feathered Reishi wings. Gerard resembled a Valkyrie from Norse mythology now. He glanced down upon his opponent with nothing but disappointment.

"You are no match for me! I am Aschetonig. You have plagued me and my comrades for the last time, Shinigami!" Gerard spoke up in a strict manner while saying the name of his form, which was Power of God in the Quincy tongue. "Now by the order of His Majesty, I will not allow you to ever threaten us again! So lie down and die in vain!" he added to his words.

Still having the toothpick in his mouth, Kirinji fell down, no longer possessing the strength to fight back. As he fell down, he tried to feel the Spiritual Pressure of Ichibe, but for some reason, he could not. The Shinigami fell, with the Schutzstaffel taking pride by seeing this.

"Objective completed. We have eliminated the Royal Guard" Lille said while gazing upon the corpses of their defeated opponents.

Nianzol felt himself angered over what he was seeing. "Damn you….." he muttered out angrily towards his two comrades. "Why did you interfere!? I almost had them there!" he angrily barked at both Gerard and Lille, who only glanced at him with little no fear in their eyes.

"You better watch out, Nianzol! We are stronger than what you could ever hope to become!" the blonde-haired man barked while pointing his blade at the young Quincy. "When I am in this form, you will bow down to God's authority!" he added with a declaration.

Before things could escalate any further, Lille stepped in between his comrades, as he was the Captain of the Schutzstaffel after all. "Quit misusing our powers, you ignorant fools! You will only make things worse!" he scolded them before facing up to the main platform, where the Yhwach was currently battling Ichibe Hyosube. Eventually, Gerard and the other Quincies did the same thing, as they were only waiting for their leader to finish. "His Majesty is currently fighting that monk. From what I can feel, neither of them emerged the winner" Lille told them.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Author's note: That was chapter 24. Since Kubo never showed us a fight between the other members of the Royal Realm, I took the liberty to write about that, while Yhwach is of course out fighting Ichibe. I also named their Shinuchis. Ichibe's name is Shirafude Ichimonji. And because of Nimaiya's Zanpakutou never being shown, I guess it was no use in showing him, considering that he also died too early. Anyways, here are the names of their Shikais and Shinuchis.**

 **Kirio Hikifune – Otsubu - Ukemochi Otsubu**

 **Senjumaru Shutara – Shinari -Tsutsuma Shinari**

 **Tenjiro Kirinji – Kinpika – Nagareru Kinpika**

 **Also, let us see the new terms that we came to know in this chapter with regards to the Quincies. Also, regarding the Quincy: Vollständiges to both Lille and Gerard. I have decided that Lille will not look like some floating coffin, so he only wears a white-furred coat along with his wings. Also, Gerard can use his in whatever size.**

 **Laterne – German for "Lantern": An object that Quincies use whenever they need some light to see clearly in the dark. The light is of course made with the help of Reishi**

 **Gift Regen – German for "Poison Rain": This is a technique that Askin can use after firing a Gift Ball and sending it up in the air. The ball of poison disintegrates into many raindrops that rains down upon anything.**

 **Lufthansa – meaning Wind of God: This is the Quincy: Vollständig of Nianzol Weizol. Whenever Nianzol activates it, a shockwave erupts as a result, because the restraints that hold back his power are torn off. Nianzol gains the appearance of a kite flyer and he possesses an enormous amount of wind-based powers. When he is in that form, nothing can definitely reach him, as Nianzol is a walking hurricane. (Fun fact: Yes, Lufthansa is the name of the German airline, but I thought that it was the right name for something as weird as Nianzol. I wanted to truly demonstrate that Nianzol did not receive his Schrift for nothing).**


	25. Black

**Author's note: This chapter will tell us about the Serietei, as well as the fight between Ichibe and Yhwach. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 25: Black**

 _In the icy cityscape, Sereitei, Soul Society_

Jumping from rubble to rubble, the Head-Captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads and Captain of Squad 1: Shunsui Kyoraku, was now assessing the damages that had been done by the invading army of the Wandenreich. Despite them changing the cityscape, it was still the Sereitei. And now, Shunsui wanted to see how things had changed throughout the Sereitei, as he had barely begun venturing out of the transformed Squad 1 Barracks.

"Well, they really did a good job in destroying everything" he noted to himself, before noticing some of the buildings that looked quite familiar to those of the Sereitei. "Hmmm, was this building the enemies' to begin with? I wonder if everything will go back the way it was before if we chase them all out of the Sereitei. But the question that remains is whether they will be damaged or not if things go back to normal" he noted before fixing his eyes upon someone. "What do you think, Jushiro?" he asked the Captain of Squad 13: Jushiro Ukitake, who had finally returned to the front lines after having some time for himself in the woods.

The white-haired man was facing the scene grimly, before fixing a slight smile when his face met Shunsui's. "Well, if they are damaged, then we can just rebuild them" he answered with his cheerful tone as usual. For some reason, his entire throat was completely bandaged. The reason for that was unknown, even to Shunsui.

Shunsui smiled when he heard those words. "I knew you would say those words" he remarked smugly. But Ukitake suddenly looked up to the rainy skies above them. Shunsui could see that. "It seems that we allowed the Quincies to invade the Royal Realm. Have you noticed it?" the pink-clad Shinigami asked his longtime friend.

Ukitake was slightly surprised at first, yet he soon calmed himself. "So, that is why Kamikake…" he was interrupted when he saw Shunsui simply nod as a yes

"Indeed. It seems that Kamikake was successful, thanks to the invasion of the Royal Realm of course" Shunsui noted while adjusting his hat and smiled slightly. "So in that case, we can push it a little, if you know what I mean" he added with a slight humor in his voice.

Ukitake only chuckled lightly when hearing this. "Just stop it. You are talking like a doctor" he said, but suddenly snapped when seeing his friend take his leave.

"Well then, you take care now" Shunsui said while he was on his way. "I'll see you at the base" he added to his comrade.

But Ukitake was filled with surprise over seeing this. "Wait, Shunsui. Where are you going?" he asked him, causing the head-captain to stop on his tracks.

"Where I am going, you ask?" Shunsui said, not even bothering looking over his shoulder. "I have some unfinished business…..with Central 46" he finally revealed before continuing on his way, eventually vanishing with his Shunpo.

Ukitake sighed deeply, as he knew very well what his friend was thinking about doing and now that he was left alone in the midst of the rubbles, he was free to speak his mind. "You really know how to make bad decisions, Shunsui. Especially when you decide to ask none other than Sosuke Aizen for help" he spoke up with nothing but disappointment in his voice. "You just don't get the gravity of this situation, do you?" he then added, knowing that this was perhaps something he would never have said to Shunsui directly.

But he could hear someone approach him, yet Ukitake did not make a move to turn around, as he realized who it was that had arrived. It was someone dressed in a white-hooded coat, similar to that of a Quincy. However, this individual did not as much as make a move against Ukitake, and he even stood beside the Captain of Squad 13.

"Hmmm….still as clueless and delusional as he was 100 years ago. What else have remained unchanged in the Court Guard?" the stranger spoke up with an elderly voice. It sounded very familiar for some particular reason.

Ukitake sighed deeply. "Well, other than Yamamoto and Unohana's deaths, I am really not sure" the white-haired man added to his statement. He then finally fixed his green eyes upon the hooded man. "What are you doing here anyway? I thought I told you not to follow me into the Sereitei" he then asked him.

"You know very well why" the stranger spoke up, eventually glancing at Ukitake. "Is everything going according to the plan? Has Lord Mimihagi finally told us about how things will work?" he then asked him.

The white-haired man simply nodded his head. "Yes. Once the world feels it's pain, I shall make my move. Then we can begin the returning everything back to the way it should be. The Soul King must regain control of the Soul Society. An assembly of delusional congressmen does not deserve to wield power" Ukitake responded with a surprisingly cold tone, as he was actually talking about Central 46.

The hooded man only nodded his head in understanding. "Good. However, we must make sure that the Soul King's rebirth is not disturbed. The Court Guard-lackey Ichigo Kurosaki, as well as the two exiles: Yoruichi Shihoin and Tessai Tsukabishi are now headed towards the Royal Realm as we speak. What will happen when those pests reaches the Soul King's Palace. And what if "he" forgets about our bargain?" he then asked the white-haired man, who simply urged him to calm down.

"I assure you that neither of those three will be a danger to our plan. And "he" has never forgotten about his true destiny. No, once Lord Mimihagi shows himself before him, "he" will remember it all. That will make him remember our bargain, as well as the fate of this world. But first, we must get rid of this corruption that exists in the Royal Realm" Ukitake answered and suddenly began looking around, making sure that they weren't followed. "And besides, you may not have known it, but even now, Lord Suruhame has already found his place" the white-haired man added.

"Yes, I see" the stranger said and wanted to find out more from Ukitake. "Now what about….potential members? Do you know someone who are worthy of serving in our cause?" he then asked him while sounding interested. "The Soul King requires a new set of guardians, some who are capable of standing up against his enemies" the hooded man then added to his statement.

Ukitake took his time to think, yet he felt very unsure about this situation. "While Sosuke Aizen is of no use to us, I know for a certain fact that someone like Sui-Feng and Shuhei Hisagi are those whose willpower will eventually fall out. I also sense their imminent deaths. We know for a fact that four captains and four lieutenants have pledged to our cause, although I cannot reveal their names" the white-haired man answered, but he felt like not leaving something out of the picture. "However, maybe Byakuya Kuchiki could become a potential member. His wisdom and power alone would make a great asset. He was after all a strong contender for the mantle of head-captain" he suddenly explained while facing the stranger.

Somehow, this irked the hooded stranger greatly. "You mean to tell me that the young brat could be a part of our brotherhood?" he asked in disbelief and disgust at the same time. "Heh. Not a chance! That boy is just as misguided as his parents" he then spoke up, while mentioning Byakuya's late parents: Sojun and Miyazu Kuchiki.

Ukitake sighed deeply, feeling the need to return to the base, as his comrades were probably worried about him. "Well, I better head back to the base now. You will be at my side when the time is right, yes?" he asked the stranger one last time.

Shadows began enveloping all around him, but he still nodded his head as a yes. "You KNOW I will. Until we met again, may the Soul King watch over you" he said as he vanished into the shadow.

Ukitake then set course for the Squad 12 Barracks, knowing very well that he was needed there. But while he was on his way, the white-haired man could not help but to close his eyes deeply while thinking about someone. "Rukia, Kiyone, Sentaro, whatever differences we may share, I will always be proud of you, no matter what" the white-haired man thought about his subordinates in Squad 13. He even smiled lightly while thinking about this. "I wish it had not come to this. But for the sake of the world…I have to do this" Ukitake then concluded.

* * *

 _Outside the Squad 12 Base_

Kisuke Urahara had since launching of Ichigo and his group to the Royal Realm been quite busy. Outside the base, the blonde-haired man was suddenly drawing a line with his cane, although it was technically his Zanpakutou: Benihime. Why he was doing this is a mystery, but Urahara had always been someone who would take extra good care of his surroundings, even if it was outside in a battlefield.

As Urahara kept drawing the line, he was interrupted by a very familiar voice calling to him from behind. "Hold on! Why are you scribbling outside? Didn't you finish your preparations inside?" a young girly voice called out to him.

Urahara smiled, as he saw Hiyori Sarugaki, as well as the rest of the Vizards living in the Human World arrive before him. Accompanying the young girl was, Rabu "Love" Aikawa, Hachigen Ushoda and Lisa Yadomaru. They had just arrived in the Sereitei, having previously been asked to do something for Urahara back in the Human World. In fact, Hiyori was now carrying a large bag while wearing her red and white caps.

"What are you talking about? I finished the preparations while waiting for you guys to show up" Urahara replied while facing them.

Hiyori only cooked an eyebrow while hearing his words. "You don't say" she replied with no pleasantries in her voice. The young girl then looked around. "What about Miss Stickyfingers? Where did she go?" she asked while noticing that Yoruichi was not nearby.

"Yoruichi has gone on up ahead, as has Tessai" the blonde-haired man answered them, although Hachi was stunned to hear that his former captain had gone off to the Royal Realm. Urahara took notice of this and nodded at him reassuringly. "Don't worry, Hachi. He will be safe with Yoruichi beside him" he insisted, forcing the tall but gentle man to simply return the nod.

But Hiyori couldn't help but to smirk when hearing this. "Woah, they really did that, huh?" she wondered in slight amusement. "I didn't think that those two would've had the answer right away, but whatever" the blonde-haired girl added.

Her fellow Vizards only sighed in annoyance while hearing their leader speak. "Hiyori, please" Hachi begged her with his usual kindness, not wanting her to embarrass them all.

"I swear, I really miss Shinji sometimes" Love suddenly spoke up, much to the fuming of Hiyori.

"Screw off, Love!" she barked back with her bad-tempered personality.

But Lisa suddenly made a coughing sound and it made Hiyori and Love cease their foolishness. The four-eyed woman glanced at Urahara. "Anyway, where's "Head-Captain" Kyoraku?" she asked about her former captain's whereabouts with sarcasm in her question.

"He just had some business he had to take care off. But he'll be joining us shortly" Urahara replied and turned around to face the entrance of the base. "Well then, shall we go inside?" he asked them and was about to move.

"Hold it" Hiyori said, thus making the blonde-haired man stop in his tracks. "Why did you let those two go first? I thought I said that we would meet up and THEN go together" the young girl asked while wanting an answer from Urahara.

Urahara did not turn around to face her, only staring at the base's entrance with silence. "Well, a change of plans occurred" he responded simple.

"So what? What are you gonna do if they they die?" Hiyori asked, starting to talk serious with her former captain for once. She was not given an answer. This only encouraged her to get more serious. "You think that as long as they slow down the enemy, it doesn't matter if they die!? I mean, what the hell were you thinking, letting Ichigo, Yoruichi and Tessai go!?" she kept pressuring him to answer.

"Huh!? Has my big sister already gone ahead!?" everyone snapped and turned around to face a young dark-skinned boy with black hair holding onto something. He looked awfully similar to Yoruichi. And the reason for that was because of the fact that he was her younger brother: Yushiro Sakimune Shihoin. The young boy fell down to his knees. He slowly began sobbing, and felt his morale completely vanish. "No…...just when she contacted me after so long…..I hoped I could be of some use to her…..so I brought lots of things with me but….." Yushiro was interrupted by Urahara approaching him with a reassuring smile forming across his mouth.

"I am terribly sorry, but I had to let her go ahead" the blonde-haired man humbly apologized to Yushiro. "It was all for the sake of the Sereitei. Please understand that" Urahara then insisted to him.

Although it was hard for him to accept it, Yushiro eventually understood the gravity of this situation and only nodded his head in return. He sniffed while wiping off his tears. "Okay…I understand" the young boy said, knowing how important it was for his older sister.

Urahara smiled warmly when hearing the boy's words. "Whatever you have brought with you will definitely be useful to your sister, that it will. Now let's go inside, all of us" the blonde-haired man told everyone and they began entering the bunker.

However, Hiyori felt somewhat angered as they went inside. "Ya know, it pisses me off when you say it was all for the sake of the Sereitei" she admitted to those around her. Her fellow Vizards simply gazed at her with raised eyebrows. Hiyori took notice of this and sighed. "I mean, I AM an enemy of the Wandenreich, but the 13 Court Guard Squads are no angels either. Just look at our experience with Hollowfication" she pointed out to her comrades.

"Are you still on to that? I mean, you do remember that you were offered amnesty by Yamamoto, right?" Lisa quizzed her while adjusting her glasses.

"Tch, as were you, yet you never took it" Hiyori replied with a scoff on her shoulders. "And besides, Shinji, Rose and Kensei only returned to fill out the remaining seats" she added with a hint of disdain in her voice.

As they had entered, Urahara suddenly turned around and surprisingly faced Hiyori with a slight smile, much to the young girl's confusion. "Hey Hiyori, did you get a chance to see Kirio while she was down here?" the blonde-haired man suddenly asked her.

Hearing this made the young girl widen her eyes in surprise, as she could not believe that Urahara had just asked her that question. Yet, she surprisingly felt somewhat downed and faced the ground. "Yes…" she answered with honesty.

Her fellow Vizards were stunned to hear what was being said. "Hold on! Are you telling me that you have spoken with Kirio Hikifune!?" Love asked out loud in surprise. He then began poking his ear. "Hmmmm…..I wonder if she still remembers me" he wondered while thinking about the woman.

"How did your conversation go?" Hachi asked Hiyori with a hint of interest, as he also held her in high regard.

It took some while before the young girl would reply to their question, yet she eventually spoke up. "It went fine…..I guess" she replied with a hint of uncertainty in her voice. "But Captain Hikifune has…..changed since the last time I saw her. She's the same one she used to be" Hiyori admitted to them.

"But you still hold her high in regard, don't you?" Urahara asked her with a smile of his own. The young girl glanced at him. "That's right, the reason she wanted to stay in the Sereitei a bit longer was because I requested her. It was so you could meet her face to face, after so many ages. Consider this as a repayment for your service" he told her while smiling.

Hiyori was unsure about how to react to this, but she did in fact form a slight smile with her mouth, while trying to hide it underneath her caps. "Heh, you know-it-all jackass" she simply said lowly before moving on to the base.

While surprised at first, Urahara eventually smiled, as he could feel that although she did not show it openly, Hiyori was actually thankful for his service to help her see Kirio.

"Alright. You folks can gather up your stuff in that room over there" Urahara told the Vizards while pointing his finger at a door at the other end of the lab. As they went over there, Urahara took his time to make for preparations, while Yushiro sat his bag for him to see.

The black-haired boy faced Urahara with a quick nod after putting down the bag. "I came here as quickly as I could. Lady Kukaku told me about big sister's plans breaking into the Royal Realm. While I didn't expect her to be leaving so early, I've still brought the Shihoin clan's Heavenly Armor as you requested" the young boy revealed while showing Urahara the items, which was a strong type of armor with the symbol of the Shihoin clan written on it.

Urahara smiled while facing Yushiro. "Excellent work. You have no idea how grateful I am to you" the blonde-haired man spoke up with gratitude in his voice.

"But remember, I as the head of the Shihoin clan as the guardian of the Heavenly Armor are agreeing to you using it only for the sake of stopping the enemy, nothing more" Yushiro suddenly reminded him with a surprisingly strict demeanor.

The blonde-haired man only whistled in amazement. "Wow! You sure sound like a captain there, Yushiro. I admire your wisdom" Urahara admitted to the young boy. "Maybe you would make a perfect member of the Stealth Force and Squad 2. Ever considered about joining?" he then suddenly asked him, much to Yushiro's own confusion. Seeing this forced Urahara to simply wave at him in a whimsical manner. "What I meant was…..you could just join the Detention Unit, like I did once" Urahara then said, not knowing what else to say.

Yushiro suddenly did reflect on hearing those words, and he suddenly faced the ground with nothing but shame. Why was he behaving this way? Urahara began to wonder whether he had offended Yushiro in some way and felt a slight sense of guilt inside of him.

"I actually had the chance to become a captain after you, Tessai and big sister were exiled" Yushiro then spoke up lowly. "But when I found out about the true reason you were exiled, I angrily spoke out against the verdict of Central 46, as well as the Court Guard's refusal to stand up for all of you" the black-haired boy went on explaining while Urahara only stood and listened. "Because of my defiance, I was deemed an unworthy candidate of the positon of captain. This resulted in Sui-Feng becoming captain instead. Apparently, former Head-Captain Yamamoto wanted someone who was more Central 46-friendly than me" Yushiro then explained the reason why he was once considered for the title of captain, but fell out in favor by the Soul Society's leadership.

Yushiro suddenly felt Urahara put a hand on his shoulder, as the blonde-haired man was smiling at the young boy. "Well I could give a rat's ass about what some delusional nobles think. In my eyes, you are still worthy of being captain" the blonde-haired man told him.

Hearing those words made Yushiro form a smile in return, as he couldn't help but to find that statement amusing to his own standards. "Hmmmm….maybe I owe you one" he admitted to Urahara.

* * *

 _In the forests outside the Rukon District, Soul Society_

While the chaos happened behind the walls of the Sereitei, the group of Arrancars handpicked by Augustus Zod Allowin to do some spying in the Soul Society were keeping to themselves hidden from all suspicious eyes. As they had promised, none of them had made a move to devour a Soul. No, their objectives lied elsewhere.

The group of Dechados called the Sombre, composed of Paragons Pieddot Picasso, Lyoness Mahlangu, Arlettine Bracquemonde and Uvaanog Chelute, had set up a camp on the top of a hill, that was actually giving them a clear view of the landscape outside the Sereitei. In these forests, things seemed much quieter, as the local wildlife were minding their own businesses as usual.

However, Pieddot was now using a telescope made out of bones, in order to get a good look at the situation in the Sereitei. He had sent one of his androids to scout the battlefield, but it had stumbled upon Mayuri Kurotsuchi. After a brief stab and conversation, Pieddot had felt like he had heard enough, which eventually lead to the android self-destruct. With no eyes on the inside, Pieddot took his time to observe the situation through his telescope.

"This looks bad. I regret activating the android's self-destruction so early" Pieddot noted while watching the many rays of light that rose above the Sereitei. "Could this be the work of Yhwach? For some reason, I have a feeling that he is no longer inside the Sereitei. This can only mean that he is in the Royal Realm" the man in the burlap mask noted grimly.

While Pieddot was doing his thing, his fellow members of the Sombre were all standing behind him in the camp while relaxing. But they were also guarding the camp, making sure that no uninvited guest was near them. However, Lyoness was growing very bored of this responsibility. They had not seen any suspicious eyes yet and were still watching the camp. But Lyoness had enough.

"Argh! This assignment bores me to death!" he exclaimed in an aggressive manner while growling. "I no one's coming over here then why can't I at least find something to prey on!? My teeth are desperate for flesh!" the Dechado angrily asked his comrades, although Pieddot simply ignored him. It was apparent that Lyoness was now hungry.

Both Arlettine and Uvaanog glanced at their impatient comrade with nothing but dispassion. "Stop this immaturity, Lyoness. Do not break the pledge you made to His Highness" Arlettine told him sternly.

The red-maned Arrancar simply glanced at the purple-haired woman with irritation. "I was sworn into the Dechados for one thing and one thing only: to kill everything that I desire!" he spat in return. "I didn't get sworn in for the sake of participating in some lame-ass camping trip!" he then pointed out.

"For your information, this is not a camping trip" the stern voice came from Uvaanog, who glanced at Lyoness, forcing the lion-haired Arrancar to slightly growl while seeing his moose-skulled comrade speaking to him. "Now if you don't mind, I would appreciate if you stopped whining and did something reasonable" he added his criticism of his comrade.

This made Lyoness fill his mind with anger and he was about to confront Uvaanog, given that he openly hated whenever someone lectured him about how to be mature.

But Lyoness stopped his anger, when he and his comrades watched Pieddot walking past the three Dechados and glanced out to the entrance of their campsite. The three Dechados joined him in seeing what was the reason. Based upon Pieddot's behavior, he seemed very pleased to see someone and they soon were given a glimpse of who they were. Lyoness, Uvaanog and Arlettine couldn't believe their own eyes.

"I am pleased to see that you have made it out safely, Esclavos. I suppose that you used the Garganta to exit the Sereitei and find your way here, as I instructed you to" the man in the burlap mask said in a delightful mood.

Standing before the Sombre were five Arrancars that had previously been left for dead, only for Mayuri Kurotsuchi to discover their corpses and bring them back to life. With the help of one of Pieddot's androids, they were able to break free from Mayuri's control however. But the group of Arrancars composed of Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio, Cirucci Sanderwicci, Luppi Antenor, Charlotte Chuhlhourne and Di Roy Rinker, were all incredible skeptical when they got a glimpse of Pieddot and his comrades. It was obvious that they were reluctant to trust Pieddot fully, considering that this was actually the first time they meet him face to face for real.

Pieddot simply shrugged his shoulders. "Why the cold reception? After all, I did free you from Mayuri Kurotsuchi's grasp" the Dechado told them while brandishing the small crossbow above his clawed hand, the same one that his android had used. The crossbow was also loaded with the darts that the Arrancars were shot with. "This little friend of mine is an Anti-drug medicine. It cleanses all types of drugs that you had previously been stuffed with. Aren't you going to at least show me some gratitude?" Pieddot asked them while explaining the darts.

"Spare us the bullshit explanation!" the rude and mouthy voice came from Di Roy, who had even drawn his blade against the group, as had Luppi. Yet, despite seeing this, the Dechados remained unfazed of their behavior. They clearly did not take this seriously. "You think that we're gonna allow ourselves to be supervised by you!? Like hell it will ever happen!" the Arrancar with the head of a hammershark said threateningly.

"Yeah! We have our own agenda to fulfill now that we are free!" Luppi joined in.

Even Dordoni and Cirucci was showing signs of defiance and they also drew out their Zanpakutous as well, ready to actually fight the group of Dechados. But Charlotte was only standing still, as he did not speak or move.

"We will never be slaves to anyone!" Dordoni stubbornly declared while facing the group. "I still have some unfinished business with Ichigo Kurosaki, the Substitute Shinigami. Because of that, I cannot have my time wasted on the likes of you!" the usually goofy Arrancar said in defiance towards their opponents.

"Well said, Dordoni. Can't believe that I'm impressed by you for once" Cirucci said, starting to have some respect towards her fellow Privaron Espada. The purple-haired lady then faced the Dechados "And I have a score to settle with that four-eyed weirdo named Uryu Ishida! So unless you wanna mess with us, then stay the hell away!" she added to her threats.

After a couple of seconds, Arlettine, Uvaanog and Lyoness simply laughed at the Arrancars' threats, not believing how incredibly delusional they were, given that their powers were on a very different level. But Pieddot only remained silent, not even making a sound while his fellow paragons were laughing. He simply glanced at Dordoni and the others with a tint of disappointment.

Di Roy got angered over seeing this. "What the fuck is so funny!?" he rudely demanded an answer from them.

Arlettine stopped laughing and fixed a smug look upon the group of five. "You Esclavos never cease to amuse me. To think that even after being brought back from the dead, you are still ignorant and delusional" the purple-haired Dechado noted from what she was hearing. "Do you honestly believe that you stand a chance against us because of your angry attitude? Hah, as expected of those who willingly slaved to Aizen!" Arlettine added another taunt to her statement.

Both Di Roy and Luppi became offended by hearing her statement and it only encouraged them to simply officially confront the Dechados. But they could suddenly feel enormous Spiritual Pressure coming from both Lyoness and Uvaanog. The other resurrected Arrancars could feel this as well, and they all fell down to their knees. The two Dechados took pleasure in seeing this.

"Coño! What the hell is this!?" Dordoni asked in anger while he felt his entire body sweat endlessly.

Cirucci managed to lift her head to get a glimpse of the two Arrnacars releasing their Spiritual Pressures. She widened and could feel her entire body lose composure. "What….what kind of monsters are those!?" she wondered out in disbelief.

The red-maned Arrancar mused in seeing this. "Heh! You five are not even worth preying on! Even now, I can smell your fears by simply standing here! Your Spiritual Pressures are that of frail cubs!" Lyoness exclaimed in mockery before laughing once again.

"Why you…." Luppi muttered out lowly in anger over hearing his words.

"Such misguided fools! All of you probably thought that be licking the boots of a Shinigami, you would be granted enormous amounts of power!" Uvaanog noted while forcing an evil chuckle that could be heard from his moose-skulled face. "But Esclavos like you have no idea about what possessing power even means! As such, you will always be beneath us…..the TRUE Arrancars…the TRUE defenders of Hueco Mundo!" the paragon went on explaining while taunting the Arrancars before them at the same time.

Di Roy could no longer restrain his anger, so he charged towards the group of four. "I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU ALL!" he yelled out in anger. But before the white-haired boy could even swing his Zanpakutou, he was in for a surprise, as Pieddot suddenly appeared right before him with his Sonido. Before he even knew it, Di Roy was stabbed by one of Pieddot's clawed fingers. However, there was something hanging on the scrawny Arrancar's hands and it looked like doses. This caused Di Roy to howl in pain, even though it was only a tiny stab.

As Di Roy was feeling the agony, Luppi made his move to charge towards Pieddot with his Zanpakutou, and he was even getting ready to release his Resurrecciòn. However, the Dechado took notice of this and simply used his small crossbow and fired a dart with the same doses that hang over his hand. Luppi failed to avoid it and the dart hit his neck, much to the young man's slight pain.

Dordoni, Cirucci and Charlotte were about to make their move, only for them to stop when Pieddot spoke up in a very threatening and serious manner. "I wouldn't have done that if I were you, Esclavos. Maybe you may want to take a look at what your comrades were just induced with" he told them, thus making the trio face the two Arrancars.

What was happening once Di Roy and Luppi received those doses inside of them? After numbing their pain, the Arrancars could feel their entire vision becoming blurry, but that was not just it. For some reason, winds blew through the forests and it almost felt like a hurricane for those two. The sky above them was becoming pale dark as the darkness itself and there was no stars or moon to be seen. But all of a sudden, they screamed in fear, as they could see the trees showing monstrous and malicious faces. In the Arrancars' eyes, the trees were almost alive and their branches functioned as hands.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING!?" Di Roy asked in fear over what he was seeing and he suddenly felt someone behind him. Turning around, the young Arrancar screamed in fear, as he saw a scary-looking tree that almost seemed alive. This made Di Roy fall backwards and he landed on his back. "WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS!?" he asked once again in fear.

"I CAN'T MOVE MY BODY!" Luppi screamed, with tears falling out from his eyes. He could feel someone grab him by his ankles and he saw that it was the roots of the trees that were grabbing him. They were now transformed into hands. This only caused more fear into Luppi's eyes and he screamed once again. "I'M BEING GRABBED!" the flamboyant Arrancar yelled.

The two Arrancars were becoming increasingly paranoid and they continued struggling with coming to terms with this terrible inducement. What kind of trance was this?

"WHAT'S THE MATTER, LITTLE ESCLAVOS?" both Luppi and Di Roy heard a very menacing but familiar voice calling to them. Turning around, their eyes widened with tears, as a gigantic version of Pieddot was standing above them, with the Dechado leaning his face down to their level. His eyes were orange and they glowed upon those two Arrancars, who kept screaming insanely. Hearing this only made Pieddot chuckle to himself and he eventually let out a laugh that was very intimidating for them to hear. "FOOLS! THIS IS WHAT YOU GET FOR SHOWING ME DISRESPECT. THIS IS THE FEAR TOXIC DRUG THAT I INVENTED PERSONALLY. ONCE YOU'VE BEEN INDUCED, YOU WILL BE DRAGGED INTO THE WORLD OF FEAR AND DESPAIR. AND ONLY I CAN DECIDE WHEN TO FREE YOU. BUT UNTIL THEN, YOU WILL BE STUCK IN HERE FOR ETERNITY!" he explained in his intimidating voice before letting out another round of laughter that ran chills through the Arrancars.

But from the viewpoints of Dordoni, Cirucci and Charlottte, both Luppi and Di Roy were acting in a very paranoid and insane manner, and neither of them could not understand how they became that scared. But when seeing Pieddot stepping before them, the three Arrancars knew that this was some type of drug that Pieddot was currently using on Luppi and Di Roy. When he felt like he had heard enough screaming, Pieddot throw some powder on the two Arrancars, and they fell down to the ground unconsciously. Everything was silent after this, until Pieddot finally turned his gaze upon Dordoni, Cirucci and Charlotte. They all snapped in fear when he was giving them this glance.

"If you desperately wish not to see what your friends really saw, I suggest that you start showing me some gratitude for once" the Dechado in burlap mask warned them.

Without hesitating, the three Arrancars were on their knees begging for their forgiveness, as well as apologizing for their earlier defiance and ungrateful attitudes.

Pieddot mused when seeing this. "Heh, it is a good thing that I did not induce those two when I was in my Resurrecciòn. If so, escaping from it would've been impossible. Even I couldn't have freed them from the trance" the Arrancar noted to himself with slight amusement inside of him.

"Master Pieddot, come take a look" the scrawny Arrancar heard the voice coming from Arlettine, as she, Lyoness and Uvaanog were watching something happening at a tree.

Pieddot walked over to them. "Please, as Dechados, you no longer need to address me so formally" he said to her in a friendly voice before standing beside his comrades. "Now what is it that you find so interesting with this tree?" the paragon then asked them.

"It is not the tree. Look at the salamander's tail" Uvaanog pointed out.

From what the group of four could see, a small salamander was resting on the tree. But what was unique about it was the black tint that was coming out from its tail. For some reason, the black tint was sprouting towards the direction in which the Sereitei was located at. It really intrigued the Arrancars.

"How fascinating" Pieddot noted while seeing this. "Could this salamander perhaps be something of a unique species?" he then wondered.

"But that's not just it. Look over there" Lyoness suddenly pointed his finger at the group of Esclavos. From what the Dechados could see, the black tint was also moving from them as well. This only made them more curious. "Is this some kind of a sickness or something?" the red-maned Arrancar wondered while seeing this.

Arlettine suddenly looked up in the skies and she felt a tint of unease in the air. "Somehow, I feel that the air above us is filled with trickery. But am I just imagining those?" the purple-haired woman wondered while trying to sense it.

Pieddot decided to take a closer look on what it really was and it really intrigued him. "From what I can see, that tint almost looks like…...ink" the paragon noted and suddenly began facing up in the skies, similar to Arlettine. "Is this also Yhwach's doing? No, it couldn't be…this must be someone else's doing" he then thought.

Unbeknownst to the Dechados themselves, the same black tint was also moving from them as well, heading up towards the direction of the Sereitei, or more specifically the Royal Realm. But none of them ever took notice of this, as they could only see what happened to others. What was really going on?

* * *

 _High above the Sereitei, the Royal Realm, Soul Society_

When Yhwach had managed to escape the Cage of Life thanks to the actions of Pernida Parnkgjas, he immediately confronted the last man standing between him and the Soul King's Palace: Ichibe Hyosube. After a small talk, the two men had begun their titanic clash in the Royal Realm. They fought from the air spaces to the Vestibule Road. And right now, they were currently back at the Vestibule Road, thanks to Ichibe sending Yhwach crashing.

So far, Yhwach had completely underestimated his opponent. With all the enough Reishi by his side, Yhwach was firm in his belief that everything was his for the taking. But what he had underestimated was Ichibe's power, as well as his wisdom in combat.

The monk, who was the de facto commander of the Royal Guards, had unleashed his full powers of his Zanpakutou: Ichimonji. It was transformed from a simple brush to a blade, but not just any blade. The moment Ichibe released his Shikai, all darkness in the world, from living to dead, became his for the taking. He had even managed to take away Yhwach's sword, as well as his name. Without names, you were powerless and nothing but an empty shell.

Nevertheless, Yhwach was not hesitating to give up, and had even tried to make Ichibe's powers his. By using the same medallion he stole Yamamoto's Bankai with, Yhwach used Sankt Altar in an attempt to take Ichibe's powers. But it was flawless. Ichibe's power was nothing like Yamamoto's. His power was the darkness, as well as being able to give name to everything.

With that plan failed, Yhwach was consumed by darkness as Ichibe had complete control of it with the help of his Zanpakutou. Yhwach was covered in darkness and he was no longer the same Quincy. His name was no longer Yhwach. Deciding to give him a fitting punishment, Ichibe then decided to do two things with what was once Yhwach. He activated his Shinuchi: Shirafude Ichimoni and used it to write a new name on Yhwach's ink-covered body. Drawing two white kanjis, Ichibe had written "Black Ant" on Yhwach.

"So how does it feel, the one once known as Yhwach?" Ichibe began asking him without any remorse in his voice. "Your name is now Black Ant. Your powers are now on the par with ants at your feet. And your life, is now fragile and fleeting" he then added while glancing upon his paralyzed opponent.

Even though he had lost his name, the Quincy still had the ability to speak. "This…..this is it…" he uttered out lowly

"Yes. This is it" Ichibe said and put Ichimonji on his back. "That was for all the powers you once had. You will shoulder the lives of the Shinigamis you have murdered. And this will be the place where you meet your own fate" he said and suddenly called forth all the darkness to his side once again. His opponent only stood still and watched with shock by what he was seeing. A black surrounding was suddenly formed all around them and even now, a black mausoleum on the top of gravestones could be seen.

"What…..is….this?" the Quincy uttered out words in shock as he could see the mausoleum taking shape, with fences and gravestines.

The mausoleum appeared behind Ichibe, who was still standing calling it to his side. The monk then appeared to face his opponent directly in the eye. "To show respect for your madness, I shall allow you to witness my true power, and prove to you the reason why me and Yamamoto are not the same. This will be your end. Futen Taisatsuryo!" Ichibe exclaimed.

So far, Yhwach could not move a muscle, as he only stood and watched as Ichibe took small steps towards him. For some reason, Ichibe was giving him a sort of apologetic glance as their eyes met. The monk even sighed deeply while their eyes met.

"Listen very well, Black Ant. I know everything about you, including what you really are, or what you used to be" Ichibe revealed and suddenly stopped. "Even now, I can see the true reason why Yamamoto failed to kill you 1000 years ago. To think that he foolishly fell for your own sob-story, when you said that you wanted to bring back everything back to it was in a peaceful way" the monk told him while recalling something that happened many eons ago.

Yhwach only stood and listened as Ichibe spoke, although he still had some power left to speak few words. "Sob-story…what do you mean…" the words came out and the monk could hear it.

"You are a selfish fool. You believe that all the worlds belong as one!?" Ichibe asked in disbelief when hearing this. "You know very well that once you have destroyed all the worlds…...you can never bring them back again! Everything will vanish into oblivion!" he spat out in disgust. "You should be ashamed of yourself…ashamed of you trying to unmake everything that your own father made!" he added.

"My…..father….." Yhwach uttered out those words once again.

Ichibe sighed deeply while hearing his words. "That is right. Your father…..no former father, did not wish to see this world go under when the rest of the Gods left it to die. That is why he was willing sacrifice himself…..and become this world's savior….as well as the reason that you and I are standing here now" the black-bearded man told his adversary, as he listened closely. "Yes, he made many mistakes, but it was all for the sake of keeping this world alive. That is why he took on the role to become the Lynchpin of Existence" Ichibe went on explaining.

"You…." Ichibe then glanced at Yhwach, who still possessed the manner to speak. "You…lie….you….are…lying" the words stung the monk like a nail in the coffin.

Ichibe narrowed his eyes and brows, indicating that he was angry with his opponent. "It seems to me that I am only wasting my time with you, Black Ant. Someone like you could never hope to understand the way our world works" the monk said and suddenly lifted up his left foot. "AND THEREFORE, YOU WILL DIE LIKE AN ANT!" he yelled and stomped down his left foot.

Just then, a giant foot appeared above Yhwach and it stomped on him, thus sending the ink-covered Quincy through the wooden floor and down towards the Sereitei. He could still not move an inch and kept falling down, until two giant hands clapped him together. Once again, Yhwach's body fell down towards the Sereitei for defeat.

Ichibe only watched this with a neutral glance, as he was neither pleased nor sad to see this. "I bid you farewell, old friend. May you find peace in the afterlife" the monk said and suddenly turned around to see the black mausoleum he had created. The monk then bowed his head before it, and closed his eyes while standing there with silence. "Let there be no more bloodshed and loss of lives now. I have averted a war that could've become more destructive than the war 1000 years ago, but not without the sacrifices of so many Shinigamis. Peace has finally prevailed in its darkest hour" the monk was now praying.

But Ichibe snapped as he could feel a pillar of explosion rise straight above him. Turning around, the monk got stabbed by a sword of Reishi. The black-bearded man could not believe his eyes and what he was seeing.

"Peace has prevailed you say?" the voice came from Yhwach, who now possessed the strength to speak whatever volumes as he pleased. A chuckle could be heard behind the darkness covering him. "To think that I had my eyes closed the entire time, only to hear this!" he said.

"You….why are you still alive…" Ichibe asked in shock while pulling out the blade in his stomach. But he saw something happening with the white kanjis written on Yhwach. They disappeared, much to Ichibe's distress. "Impossible…...the letters!" he exclaimed and then brandished Ichimonji to confront Yhwach.

The white letters were not the only things to disappear. The black ink covering Yhwach did that as well. As the ink completely vanished, the black-haired man fixed his eyes upon the Shinigami, who was still left bewildered by seeing him still alive. The emperor mused at this.

"Why did I not die, how could I have freed myself from your powers, how did I fail. Surely you have many more questions like these swirling inside your head" Yhwach noted before looking down at his own handpalms, which had no tint of ink on their hands. Ichibe could now take notice that there were three irises in Yhwach's eyes and it made him stunned. "Now that my eyes are open, I can see anything and everything that will happen in the future. I now know the things I have seen and when I know a power, I will make use of that power. You couldn't defeat me with that power, much less hurt me with it. That is my Schrift: the letter A – The Almighty" Yhwach explained with pride.

While listening to his explanation, Ichibe was now starting to have some thought of his own. "Those eyes…is it really true? Has he finally been able to awaken the powers that was sealed 1000 years ago?" the monk wondered in his head, as he had in fact managed to get some hang of what Yhwach's own explanation was. "No…...that's absurd! He couldn't have possible have done that!" Ichibe added to his thoughts.

Yhwach formed a smirk when seeing his opponent in this position. "What's wrong? 15 seconds ago, you said that you would crush me like an ant, yet here I am still standing and breathing" the black-haired man said and suddenly reached out a hand to Ichibe in a mockingly manner. "Now I am going to give you one last chance, monk. Join me, Ichibe Hyosube. Join me and help me with creating a Soul Society that has nothing to fear, not even the horrors of Hueco Mundo and Hell. And you can be one of the many new knights and counselors ready to serve me" the emperor extended an invitation to the monk once again.

Despite being in pain, Ichibe could not help but to let out a chuckle while listening to Yhwach's invitation. He was still filled with defiance inside of him. "As if I would ever lose to you!" Ichibe said and suddenly pointed Ichimonji towards Yhwach. "Don't think that you can be all that when all you did was merely removing the name I gave you, the one known as Yhwach" the black-bearded man said, determined to still fight the Quincy. "How do you suppose that you will defeat me when you are still covered in darkness? Even if you know about it, it doesn't mean it changes anything" the monk concluded his analysis.

Suddenly, darkness was drawn out from Yhwach and Ichibe received it while standing before the black mausoleum once again. So far, Yhwach did not make a move to attack Ichibe, as he simply stood and glanced at the Shinigami gathering all the darkness around him.

"All the darkness belongs to me alone! And to make you aware of that fact, I will gladly finish you off with the help of Futen Taisatsuryo!" he declared as he suddenly began a form for ritual with all the darkness surrounding him. He even held a cup as darkness was poured into it. "Oh twilight, and everlasting darkness, come to me, come and have a drink, and once you do, your life will fade. The flowers will bloom along the road to hell. Where there are fish, let me paint them black, cut them into eight, and cook them well atop a flame of black, and then enjoy the meal. All that's left are bones of white, make them a gravestone, and pay respect. May they never be reborn again, so that you won't be sacrificed as food" Ichibe began saying an incantation while the mausoleum only grew taller.

Yet despite this, Yhwach remained unfazed and simply glanced at the background with no fear in his eyes. He had already seen the mausoleum before. The Quincy watche as Ichibe prepared himself.

"Made of the darkness from the hundred nights I have taken from the Soul Society's future, I present to you your final resting place" Ichibe said and faced his opponent calmly. "It will take away the darkness in you, your blood, your bones, your flesh and everything, until there is nothing left of you. You won't even be able to reincarnate" the monk's words were harsh and filled with danger, as he was really intending on defeating his opponent for once.

"You are headed towards a hell of never-ending darkness" Yhwach suddenly said the same line that Ichibe was about to say. This caught the Shinigami completely off guard and he could not believe what he was hearing. "I do recall saying that I see everything. In the eyes of a power, there is no need for distinction between understanding and having a plan. Everything that comes into my line of vision, becomes powerless. Do you still think of me as someone who has lost his name?" Yhwach explained while asking him about losing his name. The emperor then faced his opponent with a maddened look, his mouth even grinning with satisfaction. "My name is Yhwach! And I will be the one that will take everything from you!" he exclaimed in defiance and suddenly ran straight towards Ichibe with his Reishi blade.

As Ichibe stood and heard all those words, he couldn't take this torture any longer, so he angrily charged towards Yhwach with Ichimonji in his hand. The monk was angrier than before and he charged straight towards him. "TO HELL WITH YOU!" he yelled out as he readied his Zanpakutou.

"I WILL BRING HELL TO YOU!" Yhwach yelled back as both men clashed swords with one another.

As the two men stood side by side, everything around them was silent, with only the winds blowing through them. However, after a couple of minutes waiting and not moving or saying anything, Ichibe's entire body exploded, thus separating body parts from one another.

Amidst this pool of blood, Yhwach simply passed by Ichibe's severed head and spine, even finding amusement when seeing the line that the Shinigami had previously drawn. "Just as I had predicted. Your death was only three steps ahead" the Quincy said before completely destroying the seal that Ichibe had written to keep him away from the Soul King's Palace. The explosion even affected the body and they were blown away into oblivion. The emperor smiled in delight as his eyes was set on the Soul King's Palace.

While walking on the Vestibule Road, he could also sense that the other members of the Royal Guard had been defeated as well. Yhwach mused to himself. His victory was right around the corner.

"Squad 0 has fallen, it's soldiers have run away in fear" Yhwach said before fixing his eyes upon the Soul King's Palace itself, as it was floating so high in the air. "All that remains is you…Soul King" the long-haired man said before letting out a laughter that started lowly, before bursting out loudly, indicating that Yhwach's quest had almost driven him the point of insanity.

For now, Yhwach had completely free road and access to the Soul King's Palace, with the Soul King himself defenseless. What was next?

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Author's note: And that was a good chapter! I just wanted to add more flavor to the fight between Ichibe and Yhwach, especially with that conversation they had. I also have included Ukitake back into the story, but he seems like a very different person than before. And who is that hooded man beside him. And what about Shunsui's business with Central 46? And we also saw how Sombre was doing. By the way, that fear inducement was inspired by the fear toxins of The Scarecrow from Batman, and the scene with the scary trees were inspired by the forest scene from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. See you around!**


	26. Checkmate

**Author's note: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 26: Checkmate**

 _Inside the Soul King's Palace, Royal Realm, Soul Society_

It was inevitable. The Soul King's attendants were slaughtered by Yhwach as he made his way towards the place where the Soul King was located at. No one was capable of standing against the Emperor of the Wandenreich, as he reached to the upper level of the palace, where the Soul King was hanging in a room that could be entered through two big curtains. At this rate, there was no one left to defend the Soul King from Yhwach's invasion. The Soul King's palace was now his for the taking.

"Soul King. You are an imperfect god who cannot run away even at a time like this" Yhwach spoke up as he cut the left curtains and walked up the stairs. "I will put an end to the humiliation I have experienced all these ages" Yhwach declared and finally fixed his eyes upon the Soul King.

The Soul King was hanging inside a ball of crystal, his eyes and mouth not even moving. Even though he could not speak back, Yhwach still felt the need to speak to the Soul King.

"In fact, you probably foresaw that this day would eventually come" the long-haired man said before finally stabbing his blade through the Soul King, without any remorse for his actions. "Farewell, Soul King. The one who has seen the future…my father" Yhwach said, addressing the being as father.

Even though nobody had ever heard the Soul King speak, he could in fact communicate via telepathy. But that was only towards Yhwach…who was in fact, his son. An elderly and low voice could be heard through Yhwach's head as he watched the blade pierce the Soul King.

"My son…what have you done?" the voice called to Yhwach in a very concerned tone.

Despite hearing this voice, Yhwach did nothing to reply, as he only stood and glanced at the Soul King with nothing but emptiness in his eyes. It seemed apparent that he did not regret what he was doing.

* * *

 _10 minutes earlier, on the Vestibule Road, the Royal Realm, Soul Society_

The moment Yhwach and his Schutzstaffel entered the Soul King's Palace, things became silent in the Royal Realm. On each of the five cities, the people of upper nobility expressed concern about the reason why it was so quiet in the Royal Realm, considering that they knew it was under invasion. But many of them also wondered why none of the members of the Royal Guard had returned. They were expecting them to have won, but once they saw the few Divine Soldiers fleeing from the fight, it only convinced them that the Quincies were indeed inside the Soul King's Palace. Panic struck into the upper nobles. And none of them knew how to cope with this.

But while the five cities were too helpless to do anything, something arrived at the broken Vestibule Road. Shooting right up towards the sky, the cannon that Kisuke Urahara had launched off was spinning around before landing in the middle of the wooden floor. As soon as it had landed, the small entrance opened and both Ganju Shiba and Jinta Hanakari could be seen lying on the bottom, while the rest was floating above them with the help of Orihime Inoue's Santen Kesshun. Both Ganju and Jinta felt pain while crashing into the bottom.

"Ouch! That's gonna leave a mark or two!" Ganju said while blood was running from his nose and mouth.

Jinta was being squished by Ganju and he could barely move thanks to the long-haired man's weight. "Get off…idiot!" the red-haired boy said while trying to move, but to no avail, as Ganju's weight was too much for him.

"I'm so sorry Ganju and Jinta, but I couldn't fit you on the Santen Kesshun" Orihime sincerely apologized, as she did not like seeing her friend getting hurt. She, Ichigo, Tessai, Chad, Yoruichi and Ururu were all sitting on the Santen Kesshun as it descended down towards the bottom.

Ganju only rolled over and give the woman a thumb in return. "No need to apologize! I'm perfectly fi…." Before he could continue, a crack could be heard from his neck and this made Ganju groan in pain. "Arghhhh, my neck! Damn it that hurts!" he cursed out in anger.

Jinta slowly got up to his knees and pointed an accusing finger at Tessai Tsukabishi. "You pushed me off willingly, didn't ya!" he then accused the tall Shinigami.

"Stop with this nonsense, Jinta! You should be a gentleman and give some space to lovely ladies like Orihime, Yoruichi and Ururu" the tanned-skinned man pointed out to him, much to Jinta's own anger.

"What the hell does that how to do you pushing me off!?" Jinta barked in return, but the rest of the group simply ignored his outburst and got off the Santen Kesshun, much to the teenager's own irritation. "Fine, just go ahead and ignore me" he muttered lowly to himself.

As the entire group got out of the cannon, they stood and watched the scene around them. It was different from what they had expected it to be, considering that they were prepared for fighting against the Quincies. But all this silence only made them confused and filled with questions.

"It's too quiet" Chad noted lowly while glancing around. "Did something happen while we were on our way?" the tall Fullbringer then asked.

Yoruichi narrowed her feline eyes. "Maybe. But from I was at least expecting the Royal Guard to be still fighting" the purple-haired woman answered while glancing at the five cities floating in the space of air. "Why isn't there any Quincies or Divine Soldiers to be seen?" she wondered.

"That's a good question" Ichigo noted while narrowing his eyes. He then took notice of how damaged the edge of the wooden floor was. "Strange, I don't recall seeing the road being destroyed. Did the cannon cause it?" he wondered in his head.

"What in the name of…" Tessai spoke lowly, as he along with Jinta and Ururu saw some body parts lying on the wooden floor behind them. The others in the group took notice of this as well and were horrified by seeing them. "This man has been torn to shreds! Who in the world could have done something so atrocious?" the tall man wondered grimly.

"Who is he, anyway?" Ururu asked lowly, despite feeling slightly disturbed by seeing body parts scattered around.

Ichigo stepped forward to study the body parts and the orange-haired man immediately recognized them. The Substitute Shinigami couldn't believe his eyes. "Those is the body parts of…Ichibe Hyosube….one of the five members of Squad 0, as well as the one who trained me, Renji and Rukia while we were staying here" the orange-haired man noted grimly. "It looks like he made his final stand here…and lost" Ichigo went on, feeling somewhat sorry for seeing the monk being dead.

Orihime suddenly stepped beside him. "Is there any way that I could bring him back?" she asked him, but Ganju interrupted her question.

"Are you insane? There's no way that you can piece of dissected body parts in once piece! That's impossible!" the long-haired man pointed out to her.

"Ganju has a point" Chad spoke up and faced the body parts with sympathy in his only visible eye. "Whoever this Ichibe Hyosube was, he sure did his best in holding off the enemy. He has my deepest respect" the tall man noted in his thoughts.

Yoruichi gritted her teeth in frustration. "Damn it! How is this even possible?" she asked while feeling a hint of distress building inside of her. "If he failed, then that means that the rest of the Royal Guard failed as well…including Kirio" she said, while mentioning the woman whom she had known, as Kirio was once the Captain of Squad 12 while she was Captain of Squad 2. "Those Quincy-bastards will pay for this!" she added with a hint of bitterness in her voice.

Tessai put a hand on Yoruichi, thus surprising the dark-skinned woman. The man with the glasses even formed a smile underneath his moustache. "Don't worry, Yoruichi. They will be avenged, that I promise" the tall man insisted to her, forcing Yoruichi to form a smug smile in return.

"Heh…...it's good to have you back at the frontlines once again, Tessai" Yoruichi remarked in return.

But all of a sudden, everyone could feel an immense amount of Spiritual Pressure come to them from none other than the Soul King's Palace itself. It was enormous and everyone in the group could feel it.

"What the hell's going on!?" Jinta asked out loud.

"An incredible amount of Spiritual Pressure!" Ganju exclaimed while sweating. "Where does it come from!?" he asked, still struggling to get back on his feet.

Ururu managed to lift her head up and point her finger at the direction. "It seems to come from that floating building over there" the young girl said.

While his friends were struggling against the Spiritual Pressure, Ichigo's eyes widened, as he looked upon the Soul King's Palace. The Substitute Shinigami could feel a very familiar Spiritual Pressure inside that building. There was no mistaking it. Yhwach was inside the palace, right now. The orange-haired man gritted his teeth in anger while feeling this.

"Yhwach…." Ichigo uttered out the name of his sworn enemy lowly while clenching his fist together. His friends could see the anger that began building inside of him, and they had never seen Ichigo act in this way. No one dares say a word to him, let alone ask if he was alright. "YHWACH! I'M COMING FOR YOU, BASTARD!" he yelled out in anger and ran straight towards the Soul King's Palace.

"Ichigo, what the hell!?" Ganju asked out loud while running to catch up with him, as did the rest of the gang. He then faced the floating building. "I get it! We arrived late! The enemy has already infiltrated the Soul King's Palace!" the long-haired man remarked while catching his breath.

"Don't forget what I told you, Ichigo! Do not rush into rash conclusions!" Yoruichi reminded him.

But Ichigo was not listening, his eyes solely focused upon the floating building, as he knew very well that Yhwach was inside. Even now, he could feel the enormous Spiritual Pressure streaming out from the building.

Chad noticed something as they were at the end of the road. "The palace is too far from us to reach by foot! How do we get ourselves over there!?" the tall man asked his allies.

Orihime suddenly sprinted to be the first to their finish. "I will use my Santen Kesshun once again! With it, we should be able to transport ourselves to the palace. But remember, all of you must stay onboard and not move too much!" the young woman said and suddenly activated her ability. "Hop onboard, quickly!" she told her friends.

As soon as the platform was created, everyone stepped on, with the platform being large enough to take in the entire group. As soon as everyone was onboard, they set off to the Soul King's Palace.

As they were waiting, Tessai was now reflecting on what was the most important thing to do. "We must stop Yhwach from doing this! The Soul King the Lynchpin of Existence. If he dies, the balance will be destroyed. And the Soul Society, the Human World and Hueco Mundo will all be destroyed! Why Yhwach desires this, I don't know. But we have no time to lose" the tall man noted while adjusting his glasses.

Ichigo fixed his angry gaze upon the building. "Just you wait, Yhwach. In just a few seconds, I'll be there to settle the score between us! That will make you realize what suffering means!" he noted in his head.

* * *

 _In the icy cityscape, Sereitei, Soul Society_

It was raining in the icy cityscape of the transformed Sereitei and right now, Lieutenants Renji Abarai and Rukia Kuchiki were now umping from rubble to rubble, until they stumbled upon a white base, built amidst the rubbles. However, they were not the first one to arrive, as Shinji Hirako from Squad 5 along with the Kudo-twins were standing there as well.

Shinji took notice of Renji and Rukia's arrival. "Oh, you're here too?" he quizzed them smugly as usual.

"Captain Hirako. I see you got beaten up pretty badly" Renji remarked in return. "Are you doing okay?" he then asked, with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Shinji only shrugged his shoulders. "Eh, don't be such a wuss. A wound like this….." before Shinji could answer, someone interrupted their conversation.

"IS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT!" it was Marechiyo Omaeda, who was still carrying his younger sister, Mareyo in his arms.

Renji and Rukia only glanced at the chubby man in disbelief while the Kudo-twins only dropped sweats when hearing Marechiyo acting this buffoonish.

"Oh, you're here too, Omaeda?" Renji simply quizzed in surprise, not expecting him to be actually alive, given Marechiyo's cowardly nature.

Marechiyo exploded into anger in return. "OFF COURSE I AM, YOU MORON! IT WAS BECAUSE CAPTAIN HIRAKO AND US WERE ABLE TO BLOCK THE ENEMY'S ATTACK WITH OUR ZANPAKUTOU'S POWERS THAT THEIR ATTACK MISSED AND WE'RE ALL SAFE!" he explained while yelling so loud. "I WON'T FORGIVE ANYONE WHO IS RUDE TO CAPTAIN HIRAKO! THAT I SWEAR!" the chubby man added with a declaration while facing Renji.

Fujimaru only facepalmed when he saw this. "This is why I always find know-it-alls to be embarrassing" he noted in his thoughts.

Matsuri simply glanced at Marechiyo in disbelief. "Did he become a lieutenant by skill, or did his family pay the Court Guard for that promotion?" she wondered in her head.

Renji only raised an eyebrow when he heard Marechiyo's declaration. "Gee, that's an odd thing of you to do. I mean, weren't you the first who made fun of him, Otoribashi and Mugurama and called them outsiders when they first came here?" the red-haired lieutenant asked, still remembering how Marechiyo would constantly badmouth the three Vizards whenever they were not around. The chubby man glared at him angrily, and Renji could see little Mareyo sleeping in his arms. "And why the hell did you bring your little sister here?" he then asked him.

Marechiyo exploded into rage once again. "SHUT UP! SHE JUST FELL ASLEEP! STOP BEING LOUD OR YOU'LL ONLY WAKE HER…" before he could continue, someone was punching him from behind.

It was his captain: Sui-Feng. Her punch on his back made Marechiyo zip his mouth, while trying not to scream out in pain, considering that her punch was hard. "You are the loudest one here, so shut your mouth" she said flatly and suddenly faced the lieutenants. "The wounds that me and that girl suffered during the fights has begun to heal thanks to the efforts of Lieutenant Hinamori" she said and Momo suddenly appeared right behind her.

The young girl smiled as she saw her fellow lieutenants. "Renji, Rukia" she exclaimed in relief by what she was seeing while her friends simply waved back at her.

Sui-Feng suddenly began clenching her left hand, which was completely bandaged. "I got a serious injury to my left hand thanks to a Sternritter. It will take some time before it heals fully" she told those around them and decided to address the issue with Mareyo. "Now as for the girl. We can't simply leave her alone in this urban battlefield. She can be killed. Therefore, I have entrusted Omaeda to take good care of her. So please excuse his behavior" she then told the lieutenants.

Renji was somewhat bewildered by hearing this kind of tone in Sui-Feng's voice, so he leaned onto Rukia to whisper something. "Is it just me or did Captain Sui-Feng get…...nicer all of a sudden?" he whispered to the young woman beside him.

Rukia only rolled her eyes while hearing this. "She has always been nice, you fool" she replied in return.

Sui-Feng suddenly stood by the entrance of the base. "Well then. Shall we stop talking out and get inside?" she asked her fellow Shinigamis.

"But has everyone shown up yet?" Renji asked.

Shinji merely scoffed at his question. "Who knows? That message we got sounded kind of desperate. All captains and lieutenants were to gather at this base, even if it meant abandoning their current fights. Therefore, it's safe to assume that everyone's heading here" the blonde-haired man noted.

Sui-Feng pushed her handpalm against a hidden lever on the door and it opened. The group of Shinigamis entered the base, and they had arrived into a room full of computers while Kisuke Urahara and Yushiro Shihohin were working on something in the middle. It was a some kind of circle. Other than them, the only Shinigamis that seemed to be present was Nanao Ise of Squad 1 and Captain Byakuya Kuchiki of Squad 6.

Yushiro noticed the Shinigamis entering and immediately jumped off the platform to greet the group with a formal bow directed towards them. "It has been a long time. My name is Yushiro Sakimune Shihoin. Thank you for taking care of my older sister" he told them all.

While Shinji, Renji and the others only raised eyebrows at seeing this, Sui-Feng immediately expressed surprise when she saw and heard the boy's name. "You are…..Lady Yoruichi's younger brother…my, how much you have grown" she remarked while speaking to him with respect in her voice. "The last we spoke to one another, you were only a little kid. I can't believe you show up now" she added to her amazement.

Yushiro simply chuckled nervously while hearing Sui-Feng's words. He knew that the current Captain of Squad 2 had been mentored and trained by his older sister. Truth be told, he had only met Sui-Feng only a few times. The relationship between them was friendly, but Yushiro had in secret a slight distaste for Sui-Feng's methods as the Commander of the Stealth Force. In his eyes, she was nothing compared to Yoruichi, whom he believed was the rightful leader.

"Hey Yushiro, don't leave your post!" Urahara called out the young boy, who responded immediately.

"Right, silly me!" Yushiro said and returned to his post to work on the circle.

Renji smiled as he saw Buakuya standing there and approached him along with Rukia. "Hey there, Captain Kuchiki. Glad to see that you arrived first" the red-haired man said. They were happy to see him being alive. Byakuya simply nodded his head in return, not feeling so much talkative right now.

Shinji fixed his eyes on Urahara. "Is that all that has showed up? What's the big idea, Kisuke?" he asked the blonde-haired man, wanting to know why there was so few people in the base.

Urahara decided to answer. "We're in a tight schedule right now. So far, we haven't discovered the whereabouts of the captains and lieutenants of Squads 3, 7, 9 and 10. We don't know whether they are dead or alive. Captain Kurotsuchi is currently doing some research inside his room before joining us. In the meantime, Head-Captain Kyoraku had some unfinished business with Central 46 to take care of. But he will also join us" he answered and looked at a nearby door that almost seemed like those used in hospitals. "But there is some good news though. Captain Kenpachi Zaraki, Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa of Squad 11 are getting emergency treatment, alongside Lieutenant Shuhei Hisagi of Squad 9. Captain Ukitake is treating them as we speak. The other three are doing great, but Zaraki has received critical injuries. But they should be able to recover safely inside this base" Urahara added to his answer.

"So everyone's either scattered or missing?" Shinji wondered after hearing this, before facing Urahara one more time. "And what exactly are you planning to do once everyone's gathered?" the Captain of Squad 5 asked him.

This time, Urahara turned around to face all the Shinigamis who had been gathered before him. It was time to let them in on his motives. "We're breaking into the Royal Realm" he revealed, much to everyone's surprise. They couldn't' believe what he had just answered.

"Breaking into the Royal Realm!? Without the help of a cannon!? Is that even possible!?" Shinji asked out in disbelief.

Urahara nodded his head. "It is. And we should be able to do that thanks to the Heavenly Armor brought by Yushiro and this pedestal created by Captain Kurotsuchi. Those, combined with the Spiritual Pressure produced by the captains combined should be enough to give us entry into the Royal Realm" the blonde-haired man explained.

"Hold on, you sound like…..batshit crazy right now!" Renji remarked by what he was hearing. "Are you sure it is a good idea for us?" he then asked lowly.

Urahara smiled slightly when hearing this. "Absolutely. We can't let Ichigo and the others down, considering that we let them go first" the blonde-haired man remarked to the Shinigamis in return before adjusting his hat. "But there are also other reasons for heading up there, not just for the sake of fighting the enemy of course" he then said.

"Other reasons?" Rukia asked lowly before snapping in realization. "Wait! Are you suggesting that the missing captains and lieutenants could be in the Royal Realm? But that's impossible!" the young woman pointed out.

"But they were all here in the Sereitei, before they simply vanished without a trace" Momo remarked and then faced the floor with a worried look on her face. "Toshiro, Rangiku, Izuru, where are you?" she wondered lowly.

But the young girl felt a hand touching her head and she looked up to see Shinji doing that while forming a reassuring smile. She could also see Fujimaru and Matsuri smiling as well. "Don't worry about them, Momo. We'll find them. And besides, if they somewhat were dead, then we would've noticed their Spiritual Pressures no longer being felt. But they are only considered to be missing in action. We'll work together to find them, as well as Rose and Kensei" Shinji said with encouragement in his voice.

Feeling emboldened by her captain's words, Momo smiled and nodded her head in return. She was glad that Shinji was a captain who cared about the interests of others, not just his.

Suddenly, a sound came from the door that led to the room where Shinigamis were being treated. This only signaled that the treatment was finished and that those Shinigami were fully cured of their injuries.

"Looks like they're finished, Kisuke" Shinji called out to get Urahara's attention.

The door to the emergency room opened and out came Ukitake, followed by Ikkaku, Yumichika and Shuhei. Also, a couple of members of Squad 4: Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu and Hanataro Yamada were exiting as well. The white-haired man smiled at the gathering group as he appeared.

"Well, the treatment was a success. Everyone is in good shape" Ukitake noted and suddenly caught wind of Rukia standing there. This made the green-eyed captain smile at her specifically. "Oh, Rukia. I am glad to see that you made it alive. I was worried about you while I was away" he said to her.

Rukia simply nodded her head in return and smiled slightly. "Yeah…good to see you too" she responded, still surprised to see him here.

"Ukitake!? What the hell are you doing!?" Shinji asked in disbelief while seeing him standing there fine. "When I heard that you were in there, I thought that you were the one getting treatment!" the blonde-haired man added to his statement.

Ukitake only chuckled lightly when hearing this. "Don't be ridiculous. I am feeling perfectly fine. Therefore, I decided to help those who were not" he replied with slight humor in his voice. "During my time at the Shin'o Academy, I took some treatment classes, considered that I was also sick to begin with. Therefore, I possess great deal of knowledge about medicine and first aid" Ukitake then remarked while two members of Squad 13 showed up behind their captain. They were Sentaro Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu.

"Hey Rukia! Glad to see you again!" Kiyone called out to her while waving a hand.

Sentaro did the exact same thing. "Yeah, it's great to see that you're alive!" he said to her, only to be confronted by Kiyone, thus starting one of their usual bickerings. "Hey! What's the big idea!?" he then said to her.

"There was no need to say something like that, you idiot!" Kiyone hit back.

But Ukitake ignored the bickering of his subordinates and faced both Isane and Hanataro. "Anyway, except for Zaraki, everyone feels completely good. I have both Lieutenant Kotetsu and 4th seat Yamada to thank for it" he said while praising their efforts.

Both medics were sort of embarrassed to hear this, considering that Ukitake was actually a talented medic, actually better than Isane. "We couldn't have done that without your precise orders, Captain Ukitake" the tall woman responded in return.

"It's good that everyone has recovered" Ukitake noted while facing Shuhei, Ikkaku and Yumichika, who simply gave him nods of approval in return.

"Hey asswipe" a rude and lazy voice could be heard from the emergency door and out came Kenpachi Zaraki, his forehead completely bandaged, while no serious injury to be seen. The long-haired man glanced at Ukitake. "Who did you say hadn't recovered fully?" he asked with sarcasm in his voice.

Everyone was surprised to see Kenpachi standing on his two feet, including Ikkaku and Yumichika. Ukitake smiled cheerfully at Kenpachi, despite his disrespectful comment earlier.

"You can move already, I see. Now that is really amazing, Captain Zaraki" the white-haired man remarked in admiration of his fellow captain.

Kenpachi merely grunted in return before looking around in the room. He was looking for someone, but who? "Where's Yachiru?" he asked everyone before noticing Urahara turning around to answer him.

"The members of Squad 11 are searching for her as we speak. They'll handle the search, so you can just sit and wait here" Urahara responded with a smile directed at the Captain of Squad 11. Yet despite his kind answer, Kenpachi simply huffed and made his way towards the base's exit. "Wait! I said just sit and wait…" it was too late, as the moment Kenpachi opened the doors, barriers of Kido suddenly blocked the opening, thus surprising Kenpachi.

The long-haired man angrily glanced at Urahara while pointing his thumb at the Kido-barriers. "What the hell's the meaning of this?" he rudely asked the blonde-haired man, who was in control of the Kido-barriers.

"Sorry for being a dick, but I can't have you outside right now. So please be patient" Urahara kindly asked him.

Kenpachi was not so welcoming of Urahara's answer, so he began to take steps towards him. "Why you sanctimonious son of a…" Kenpachi stopped once Nanao stood in his way. Most of the Shinigamis were stunned to see why someone like Nanao would be blocking Kenpachi Zaraki, who was considered to be among the strongest Shinigami to ever breathe. The long-haired man only glared at Nanao in a dispassionate manner. "Step aside" he told her.

The four-eyed woman refused his request. "This isn't the time for such selfishness. It's faster if the members of Squad 11 go look for Lieutenant Kusajishi than you do it yourself. You're a captain, you have duties that other squad members don't. And right now, you have work to do! Am I right, Captain Zaraki?" Nanao strictly explained to Kenpachi, without any fear in her voice.

The others only stood and watched as Nanao had enough guts to say those things to Kenpachi. Ikkaku and Yumichika in particular had never expected to see something like this.

But Kenpachi only sighed deeply and turned around, indicating that he understood what Nanao meant. "You're right. It looks like my men are faster" he said in return while moving on towards a corner, much to Nanao's own relief. Urahara was also pleased with seeing Kenpachi being cooperative with his comrades.

"What the hell did I just watch?" Ikkaku asked lowly by what he was seeing. The bald-headed man then formed a smug smile. "Even so, Miss Four-Eyes sure had balls saying those things to Captain Zaraki. I like that" he added.

When Yumichika heard this, he formed a smug smile while facing Ikkaku, indicating that he was amused by his friend's words. "So. Does this mean that you will marry her?" he teasingly asked him.

Ikkaku only snorted in return. "Bite me, Yumichika" he said in return.

But both Isane and Hanataro couldn't help but to feel somewhat sorry for the Captain of Squad 11. After Kenpachi won against the Sternritter Gremmy Thoumeaux: Yachiru had mysteriously vanished from the scene. She had previously been sent to check on Isane and Hanataro before heading back to Kenpachi, only for the young girl to witness her captain activating his Shikai and slashing the meteorite. The only clues that Kenpachi could find of her, was Yachiru's shihakusho and lieutenant badge. The two medics had neglected to tell Kenpachi about what really happened in the sewers when she came to their rescue. But for now, they would keep this between themselves.

"Alrighty folks! We best get started before Captain Zaraki changes his mind" Urahara cheerfully exclaimed while motioning for everyone to come to his side. He then held out a basket of balls to each of the Shinigamis as they stepped into the circle. "I'll be handing these out to each of you. Take one and stand inside the circle. Once you're inside charge the ball you're carrying with your own Spiritual Pressure. I'll be opening the ceiling" he then instructed all the Shinigamis who stood in the middle and then pushed a button, which resulted in the ceiling above them being opened. It was raining, and the rain fell through the opening.

"Okay…now what?" Renji asked lowly to his comrades.

All of a sudden, one of the base's other doors opened and a familiar voice could be heard. The entire group of Shinigamis looked to see the group of Vizards heading towards them. Hiyori was carrying a large container in her arms while Love, Lisa and Hachi simply followed her.

"Alright, Shinigami-bums! Are ya ready!?" Hiyori asked out loudly as she made her way towards the platform.

Shinji was outraged over seeing this, and Momo, Matsuri and Fujimaru knew that things were about to escalate when their captain's eyes met Hiyori's. "Hiyori! What the hell are you doin' here!?" he asked in disbelief of seeing the one he would usually get in conflict with.

The young blonde-haired girl didn't back down from this verbal confrontation. "Cut the crap, Shinji! The only reason I'm here is because you went to become Urahara's new pet! I'm here to clean up the mess you have made, so quit sprouting nonsense, ya damn baldy!" the girl with the pigtails sprouted out mean words, much to Shinji's anger.

"Hey! I'm not bald yet, so I'm afraid I can't hear you well" Shinji hit back.

Both the Kudo-twins were trying to restrain their captain from being so aggressive, as did Momo "Captain, chill out. You're embarrassing us for crying out loud" Fujimaru told him, yet Shinji refused to ignore Hiyori.

The young girl even made a gesture to him in return. "Blah, blah, blah! I'm gonna have to ignore bobbed heads then!" Hiyori snapped in return, thus enraging Shinji even further.

"God, this is even worse than hearing a phone conversation between them" Matsuri remarked while recalling the times she, Momo and Fujimaru used to overhear the not-so pleasant phone conversations between their captain and Hiyori.

Shinji suddenly moved closer to Sui-Feng. Apparently, he was attempting something, in order to get support "Hey Sui-Feng. Did you hear what she said? She wants to ignore you" the Captain of Squad 5 told her.

Sui-Feng only got annoyed and offended when he said that. "If you are comparing my hairstyle to yours, I'll kill you" she replied sternly, not wanting to get involved in a childish bicker such as this.

Hiyori quickly dismissed Shinji's comments and then moved her container and began pouring liquid in the circle. All the Shinigamis were intrigued by this. While they could see the liquid, they couldn't feel it and it was interesting.

"What kind of piss is this?" Kenpachi rudely asked while seeing it.

"I can see the liquid, but I can't feel it" Rukia noted with interest.

Urahara took notice of their curiosity and smiled. "Yes. This is a byproduct of the distortion caused in between the Soul Society and the Precipice World, as well as the Human World. It will be the what's fueling your journey to the Royal Realm" the blonde-haired man explained while watching Hiyori pour the liquid. "I've given Yoruichi a little just in case, but I've concentrated the remaining and passed it to Hiyori as well. We'll be fusing this with the combined Spiritual Pressures of the captains" Urahara then went on explaining.

"Intriguing" Byakuya simply responded lowly, as he himself admitted that it was amazing.

"Yeah, I never knew that something like this could be used for scientific reasons" Ukitake admitted while smiling. "You never cease to amaze us, Kisuke Urahara" the white-haired man noted after hearing this.

Urahara simply nodded his head in approval before facing the group of Vizards. "Now, Hiyori, Hachi, Lisa, Love. There are shihakushos in the right cupboard at the back of the autopsy room" the blonde-haired man said before turning his back on them while looking over his shoulder. "Please change into those and join us. We'll be waiting" he said to them.

The blonde-haired girl with pigtails was stunned to hear this. "Hold on! What are you…" Hiyori was interrupted as Love simply grabbed her and carried the girl on his shoulder

"Right away" Love said in agreement as he and the other Vizards headed for the autopsy room.

Hiyori got furious over hearing this. "Hey! What the hell!? Let go of me, Love!" the young girl tried to free herself but to no avail.

"Will you shut up for a second!?" Love surprisingly demanded that she do and the young girl stopped her outburst. "Shinji, Rose and Kensei are doing all the best they can. You think we're just gonna walk away from them like this?" he then asked Hiyori as she listened closely.

Lisa formed a smirk with her mouth "Hmm…..it's been a while since I last time wore a shihakusho. I wonder if those still fit" she mused to her comrades.

"They certainly do, Lisa" Hachi said to her in return. "Do not forget that those shihakushos were designed to match Shinigamis of any size" the tall man said in return.

"Tch, jackasses" Hiyori thought while hearing this conversation.

Back in the base, the Shinigamis were trying to figure out how to reach the Royal Realm with only small balls and untouchable liquid.

"So, what do we do with these?" Kenpachi asked while showing his ball. "Are we just gonna put our Spiritual Pressure into them and we'll be up in the air?" the Captain of Squad 11 asked.

Urahara could not help but to chuckle when he heard Kenpachi's question. But he soon stopped. "No, that's not what I have in mind. What we will be making now…are doors" he revealed cunningly while pointing his finger to something that was taking shape before them. The Shinigamis were stunned when they saw that it was slowly beginning to form into doors. "Those will be doors that connect us directly from here to the Royal Realm" the blonde-haired man revealed.

"Holy asscrackers…..." Shinji said lowly while hearing this explanation. He then faced Urahara. "How the hell are we able to pull off something like that!?" he wanted an answer from Urahara.

"This will be the only time we'll be able to do this. Now that Ichigo destroyed the 72 barriers during his trip to the Sereitei, there will be no obstacles facing us. Therefore, we must use this opportunity while there is still time" Urahara said to all before he faced everyone in a serious glance. "But mark my words: there may be no way back from this…." The blonde-haired man was interrupted by Sui-Feng's strict voice.

"So you are telling us this now? You are always like this" she commented.

Urahara only chuckled nervously. "Now, now, there's no need to get as hissy with…" Urahara was interrupted once again.

"That's not what I meant!" Sui-Feng snapped in anger, thus stunning Urahara. The young woman crossed her arms while glancing at him. "You thought that we would back away if you told us this now, didn't you? I just can stand that part of you that thinks so little of us, Kisuke Urahara! You were once part of the 13 Court Guard Squads, so you should know very well not to do so!" she suddenly pointed out what Urahara was trying to do.

Ukitake chuckled lightly when hearing this, as he found Sui-Feng's statement to be amusing. "We all feel the same you know" Ukitake said to Urahara. "It's those feelings of duty of the Court Guard" the white-haired man added to this statement.

"Heh. That crap about looking down or protecting the Court Guard, being able to come back or even not coming back, I don't give a rat's ass at all" Kenpachi said in his boring manner, although there was hint of bravery in his voice. "The only thing I'm looking forward to, is planting those bastards in the ground" the aggressive man said, expressing his desire for combat.

"There is no time to waste" the low voice came from Byakuya, as he was signaling his intend to go into the battlefield. "It is time for us to go…...and save the Soul Society" the black-haired man added to his statement.

Realizing that this was exactly what he wanted to hear from them, Urahara smiled and faced every Shinigami gathered around in the circle. "You're all absolutely right. Let's go then. All of us together" the blonde-haired man said in return.

* * *

 _Inside the Soul King's Palace, the Royal Realm, Soul Society_

Yhwach stood before the Soul King and did not move a muscle. He simply glanced at the one he had just pierced with his sword. However, the Emperor of the Wandenreich could hear steps coming from behind. It forced him to at least look over his shoulder.

Standing behind him was Ichigo, who simply stood and glared at him angrily, although he had not reached for his blades. The orange-haired man was eventually joined by his comrades, who came after 5 seconds. Apparently, Ichigo had been the one to reach the upper floor first.

"Hmmm, what a nuisance" Yhwach noted and turned around to face Ichigo directly. "Ichigo, a pitiful bug like you will be crushed by the gears of fate. At least let me help bury you by granting you a swift and painless defeat" the man with the moustache said.

Ichigo only narrowed his eyes further and clenched his fists together and began taking small steps towards his enemy. "Spare me this bullshit explanation, Yhwach. I've come here to make you suffer!" he sneered in return.

Yhwach was unfazed by seeing this. "I already know that. I have seen it all. You have come to stop me from killing the Soul King, yes?" he said before forming a smirk beneath his moustache. "Or do you perhaps have more personal objectives in mind?" the Quincy then asked smugly.

Ichigo stopped in his tracks. "What the hell are you talking about? You haven't seen me nor the pain you have inflicted upon me and my family!" he said in return.

"Control yourself, Ichigo!" Yoruichi reminded the young man.

"Everyone, pay attention to his eyes" Orihime said while noticing something weird with Yhwach's eyes.

Tessai adjusted his glasses while seeing this. "You're right. Three irises" he noted grimly by what he was seeing.

"Yes, I see them" Ichigo noted before continuing. "Those eyes of yours…...what's wrong with them? They look different the last time I saw you" he asked while demanding an answer at the same time.

Yhwach glanced at him with his eyes. "These eyes are the ones that see everything, the eyes of a true Quincy. You arrived here with a cannon and noticed the silence in the Royal Realm. Then you discovered the various body parts of Ichibe Hyosube whom I had obliterated personally. Then you felt my Spiritual Pressure blowing from this room and throughout the space and decided to come here. I saw everything. You appearing here and what will happen next to you" he explained. But he suddenly began moving sideways, thus revealing the Soul King with the blade pierced in him. "But it seems you are already too late" Yhwach added as he stepped aside.

"No! The Soul King…." Yoruichi said lowly.

"He's been…" Chad uttered out words.

Ichigo was also outraged over seeing this reaction, as he felt like everything changed. He knew what would happen once the Soul King died. It would mean the end of everything, including the Human World.

"The Soul King is no more. You have no more options left. Once again, you have proven powerless to stop me" Yhwach said to destroy Ichigo's spirit.

But Ichigo used Shunpo to appear right before the Soul King and grabbed hold of Yhwach's sword. The Quincy was not surprised and only stood still.

"Careful, Ichigo!" Ganju yelled to him.

Yhwach glanced over as Ichigo tried to pull out the blade. "Will you draw my sword out of him and save the Soul King? If you are determined, then do it. That may be the only option left for you. But the moment you take it out, be prepared to destroy the entire Soul Society with your own hands" the Quincy said while standing still, not moving a muscle to interrupt Ichigo.

Ichigo managed to pull out Yhwach's sword and held it in his right hand. But the moment the blade was out and in Ichigo's grasp, something drastic happened to the young man. For some reason, Ichigo's own Blut Vene began to take hold on him, including his right arm. The Substitute Shinigami was filled with disbelief.

"What's happening!? The sword! My arm!" he yelled out in desperation, as he couldn't control it. With no control, Ichigo began slashing the Soul King with a single swipe, thus shattering him into pieces of two. "WHAT THE FUCK!? STOP IT!" he yelled out in anger over seeing this.

"ICHIGO!" Yoruichi yelled by what she was seeing.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" Jinta asked out in anger.

"STOP IT!" Ururu yelled out in desperation.

As the Soul King was cut, Ichigo watched as he was separated into two pieces. Yhwach stood still and looked as Ichigo sat on his knees while looking at what he had done.

"I forgot to tell you something, Ichigo. The Quincy-blood that dwells within you cannot forgive the existence of the Soul King" he revealed and then stretched out his arms while facing Ichigo. "So come with me, Ichigo and let us watch this together. The end of the Soul Society" he declared.

But Ichigo was too traumatized to even respond to Yhwach, as he only stared at what he had done just now. He had now killed the Soul King and put his friends and family at risk. All of them would now die, because of Ichigo's own actions. The feeling of guilt dominated Ichigo's own thoughts.

"I remember saying that it was already too late, because it was your appearance here that will end the Soul King. With your own hands" Yhwach suddenly spoke up while watching Ichigo filled with guilt.

"Why…...why did I cut him…why couldn't I…..let go of this sword?" Ichigo asked lowly as he watched as the Blut Vene took hold on his right hand.

Yhwach decided to reply. "My Schrift is the letter A – The Almighty. It gives me the ability to see every future. Everything is for my taking and giving. And I can easily give you all the Spiritual Pressure contained in my sword. And that power flowing in you now will resonate with your blood. If you truly have the blood of a Quincy dwelling inside of you….." the emperor then started getting serious with his explanation. "THEN YOU MUST KILL THE SOUL KING!" he loudly exclaimed.

But Ichigo suddenly removed the Blut Vene and pulled his sword to charge straight into Yhwach. The emperor was using his cloack to block the attack, yet Ichigo did not back down. His face was full of anger and hatred over seeing this.

"DO YOU STILL HAVE A REASON TO FIGHT ME NOW!?" Yhwach mockingly asked while clashing with him. "SOON, THE SOUL SOCIETY WILL NO LONGER EXI…" Yhwach was interrupted by Ichigo kicking him, thus sending him a few feet away.

"Shut up…." Ichigo said lowly and angry at the same time.

Yhwach mused to this. "WHY SHOULD I?! THE SOUL KING'S SOLE PURPOSE WAS TO KEEP THE FLOW OF SOULS IN AND OUT OF THE SOUL SOCIETY STABLE! AND NOW THAT HE'S NO LONGER HERE, EVERYTHING THAT IS LINKED TO THE SOUL SOCIETY, EVERYTHING MADE IN THE SOUL SOCIETY, THE PERCIPICE WORLD, HUECO MUNDO AND THE HUMAN WORLD, EVERYTHING WILL FALL APART!" the emperor exclaimed while pointing his finger at Ichigo. "THIS IS ALL THANKS TO YOU, ICHIGO!" he then added, but the young man was having enough of this.

"JUST SHUT UP AND FIGHT, YOU BASTARD!" Ichigo yelled as his blades launched at Yhwach once again. The orange-haired man was filled with hatred over seeing this and continued to launch at his opponent. "YOU THINK I CARE ABOUT THE SOUL SOCIETY AND ITS UNGRATEFUL LEADERSHIP!? THE ONLY THING I CARE ABOUT NOW, IS ENDING YOUR LIFE! IF THIS WORLD DIES, THEN I WILL DRAG YOU ALONG WITH IT!" the orange-haired man yelled and stood ready.

Yhwach simply formed a smirk when seeing this. "INTERESTING CHOICE OF WORDS, BOY! BUT ITS FUTILE!" he taunted back and used his Blut Vene to defend himself against Ichigo's blades before pushing him away.

"I'LL DRAG YOU TO HELL ALONG WITH ME!" Ichigo yelled and immediately pushed himself against Yhwach.

Meanwhile, Ichigo's friends had already gone to the Soul King's side and watched as he closed his eyes slowly. They were trying to figure out as they felt something happening outside.

"Fuck! I can feel that the entire world is at unease! Just look at the clouds outside!" Ganju pointed out and the gang could see the clouds moving fast, with the skies now turning grey. "Now even the sky's transformed!" he added in distress.

"What do we do now!?" Chad asked loudly. "We have to do something at least!" he added.

"A Kido-spell would be useless in restoring the Soul King back into pieces!" Tessai said. "There exists none that can possibly heal the Soul King!" he added.

"And you call yourself a Kido Master!?" Jinta asked angrily at him.

But Orihime suddenly sat on her knees and activated her Santen Kesshun. "I just have to try!" she said with determination and used her powers to cover the Soul King. "If no Kido-spell works, then perhaps my Santen Kesshun will! I am an Interminable after all!" she said, but became shocked after seeing her barrier disintegrate. "What!?" she asked in disbelief.

"No way….it doesn't work…" Ururu uttered out in shock.

"How is this possible!?" Yoruichi wondered in disbelief.

The group could hear a laughter coming to them from behind, as Yhwach had observed their actions. "YOU IGNORANT FOOLS! DID YOU HONESTLY THINK THAT THE POWERS OF A FAILED EXPERIMENT COULD BRING THE SOUL KING BACK!?" he asked in amusement. "IT'S NO USE! HE WILL NEVER COME…" Yhwach was punched on his check by Ichigo and this forced the emperor to refocus his efforts on him.

"I'm not gonna say this twice, you son of a bitch….." Ichigo said before glaring angrily at Yhwach. "QUIT IGNORING ME AND FIGHT!" he yelled out in anger.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Author's note: This chapter told us about how the death of the Soul King occurred while Ichigo and his friends made their way to the Soul King's Palace. I have excluded Ichibe getting resurrected because it kind of destroyed his brave characteristics. I have also decided to give Ichigo a new personality, in which he is focused on vengeance against Yhwach. We also got to see how things were happening down in the Sereitei. Most of the scenes are loyal to the canon story, although I've added a little flavor with the roles of other characters. The next chapter may take us back to the Human World and tell us the events leading up to the Soul King's death, and the earthquake. We get to see how Ryuken and Isshin are doing. Take care!**

 **FUN FACT: The name of this chapter is Checkmate, which is what the winner of chess says. In the Persian language that word means "the king is dead". That fits very well into this chapter.**


	27. All That Easy

**Author's note: This chapter will tell us about how things were in the Human World before the death of the Soul King. At the same time, I would also like to give Hell the spotlight here, considering that the Shinigamis and Quincies have been given much. It was inspired by a song from Limp Bizkit with the same name. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 27: All That Easy**

 _A day ago, in Karakura Town, Japan, Human World_

Before the Soul King's death, things seemed to be pretty calm in the Human World, especially in Karakura Town. However, just because there were fewer Hollows visiting, didn't mean that things were safe. No, that was hardly the truth.

Recently, Karakura Town had been visited by a trio of Togabitos, creatures that were supposed to be kept locked in Hell and never allowed to walk outside freely. Led by the rude and foul-mouthed Zhong, these Togabitos were looking for Ichigo Kurosaki and had demanded that his father tell them about his current whereabouts. But Isshin vehemently refused and both he and Ryuken Ishida rose up to confront those sinful beings. They were almost successful in eliminating them, only for Zhong to resort to cowardly tactics by using Karin and Yuzu Kurosaki as hostages. But luckily for them, Isshin and Ryuken were helped by someone they never expected would do so: Augustus Zod Allowin, Emperor of the Imperio de Hierro and the true Ruler of Hueco Mundo. He along with three Dechados rose up to confront these Togabitos and were successful in defeating them, thanks to their strengths and skills.

But as the Togabitos were defeated, the Gates of Hell suddenly appeared before the group and they opened, eventually unleashing chains that dragged all the three back to the realm of the unforgiven. But before the gates closed, three glowing eyes could be seen in the red smoke and it made a declaration. This declaration said that it was only the beginning. This had left many unanswered questions, as to whether something had changed in Hell. Perhaps those Togabitos had been "allowed" exit into the Human World.

A Garganta suddenly opened on the top of a building in Karakura Town and out came four Arrancars. It was the Dechado: Tirrador Webster, his cousin Zeppelin Webester and the two Legionaros: Violetta Bracquemond and Ozzy Namitjura, as well as his partner Lizzie Namitjura. What were these four doing in the Human World and what was their motives?

Tirrador suddenly used Sonido and stood on the top of a nearby water tower to get a good look of the town in general. So far, the brown-skinned boy with the afro were not amused by what he saw before him.

"Wow….this must be a nice and lively Japanese town" he remarked with sarcasm in his voice as he began glancing down on a street were people were walking on the sidewalks. They were minding their own businesses as usual and Tirrador could notice that the majority of the men on that street wore suits and glasses. "Yup…...definitely a Japanese town" he added to his statement.

Violetta sighed when she heard Tirrador making the comments. "For crying out loud. Do you always have to degrade people?" the purple-haired girl asked the Dechado, getting tired of hearing his xenophobic opinions.

Zeppelin only chuckled when hearing this. "Easy there, Violetta. You know how he always is whenever he sees a town like this" the boy with the twisted, black hair said while explaining.

"Yeah, like he has ever been into the Human World before" Violetta huffed in return.

Ozzy and Lizzie on the other hand were very curious about Karakura Town and they wondered what it was like in this town. The orange-haired boy and his brown-haired partner looked at each other smugly.

"So, this is Karakura Town, eh?" Lizzie wondered while looking from Ozzy's shoulder. She took notice of the many people that were walking in the streets. "There are big mobs of Humans down there, not what I was expecting" the little girl remarked.

Ozzy only grinned in return. "Bloody oath. I was thinking about finding us a boozer or something. I sure could use a fresh, cold amber fluid right now" the orange-haired boy said in return and began spotting after a place where they could sit.

"Hold on just a sec" Zeppelin interrupted, as he, Tirrador and Violetta joined them. "You forget something, pal. They're Humans. None of them can see us. In this world, we're technically invisible to them. I think that's not pretty applicable, if you catch my drift" the Arrancar with the sunglasses said.

Both Ozzy and Lizzie moped when they heard his explanation. "You're such a Wowser sometimes, Zeppelin. I mean, come on!" he exclaimed in return.

"So what if those Humans can't see us?" Tirrador asked while resting his hands behind his afro. "Now that we're here, we can do whatever the hell we want" he then pointed out.

But the group suddenly heard loud cheering coming from somewhere and they wondered where it came from. As they moved to the other end of the roof, they could spot the nearby park. It turned out that it was a soccer field, and there were players out in the field right now. The Arrancars got intrigued while Tirrador only raised an eyebrow when seeing this.

In fact, the group of Arrancars jumped off the roof and found a bushy tree where they could sit on and watch the match from a closer perspective. They moved the leaves to get a better look at the ongoing game.

"What kind of game is this?" Violetta asked with interest in her voice. "I guess this must be something the Humans like to do when having fun" she added to her curiosity.

Tirrador only shrugged his shoulders while getting a closer look. "They seem to be doing some type of sport. Wow, since when did Asians do sports? I mean, aren't they like: more into electronics and mathematics?" he asked his usual stereotypical questions.

Zeppelin took off his sunglasses and glanced at Tirrador with surprise. "But wouldn't that make Americans and Europeans into electronics as well? I mean, they do produce a lot of televisions over there" he suddenly pointed out.

"Whatever" Tirrador simply replied in a dismissive manner.

Ozzy suddenly snapped in surprise as he got a closer look at the kind of game they were playing. His comrades could see that he was feeling like that and wondered why.

"What is it, Ozzy?" Lizzie asked her partner.

"I know this sport! This is football, or Footy as they say in Australia!" he exclaimed with a smug smile. He then faced his fellow Arrancars. "Them Aussies love playing both Footy and rugby. Very popular games" the orange-haired boy added to his explanation.

But his three friends only slumped their heads when hearing his statement. "But Ozzy, this is Japan, not Australia. How can you be that clueless?" she asked in slight disbelief.

"But all Humans look the same to us" Lizzie suddenly blurted out to her.

But before the group of Arrancars could continue with what they were doing, Tirrador was in for a surprise, as he felt something hit his left cheek very hard. His friends got surprised, as a black and white ball had been shot straight into their comrade's face and Tirrador felt blood sprouting out from his mouth and his cheek became sore. However, the ball had hit so hard that the Dechado had begun to lose balance and he eventually fell off the branch he was sitting on. Ozzy, Lizzie, Violetta and Zeppelin all glanced down at their friend landing on his stomach while having stars swirling around his afro.

"Hey cuz! You okay?" Zeppelin asked as he began to climb down from his seat.

"Oh my goodness! That ball really hit him hard" Violetta remarked by what she was seeing.

While they were worried. Both Ozzy and Lizzie could not help but to laugh at seeing him like this. But Tirrador quickly regained his senses and got up on his knees to angrily glare at the Namitjura-duo. The boy with the afro went as far and even flipped off his middle finger at the two.

"You two are SOOOO dead when we're back in El Dorado!" he thought before standing up to his feet and looking around in anger. "Now what kind of slimeball would do something like that!?" he angrily asked while looking around.

His comrades only shrugged their shoulders in return. "How should we know? We didn't shoot that ball at ya" Zeppelin pointed out while proclaiming their innocence. Ozzy, Lizzie and Violetta showed him the same gesture, as they were surprised that Tirrador had even managed to get shot.

"Hey! You with the weird-ass afro" a girly voice could be heard and Tirrador and his gang got a glimpse of Karin Kurosaki, as she was standing there in her soccer outfit. She faced the group with an apologetic look on her face. "Sorry for hitting you with my ball. It seems like I went too far with my kicking" Karin apologized while chuckling nervously.

Tirrador simply brushed off the dirt on his cape and glanced at Karin with slight surprise. "They got female players in this sport too? Man, seems kind of misguided" he noted, only to be slapped on his head by Violetta.

"Quit being so rude, Tirrador! This girl just apologized to you and you keep talking….." Violetta stopped speaking and snapped in realization, as did Tirrador and the other Arrancars. They all glanced at Karin, who merely raised an eyebrow while seeing the stunned glances.

"Ummmm…..can I help you with something?" she asked, not getting why she was receiving such stares.

"CAN YOU SEE US FOR REAL!?" all the Arrancars asked loudly in unison, as they were beginning to see that at least one Human could see them, despite them being Arrancars.

Karin simply nodded her head as a yes. "Ummmm yes" she replied as it was not a big deal. "And I also know that you're all Arrancars" she then added to her statement.

The group of Arrancars all snapped in surprise when hearing this, as they could not believe what the young girl was just saying. "Not only can she see us. She also knows what we are" Violetta exclaimed insider her head.

"Hold on" Tirrador said while narrowing his eyes. "For some reason, I sense Spiritual Awareness inside that girl. Have you begun noticing it?" he asked his comrades.

"You know now that you mention it" Zeppelin remarked while glancing at Karin. "She does indeed have Spiritual Awareness within her. This means she can see Shinigamis and Arrancars just fine" the boy with the twisted, black hair said.

Both Ozzy and Lizzie grinned at Karin when hearing this. "Wow, now you must be one, lucky Sheila" the orange-haired Legionario remarked after hearing this. "You also seem like a friendly one as well. I'm Ozzy Namitjura and this little ankle biter is my partner Lizzie" he then introduced himself in a friendly manner while not caring about the fact that she was a Human.

Violetta giggled in amusement and stroke her purple hair. "Always nice to meet new girls. My name is Violetta Bracquemond" she introduced herself in a friendly manner.

Zeppelin had put on his sunglasses and made a cool gesture towards Karin, who only got confused when seeing this. "The name's Zeppelin Webster, nice to meet ya!" he explained in his usual easygoing manner and tone.

Tirrador was given stares by his comrades, as they expected him to be introducing himself as well. Seeing this and how they really wanted him to do that, the Dechado sighed in defeat and eventually faced Karin. "I'm Paragon Tirrador Webster. Nice knowing ya Mrs.…." The young boy was at loss of words, as he did not know the name of the girl.

Karin simply huffed in return and crossed her arms by hearing this. "I's Kurosaki. Karin Kurosaki" she replied flatly.

The moment Tirrador heard the surname Kurosaki, his eyes widened in slight surprise. He then took a glance at the young teenage girl with a raised eyebrow. "Kurosaki, huh? Nice surname…...for a Japanese" he said with sarcasm.

His friends simply facepalmed when they heard Tirrador's name. "Why does he always say that?" they wondered in disbelief.

"Hey Karin! Where have you been?" a male voice could be heard as Isshin Kurosaki arrived alongside Yuzu Kurosaki. They were Karin's father and twin sister, respectively. Isshin got a glimpse of the group of young Arrancars and surprisingly whistled in amazement. "Wow, more Arrancars from El Dorado visiting Karakura Town? Neat" he said with a smug grin running across his face.

Tirrador and his comrades snapped at hearing this. "Hold on, how come you know so much about us?" the afro-haired boy asked while starting to feel suspicious.

Isshin simply shrugged his shoulders in return. "Tch, a couple of days ago, your emperor came here to visit our town. It sure was cool seeing him taking an interest in Humans. He along with three Dechados like you helped me against a group of Togabitos. I was hoping he would arrive here again" he answered as honest as he could.

"I can't believe it! He speaks the truth. I can see that he's not lying" Violetta remarked in surprise.

Something stuck in Ozzy's head and he faced the Kurosaki-family. "Hold the phone. From what I recall from a summit of Legionarios, His Highness told us about the recent incursions of Togabitos into the Human World, or more specifically Karakura Town" the orange-haired boy remarked and then pointed at the black-haired man. "Hey you, Dipstick. Are you this so called "Shinigami-exile" known as Isshin Shiba, as well as the father of that Bogan named Ichigo Kurosaki?" he then asked in his accent.

Isshin couldn't help but to chuckle when hearing the way Ozzy spoke. "Wow, never knew that there existed an Aussie among the Arrancars" he remarked before fixing a serious frown with his mouth. "Now as for your question, yeah. I'm a former Shinigami captain, but an incident in the Human World forced me to stay here and raise a family, which includes my son Ichigo and my twin daughters Karin and Yuzu" he then replied while holding onto his twin daughters.

Tirrador simply nodded his head in acknowledgement. "I see. Then we have no reason to fear you" Tirrador said back to him, but he was secretly having some thoughts of his own. "Even though I really wanna pin your Shinigami-ass against the wall" he then thought. But he then began facing his comrades. "Alright, guys. Let's go on a trip and see if there are any more signs of Togabito activity" he said to them.

Isshin's eyes widened in surprise, as he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Therefore, he stopped them. "Wait. Are you saying that there's more signs of Togabitos lurking in the Human World?" the man with the black goatee asked them.

Zeppelin suddenly stepped forward and faced the Kurosaki-family. "Yeah. Ever since the incident, His Highness and the rest of the Dechados suspects that something has changed in Hell over the last few years. They suspect that the Togabitos has taken control of Hell and have even managed to enslave the Kushanadas" the young boy told them as they listened closely.

"Is that even possible?" Violetta asked in disbelief. "Who could have enough power to be able to enslave the Kushanadas? They are the guardians of Hell" the purple-haired girl asked as she found it hard to believe in this.

Yuzu was feeling concerned about this and looked up to her father. "Is this bad news, dad?" she asked Isshin, who simply patted her head in a fatherly manner.

The former Shinigami captain faced the Arrancars with a serious expression on his face. "Whatever is happening in Hell right now, the timing is definitely imperfect. Right now, the Soul Society are more focused on the Wandenreich than to worry about Hell. But you on the other hand, have enough resources to do so" he then remarked smugly.

"But His Highness also believes that the Quincies' reemergence has something to do with the recent Togabito activity" Tirrador said before glancing at Isshin. "Didn't they say they were after your son?" he then quizzed the Shinigami.

Isshin's eyes widened in shock, as he knew the reason why the Togabitos had been entering the Human World, as well as searching for him. While being reminded about it, Isshin could not help but to think about his son, as he was currently fighting in the Soul Society right now.

"Whatever's happening in Hell, we believe that a new power, similar to that of the Wandenreich and the Imperio de Hierro have emerged. Sooner or later, they will make their move, especially with what is happening in the Soul Society right now" Zeppelin noted grimly.

* * *

 _Somewhere deep down in the bowels of Hell_

In the realm of the unforgiven, a hooded skeleton was now standing right in the middle of a pile of skulls. Who was this hooded skeleton really? It stretched out his hands and soon, his inner organs began internalizing and he soon became a whole person, although he was screaming in pain while regaining his skin and body. It was thanks to the chains that surrounded him. This was one of the Togabitos, those who were condemned to live in Hell after committing crimes as Humans. Under the strict authorities of the Kushanadas, the Togabitos were forced to endure endless suffering day after day as punishment for their sins. But that was not for long.

The one who had his skin restored was a bald-headed man with grey eyes. He had pointy ears wore piercings in his them. His nose also seemed pointy as well. Soon, his entire body was complete and he took a deep breath to compose himself, considering that him regaining his organs and skin had caused him to scream endlessly.

"Damn it….." the man cursed while regaining his breath, considering that he was now standing there naked. "How could I have lost…...to a mere Hollow!?" he angrily asked while cursing himself. "My existence is on the line, and the master is not satisfied!" he then said.

The chains around his hands were broken and the Togabito flew up in the air, passing by the many skulls that made the pile. He was filled with anger and broke skulls and chains alike as he reached to the top of the pile. Although his chains were broken, there still existed chains at his chest, similar to what all Togabitos had. Once the naked man reached the top, he sat on his knees and watched the environment around him.

The skies above him were crimson read and a tint of lightning could be seen rumbling in them. The pile of skulls this Togabito currently was sitting on was located at the top of a mountain, that almost resembled those found in China. Even now, the landscape around him was similar to that of a Chinese mountain range, with a flat vale. The vale was barren, as were some of the mountains, although they had a few tints of fauna on them. But there was a river of lava running in the vale. Where was this? Things around Hell had changed lately, especially since the time Ichigo Kurosaki entered it and put a stop to the plans of the Togabito named Kokuto.

"Hey there Zhong! Back from the dead I see" the bald-headed man could hear a voice coming to him from behind, yet he didn't turn around to see who it was. It was four Togabitos like himself, except for the fact that they wore clothes. The one who had spoken to him was a young woman with long, brown hair and yellow eyes. She wore a black Chinese dress with white markings and wore white earrings. The young woman only smirked as her eyes met Zhong's. "I heard that you failed your mission. You and your underlings were humiliated. Quite pathetic I must admit" the woman added to her statement.

Zhong only gritted his teeth in frustration. "Shut up, Ying! My pride was shattered all thanks to filthy Arranars, as well as a Shinigami-pig and a Quincy-rat!" the bald-headed man snapped back at her in return.

"Heh, you are a rat, Zhong" one of the other Togabitos said while chuckling smugly. While his light brown hair was shaved, he was not bald. He had really big ears, almost like that of a monkey. His black outfit was that of a Chinese monk, with white belt and socks. The brown-eyed Togabito only gazed upon his other comrades. "Tell me I'm right, aren't I, Bohai?" he then asked one of his friends.

The muscular man with long, black hair and yellow eyes simply crossed his strong arms and grinned his sharp teeth. He wore a kilt of armor, which was held by a black belt. While his muscular torso was exposed, his arms were covered by spiked shoulder plates, and bracelets. But there was a ring that covered the chain on his chest, which also connected his clothes.

"Come now, Ling. You know as well as I do that Zhong is a rat, considering that it's his aspect" Bohai said while addressing the big-eared man as Ling.

"Will some of you just tell me why you're bugging me, already!?" Zhong angrily demanded, only to stop when the tallest of the group appeared. He immediately covered in fear and backtracked on what he just said. "Sorry, my bad! I didn't mean to anger you, Niu!" he then addressed the tall Togabito by name.

It was a tall man, wearing black Chinese armor all around him. But his head was exposed, which revealed his thick moustache, his black eyes and black, wooly hair. What was also noticeable was the two yak-like horns that stuck out from each side of his wooly hair. Truth is, that man almost looked like a yak, or an ox for that matter.

"This is no time for foolishness, Zhong! We have been sent to retrieve you" the tall man spoke up, his voice deep as metal itself. "The Eternal Emperor has called forth a summit to be held in his palace of Shēnyuān. All of his allies and servants, including us of the Fahai are to return to Youdu immediately!" his voice rang deep, that it even intimidated the bald man.

Zhong was stunned when he heard this. "Tch, why must we suddenly be attending a summit? And I sure as hell can't go there being naked!" he asked, only to be thrown something at by Ling. It was a white loincloth, that almost seemed like a mawashi used by sumo wrestlers. "Are you fucking serious right now!?" he asked in anger over seeing this.

Both Ying and Ling laughed when seeing his reaction to this. "Come on, it suits you well!" Ying said while continuing laughing.

"Yeah, you will put up a great show for everyone at Shēnyuān!" Ling agreed while almost falling off the pile of skulls due to him laughing.

While Bohai simply rolled his eyes while crossing his arms when hearing this, Niu was starting to grow weary of this immaturity among his comrades. The tall man picked up a giant skull and held it in his giant right handpalm. After two seconds, he easily crushed it with his hand. Hearing this crack caused both Ling and Ying, as well as Zhong to focus their attentions on the tall man in armor.

"Thank you for your attention" he spoke up with no pleasantries in his voice before facing Zhong, who was already shivering slightly in fear. "Now quit your pouting! The Eternal Emperor has demanded that you return to Youdu this instant! Or else, you shall not be given a second chance! That is what he wanted us to tell you!" the man with the thick moustache explained sternly before vanishing with the help of Zouguò.

"Yeah, hurry up and get your ratty ass in gear! Get it? Ratty!" Ling said and laughed before he also vanished.

Ying jumped up in the air and floated, before she vanished from the scene. This left only Zhong alone with Bohai. However, the long-haired man was beginning to make his move, but not before saying something to the bald-headed man, who technically was naked.

"You heard what Niu said. The Eternal Emperor does not like being kept waiting" Bohai said before throwing something at his fellow Togabito. It turned out to be a standard cape and bandages, used by most Togabitos. "Use these to cover your private areas. And once you are finished, come to Shēnyuān immediately. We will be waiting" he said before he dived from the pile of skulls and used Zouguò to vanish as well.

This left Zhong all by himself and he did as Bohai had just requested him to do. As he got changed, the bald-headed man couldn't help but to feel slight irritation over being spoken to like this.

"Tch, I never asked for living a life like this!" he muttered to himself while getting dressed. "Now I better get moving before the master wants me dead for real" he then remarked, feeling that he needed to go.

* * *

 _Somewhere near a giant wall, Hell_

Hell had drastically changed since Ichigo once visited this dangerous realm. Even now, something was happening at the place that was once known as the Third Level of Hell. In this landscape, it was rocky and filled with craters that were covered in yellow lava. But those were perhaps not the most important scenery at this moment. A long and tall wall built by stone was being constructed at this landscape. It was a long wall, and it even resembled the real life Great Wall of China.

But what was more interesting about it, was those who worked on this giant wall. Not only were there Togabito-slaves, but also the former guardians of Hell called the Kushanadas. The giant monsters with skeletal faces were now concentrating on lifting large boulders, as well as disciplining any workers that did not do as they were told. This was indeed fascinating. Why were these giant creatures building this giant wall?

Apparently, there was someone overseeing this construction and not only were there workers, but soldiers as well. These soldiers were dressed in black armor and wore the usual white masks that Togabitos wore. They also wore helmets. In fact, these looked like soldiers of the Imperial Chinese army.

On a stage overlooking the construction, two Togabitos were sitting on their own thrones while assessing the situation while may guards stood around them with various weapons. The first on was a man with thick, black beard and dressed in red armor, as if he was a Chinese general. His skin was brown and he seemed quite tall. His weapon of choice was that of a halberd. The other one was a young woman with her black hair tied by a hairpin. Unlike the man beside him, her choice of clothes was similar to that of a Chinese empress, and its color were also red. Her choice of weapon was that of a Chinese sword. These two unfamiliar Togabitos were observing the construction taking place, until they were interrupted by someone.

"Generals!" the voice came from one of the soldiers, as he and two others were approaching the two observes. The soldiers eventually pushed out two dejected Togabitos, who seemed to be slaves. "We saw these two slaves slacking off on their job. They are not doing what they are supposed to" the soldier said while bowing his head before them.

The thick-bearded general only raised an eyebrow when seeing this. "Is that so?" he remarked before glancing at the two slaves, who were cowering in fear. "Explain yourselves, ants" he sternly commanded them.

One of the slaves faced him. "You m-misunderstand, sir! We n-never talked a-about conspiring a-against you" he insisted with a pleading glance on his face.

The other slave groveled down to his knees for forgiveness. "Please don't execute us! We promise not to speak out against the Eternal Emperor ever again!" he begged pleadingly.

The thick-bearded man gritted his teeth in anger and stood up from his throne, slamming the butt of his halberd on the platform. His face was filled with dispassion. "Who do you think you are talking to!?" he angrily asked them and the two slaves cowered in fear. "You stand before Guan Gong, the Eternal Emperor's Left Hand and a General of the Imperial Army of the Diyu Empire! And under direct authority of the Eternal Emperor himself, lower peasants like you are to treat me with dignity and respect!" he angrily bellowed to the slaves.

As the slaves only crouched backwards, they were blocked by the three soldiers standing behind them. The slaves then realized that this was their end, as Gong was seen taking slow steps towards the slaves.

"Restrain yourself, Gong!" the strict but feminine voice came from the woman, who had put a hand on Gong's shoulder to stop him from doing any harsh actions on the slaves. The sweet, but deadly woman simply glanced at her fellow general with slight distaste in her eyes. "Remember our code of honor. Executing subordinates are only permitted if they are conspiring against the Eternal Emperor. These two only require disciplining, nothing else" she insisted to him.

Gong only snorted in return when hearing this. "Spare me this merciful nature of yours, Jiutian Xuannü! There is a chance that these two slaves could become a bigger threat to our empire if they're not killed!" he spat in return before brandishing his halberd. "You may be a general, but you are still a weak-minded woman!" he spat with venom at her.

The young woman did not take kindly to hearing this and she even pulled out her sword when she heard Gong's disrespectful tone. "Mind your tongue, Gong! Remember, I am also the Eternal Emperor's Right Hand" Xuannü strictly berated him.

Gong only grinned in return. "So? You think that makes us equals?" he asked before bursting out into laughter, given that he found her words to be ridiculous. "Learn your place, concubine!" he then insulted her once again, forcing Xuannü to even get more aggressive by the minute.

The two generals were glaring towards one another and a fight could escalate between those two anytime, given that both were holding their weapons. However, they stopped as they could hear stops coming towards them. Standing from their side was a tall Togabito, yet his appearance was different. While he wore a kilt of armor and shoulder plates, his head was that of a Chinese lion, except for the fact that it was real and organic. While his skin was golden, his mane and thick whiskers were fiery orange. The tall individual crossed his arms by what he was seeing.

"I could not help but to overhear some senseless confrontation between you two generals. What is all this nonsense about?" he asked, his voice booming as his mouth opened. The tall Togabito then focused his orange eyes upon the two slaves and only glanced at them for a brief moment. "Soldiers, bring those two back to work! The wall is not going to build by itself! Such is the will of the Eternal Emperor" he suddenly commanded the slaves and pointed his finger at the large wall being built.

Feeling obliged to follow this order, the soldiers grabbed the slaves and took them away, leaving the generals to deal with their own problems. Both Gong and Xuannü were being silent, yet Xuannü returned to her seat. She eventually nodded her head at the tall Togabito with a smile.

"Thank you for passing judgement upon those helpless and defenseless slaves, Mao Khuan" the young woman thanked him with a formal nod.

But Gong was displeased when hearing this. "Heh, your methods are pathetic, both of you!" the thick-bearded man said while crossing his arms. He then glanced at Khuan. "And next time, don't interfere with military matters! You have no idea what it really is!" he then snapped at the tall Togabito.

"I am the Eternal Emperor's Right Eye, General Guan Gong. As such, I have a right to involve myself in them as much as I want. Our great leader agrees with me" Khuan said to correct Gong's statement.

The thick-bearded man only scoffed at Khuan's words. "Whatever" he muttered while looking towards another direction.

Suddenly, a group of four Togabitos approached the three leaders and kneeled before them. These were quite similar to those of Zhong and his comrades. The on leading them, a spikey grey-haired man with bright eyes dressed in a black and white traditional Chinese outfit lifted up his head to face them.

"Hail, General Guan Gong, General Jiutian Xuannü and Master Mao Khuan. We bring news from Youdu" the man said while the three leaders focused their attentions on him and his comrades.

Xuannü smiled by what she was seeing. "Ah, members of the Fahai. I am delighted to see you again, especially you Jiang" she said to them with a gentle voice while specifically addressing the young man by his name. "Now what brings you four here?" she asked them in her kindhearted voice.

The man named Jiang smiled in return before replying. "By imperial edict. All allies and servants of the throne are to return to Youdu immediately. The Eternal Emperor has called for a summit in Shēnyuān to discuss the Diyu Empire's next move" the young man announced with loyalty in his voice.

The three leaders were listening closely as the Togabito explained the reason he and his comrades were sent here. But Khuan nodded his head in return, indicating that he understood what the message meant.

"If that is his will, then we will return to Youdu soon" the tall Togabito replied in return.

However, the members of the Fahai had begun to see how the building of the giant and long wall had come along. They were amazed by what they were seeing, Jiang included.

"Such marvelous progress" Jiang remarked lowly by what he was seeing

"I agree" the voice came from the pale-skinned and black-haired woman, who wore a black Chinese cape with some markings on it. She seemed to have a gothic appearance, as she even head eyeliners and mascara. But what was also noticeable was the couple of white snakes that hung around her neck like a scarf. In addition to that, this woman even had a snake's tongue and she hissed as well. "The Eternal Emperor was wise to consider a project such as this. It keeps the filth and impure out of our society" the woman added smugly to her explanation.

Jiang chuckled when hearing this. "Wise words, Daiyu" the grey-haired man noted and suddenly glanced at his other two comrades. "Hey Ping, Longwei, what do you think?" he then asked them with a respectful tone.

Ping was the light brown-skinned man with a wild, brown hairstyle orange eyes and a very round body. This indicated that he was indeed fat and he even had a potato nose, as well as piercing on his pointy ears. He wore a kilt of armor, with a large belt holding up by his stomach. He wore black spiked gloves. His outfit was similar to Bohai's, except for the fact that Bohai was much more muscular than Ping of course. Longwei was the tall man with long, white hair, red eyes and a white Chinese moustache. He was dressed in a black outfit that had dragon symbols on them. It resembled those of a Chinese Kung Fu master.

Ping snorted as he heard that question. "It's just a wall, what's so fancy about it?" he asked with rudeness in his voice, although he was given a death glare by his comrades, who had even begun showing hints of anger when hearing this. "I was being sarcastic, give me a break!" the fat man said in return, in an attempt to calm everyone's anger down.

Longwei restrained himself before folding his hands dispassionately. "Your lazy and deluded attitude never cease to disappoint me, Ping" the white-haired man said.

Ping got furious when he heard that statement and got into Longwei's face. "You take back what you just said, flamebreath! If you got something you wanna say to me, then do so right now!" he challenged the old man.

Longwei only turned around to give him the cold shoulder. "You appallingly lack respect, Ping! I can see the despicable pig you really are" he remarked before walking away.

Ping was about to angrily retaliate, only for Daiyu to restrain the chubby man with a firm grip on his shoulder. Feeling this kind of made Ping feel uncomfortable, as he knew what kind of things the melancholic woman was capable of performing on him.

"Give it up, Ping! We all know that a fat slob like you has no chance against Longwei" the black-haired woman said while letting go of her comrade, who only panted to catch her breath. Daiyu simply raised an eyebrow when seeing this. "What's wrong? I didn't infect you with my hand" she then told him.

But Ping only got furious. "Don't touch me like that, Daiyu! You almost made me shit in my pants!" he yelled, only to be scoffed by the young woman in return.

"Pfft…..whatever" she said and began taking steps towards the direction she and her comrades came from. "Shall we go then? The Eternal Emperor does not like to be kept waiting" she then suggested to her comrade.

Jiang nodded his head before facing his three leaders. "You heard our summons. Return to Youdu at once. We will head back and let him know of your arrival" he said, and the group of four vanished from the scene with the help of Zouguó

Once the group was gone, the three leaders took one last glance at the giant wall being constructed by both Kushinadas and Togabitos. When it was finished, it would become a wonder for the inhabitants of Hell to see.

Gong grinned while seeing the wall. "The wall is coming along as we speak. Once it reaches completion, it will stand as a testament to the might of the Diyu Empire and bring fear into all who would stand against us!" the thick-bearded man exclaimed with pride.

Xuannü simply sighed in annoyance when hearing this and made way for one of the infernal horses that existed in Hell called the hellsteeds. The two other leaders got on theirs as well, before a cavalry of soldiers riding on hellsteeds joined them. The young woman smiled when seeing this.

"These men should be enough to accompany us back to Youdu. The rest will stay behind the wall and keep the workers in line" the female general said to her comrades.

Guan simply grunted while Khuan nodded his head in respect after hearing this. "Very well. Then let us return to Youdu and meet with him…..our great leader" the tall Togabito said before they rode off to the barren wastes.

* * *

 _In the hellish palace of Shēnyuān, the city of Youdu, Hell_

The capital city of the Diyu Empire was located in a surprisingly flourishing valley, although it was very narrow. Mountains surrounded the city from all sides, and there was only one entrance and one exit for those who were visiting. That entry and exit was a narrow pass between one of the surrounding mountains. What was perhaps noticeable of the environment was the large river of lava that ran at the bottom of the valley. This meant that the city itself was built so high above it. This also explained why there were so many bridges that connected the city's districts to on another. All the buildings in Youdu were inspired by Chinese architecture and there were so many palaces.

The most imposing building of them all was the giant crimson palace of Shēnyuān, which was located on the top of a hill and separated from the bustling city, although there were stairs and bridges leading to the palace. It almost looked like a cross between the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet and the Summer Palace in Beijing, China. It was red and black at the same time, while giving its residents a goof view of the city before them, as well as the surrounding mountains.

But inside one of the palace's many rooms, a young man dressed in golden armor and having his black hair tied into a topknot was now entering the throne room, which was crawling with servants and loyalists alike. They were all Togabitos, and some of the old ones who were dressed like nobles were stunned as they saw the young man enter the throne room.

"I can't believe it. It's…" one of the elderly men uttered out lowly.

"That's Cheng Nezha, the Eternal Emperor's Left Eye" another old noble murmured while saying the young man's name. "But I thought he was out at the wall along with the others" he then remarked.

Nezha stopped and fixed his stern eyes on those nobles he had overheard talking about him. The elderly nobles were shocked, as they wondered whether he took an issue against this. The young man didn't seem impressed by their reactions.

"The Yíngpán has no need for my assistance, given that the other three advisors are over there supervising them. Now that I have answered your question, return to your seats. The Eternal Emperor will arrive soon" the young man said before continuing his move towards the five thrones located at the end of the throne room. "Nobles….they bore me as usual" he then noted in his thoughts while setting course for his seat, which was one of his.

But before he could even make a move, someone called out his name, and it belonged to a young woman. Nezha stopped on his tracks and turned around to see who it was.

"Hey there, Prince Nezha!" the voice came from a red-haired woman dressed like a Chinese princess. Her dress was black with white markings, while her hairpins were white. She seemed very youthful and beautiful for being a Togabito. The young woman giggled as his black eyes met her golden ones. "I was looking all over for you" she called out to him.

Nezha sighed when he heard her speaking. "Xiaodan. I have repeatedly told you not to call me that" he sternly told her while crossing his arms in dispassion. "Refer to me as Master Cheng Nezha, like other loyal subordinates do" he sternly requested of her, not caring that it was a woman she was speaking so strictly to.

The woman named Xiaodan lowered her head in shame, realizing that she made a mistake saying this to him. "Right…I'm sorry" she said with humility in her voice. But she quickly regained her smiling expression and faced the young man once again. "But anyway…..I was only wondering if you would like to….go out with me to the market. After the summit, that is" she then said while feeling slightly embarrassed to say this.

Nezha simply raised an eyebrow as he listened to what the red-haired woman just said. Facing the woman, he eventually began nodding his head as a yes. "Once this summit is over, we can then begin. But until then, don't get your hopes to high" he told her sternly while making sure she understood his words. Giggling with joy, Xiaodan were overjoyed and felt like dancing, only for a laughter to be heard coming from behind. Hearing this only made Nezha roll his eyes.

The one who was laughing from behind Xiaodan was a man wearing black outfit, and a bag akin to that of a wanderer's. He held the staff of a monk, and even wore a straw hat. The straw hat made it impossible for anyone to see the Togabito's eyes, but his mouth and chin could be seen.

Xiaodan was stunned when she saw him. "Zhen…what are you doing here?" she wondered with surprise.

The Togabito named Zhen faced her with his straw hat and simply chuckled. "Why, I've come to participate on the summit of course. The Eternal Emperor expects all of us of the Fahai to be present. He is not forgiving towards those who don't" Zhen told her in return.

"Don't forget about me!" the voice came from a female Togabito, who wore black clothes that were similar to that worn by female members of the Communist Party of China. Instead of being green, it was black and it even had a red star dotted on the cap. Her black hair reached to her shoulders. What was also noticeable was the red book she kept holding in her left hand. "I was just outside reading, but once I heard the call I immediately came here" she told them.

Xiaodan smiled while Zhen only scoffed in return. "Qiao. Why am I not surprised?" Zhen replied as Qiao approached them

Qiao simply formed a smug smile in return. "You never cease to amuse me with your dry humor, Zhen" she told him, although the Togabito with the straw hat seemed to not care about her words.

"Yes, he does indeed" a sort of male, robotic voice could be heard and the trio turned to face their comrade, who had black hair that reached to his shoulder. But this Togabito had a metal mask that covered his face, although it had an opening around the eye area. What was also noticeable was the black stealth armor that he wore. His feet looked like the tips of blades. "Why are you so surprised? Aren't we comrades?" he then asked his fellow members of the Fahai.

Qiao put her hands at her hips and raised an eyebrow while seeing him. "Feng. Where have you been? I thought you were gonna stay in the palace" she then said to him.

The Togabito named Feng simply bowed his head with formality to Qiao. "I am sorry to make you feel lonely, Qiao. But I had some errands to do in Youdu. Therefore, I needed to take care of them. But now that I'm done, I am free and will do anything to make it up to you" he explained while apologizing.

Qiao simply smiled and nodded her head at him return. "Apology accepted" she told him gently.

The large doors to the throne room opened and in came the other advisors to the Eternal Emperor, as well as the rest of the Fahai. The many groups of nobles that had been gathering in the throne room took their seats and sat on their knees, while the members of the Fahai gathered in a line before the five thrones. Each of the thrones were occupied by the Eternal Emperor's trusted subjects. All that remained unoccupied was the large throne in the middle, reserved for the emperor himself.

As silence began to take hold in the throne room, all the lights that had been lit on puffed. It became dark in the giant hall and all those who sat before the five thrones were onto their knees preparing to give their ruler the support and respect he deserved. Everything was silent, until a deep and menacing voice could be heard in the darkness, and this only indicated that the Eternal Emperor had indeed arrived.

"My children, so glad you could carve out some time to us. I am pleased to see that everyone has answered my call" the voice began shattering through the throne room, as no one dared to speak. "Now, let us begin this summit" the deep voice could be heard once again.

The moment the voice said that, a wall of fire could be seen appearing from behind the five thrones and a large and monstrous Togabito suddenly walked out of the giant wall of flame. As this creature revealed itself, all the Togabitos inside kneeled before him, and even went as far as to lower their heads. This was what they needed to do in order to show loyalty before their emperor. The creature was strong and muscular, on the same size as Augustus Zod Allowin. He was a red-skinned Chinese demon, with three eyes, a monstrous face and hair and beard covered in flames. Sharp fangs sprouted out from his mouth. He wore black shoulder armor one each shoulder and it reached down to his chest, while wearing a kilt of armor under his toned stomach. But his strong and muscular torso were completely exposed, and it showed everyone a giant hole where chains were sprouting out, almost as if this was his navel. He wore black sandals and even his feet were showing signs of burning on the ground. His choice of weapons was two burning whip chains, that were tied around his strong wrists. There was no mistaking it, this was the Eternal Emperor of the Diyu Empire.

"I am the Eternal Emperor of the Diyu Empire, and the rue Ruler of Hell! I am Wang Yanluo!" he exclaimed as his whip chains were rolled back to his wrists. The infernal Togabito then sat on his throne and gazed upon his followers and subordinates that kneeled before him, knowing that he was not just their emperor, but also their god. "For all the eons that we have been chained beneath the depths of Hell, we will make our stand in this unjust world and remake it as we of the unforgiven sees fit!" he then went on explaining.

Mao Khuan then faced his emperor with a respective bow, knowing that even as he sat beside him, he would still treat his superior as his god. "Eternal Emperor, what is our next move?" he then asked him.

For some reason, Yanluo rose up from his throne and fire began enveloping on his strong hands. He even formed a grin while seeing it burn. "The age of the Soul King will soon come to an end. Therefore, we must use this opportunity to strike out our enemies! But in order for us to do that, the Diyu Empire will join in an alliance of convenience with the Wandenreich!" the emperor then declared as the fires never stopped.

"Eternal Emperor, that is preposterous!" someone had spoken against Yanluo and it was one of the elderly noblemen who did that. He faced the red-skinned Togabito as his fellow nobles only glanced at him with shock. The nobleman was setting very close to the five thrones. "How can you expect this alliance to be beneficial to us!? We will only end up getting killed in the end!" the nobleman demanded an answer.

But before he could even be given an answer like, the nobleman suddenly felt his chest getting pierced by one of Yanluo's whip chains. His body was stunned and blood began falling out from his mouth. But it didn't take long before the whip chain became filled with flames and it spread fast until it reached the nobleman's body.

"ETERNAL EMPEROR, FORGIVE ME! I ONLY MEANT TO…." But it was too late, as the elderly Togabito's body burned into ashes, considered that the fire on the whip chain managed to infiltrate his body.

Yanluo expressed no remorse for his actions and simply pulled back his whip chain. "FOOL! DID YOU THINK THAT AN ALLIANCE WILL MAKE ME SERVE SOMEONE ELSE!?" he asked out angrily and faced his subordinates, who were still facing their heads against the floor. "ONCE OUR TIME IS HERE, WE TOGABITOS WILL MAKE OUR OWN MOVE! YOUR MIGHTY RULER WILL NEVER SERVE UNDER SOMEONE ELSE! ALL WILL SERVE ME, INCLUDING THE QUINCIES! AND NOT EVEN ICHIGO KUROSAKI, YHWACH, SOSUKE AIZEN AND AUGUSTUS ZOD ALLOWIN WILL BE ABLE ESCAPE FROM MY WRATH! THE WRATH OF HELL!" he bellowed for every one of his subjects to hear.

The emperor then gathered red energy and his Spiritual Pressure was enormous. It even shook the entire palace. Eventually, Yanluo began sprouting out anger and fire up in the air. He was now demonstrating to his subjects on what facing his wrath truly meant.

 _To be continued….._

* * *

 **Author's note: This chapter told us about both the Human World and Hell. The next chapter will take us back to the death of the Soul King and how to deal with it. In this chapter, we got introduced to a new threat rising up in Hell in the form of the Diyu Empire, and its leader: Wang Yanluo. In this war, the Togabitos will also play a key part. But what of their alliance with the Wandenreich? Does the Diyu Empire have its own motives? Now let us take a look at the terms that we got introduced to.**

 **Diyu – Chinese for "Hell/Underworld": A new power has emerged in Hell: the Diyu Empire. Under the leadership of the Eternal Emperor, the Diyu Empire has seized complete control of Hell. They have subjugated both Togabitos and the giant Kushanadas. What their true aims are remains a mystery.**

 **Youdu – Youdu is the capital city of the Diyu Empire. For some reason, this city of dangerous sinners and wondrous buildings has been showing itself in Hell. When it was built or even founded remains a mystery.**

 **Shēnyuān – Chinese for "Abyss": this is the imperial palace in Youdu and where the Eternal Emperor himself rests, as well as his servants and allies.**

 **Yíngpán – Chinese for "Military camp/Nomad camp": This is the Imperial Army of the Diyu Empire, dedicated to serve their ruler until the afterlife. Knowing very well about their superior's destructive powers, these soldiers are putting everything on their line.**

 **Fahai – The Fahai is a group of thirteen deadly Togabitos who are considered to be the Eternal Emperor's favorite soldiers in his army. Each of these members controls an element, inspired by Chinese, Japanese or other mythology. They also represent an animal that holds sacred tradition within China.**

 **Here are the characters and their voice actors I have given them. And of course, some might be questionable but what the Hell. (that was just a pun-attempt) Get it? Okay, here they are.**

 **Wang Yanluo – Clancy Brown**

 **Jiutian Xuannü – Mari Devon**

 **Guan Gong – Cam Clarke**

 **Mao Khuan – Gerald C. Rivers**

 **Cheng Nezha – Kaiji Tang**

 **Jiang – Vincent Tong**

 **Ying – Kimberly Brooks**

 **Xiaodan – Hynden Walch**

 **Ling – Tom Gibis**

 **Daiyu – Grey DeLisle**

 **Bohai – Robbie Rist**

 **Longwei – Skip Stellerecht**

 **Qiao – Tiffany Grant**

 **Zhen – Henry Dittman**

 **Feng – Keith Ferguson**

 **Zhong – Ezra Weisz**

 **Ping – Jonathan Fahn**

 **Niu – David Kaye**


	28. The Father, the Son and the Black Hand

**Author's note: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 28: The Father, the Son and the Black Hand**

 _Inside the majestic palace of Esperanza, El Dorado, Hueco Mundo_

The wondrous paradise of El Dorado had finally begun to feel affected by the Wandenreich's ongoing war with the Soul Society. With the Soul King's death, the Realm of the Hollows were also feeling an earthquake throughout the barren landscape.

But looking from a balcony at Esperanza itself was none other than Augustus Zod Allowin, who stood there overlooking the wondrous city that could feel the shaking. But he was accompanied by the members of the Sombre, whom were all Dechados, as well as Killaman Khan, Diablo Gallante and Xerrxes Rureaux. The Emperor of the Imperio de Hierro was now eyeing this grimly.

"And there you have it, Your Highness" Pieddot Picasso said while bowing formally to his emperor. "Even now, there is no doubt in my mind that Yhwach is in the Royal Realm, which actually explains this" he then added to his explanation.

"The earth trembles in disharmony. It also affects El Dorado as well" Allowin noted grimly before glancing at Killaman. "Just as you foresaw Killaman Khan. And the one to cut the king…..the Substitute Shinigami: Ichigo Kurosaki" he then added.

Killaman bowed before his liege, but there was more that needed to be said from him. "I appreciate your words, my lord. But I am afraid that the dices have been cast and that the game has barely begun" the hooded Arrancar with long beard said in return and glanced out at the cityscape. "It won't be long before the ritual commences" he then told Allowin as he and the others listened closely.

"What kind of horseshit are you spewing out, old man!?" the angry voice came from Lyoness as he glared at the Dechado with his feral eyes. "Are your glowing eyes blind!? Our beloved city is in disarray! We must….." the reddish-brown maned man was stopped when he could feel Allowin's intimidating glance on him.

"HOLD YOUR TONGUE, LYONESS MAHLANGU!" Allowin's voice roared and this forced Lyoness to stop his verbal attack on Killaman. The emperor then stood up and watched as he could see that the earthquake caused the rocky roof above to loosen.

"What are your orders, Your Highness?" Gallante asked as he and the other Dechados knelt before their leader.

Allowin was now beginning to float up in the air from the balcony and he faced his subordinates. "We must help the citizens in need and assist the Ojos! Summon the rest of the Dechados! We will defend El Dorado against this threat!" he commended them and suddenly looked down to the Conquistadores in Esperanza's courtyard. "Conquistadores, open the gates! All the citizens will find sanctuary behind the wall of Esperanza!" he called out to them, determined to save his people from this chaos.

* * *

 _In the icy cityscape, the Sereitei, Soul Society_

The moment Ichigo cut the Soul King in half, the end of the world had begun. Even now, a large earthquake shook the entire landscape in the Soul Society, both outside and inside the Sereitei. The many buildings that existed fell into many pieces and both Shinigamis and Quincies alike were running away in fear. To them, this was the end of everything, including the world.

But for the surviving Sternritters who had barely managed to escape Yhwach's Auswählen, it only demonstrated what his true motives for everyone, including them were. Both Bazz-B and NaNaNa Najakhoop were currently hiding inside a building and watched from the broken window the many Soldats running away in fear. After barley managing to survive the Auswählen, the Sternritters had been lying unconsciously for an hour only to wake up and gather their strength. While their lives had been kept, their Quincy: Vollständig had been taken away.

"Man, this some bullshit!" NaNaNa cursed while staring outside, as he was still wearing his orange mask before his eyes. "Here we are fighting the enemy only for His Majesty to ditch our asses! I mean, come on!" he exclaimed loudly while throwing his arms in the air.

Bazz-B only glanced at him dispassionately. "You say that surprised you? Well I sure as hell was not!" the punkish Quincy said in return while crossing his arms. Even inside this building, they could still feel the entire earth shake. "So, this is what Yhwach has in store for us? Nothing but oblivion" he then thought inside his head.

The two Sternritters could see that some boulders began falling down towards the fleeing Shinigamis and Quincies. The icy cityscape was slowly becoming torn apart. Many lives were now gone thanks to this entire earthquake and Bazz-B knew that something had to be done, not necessarily by the Shinigamis, but from the Sternritters themselves.

NaNaNa became surprised, when he saw Bazz-B stand up on his feet. It made him wonder why he was doing that. "Where are you headin' off to?" the lean Sternritter asked the man with the Mohawk.

"What do you think? I said to myself that I was not gonna die here by the Auswählen! And here I am still standing and breathing!" Bazz-B replied before banging his fists together. "And besides, I still haven't fulfilled my vow to my family. Killing that bastard Yhwach!" he then added while he was filled with passion in his voice.

NaNaNa only rose up to his feet and merely put his hands in his pockets. "Bruh, what are you sayin'?" he asked while sounding astounded. "I mean, how do you suppose you would be able to beat His Majesty's ass? I mean, at this right, you ain't powerful enough to take on a Shinigami!" he said.

But Bazz-B angrily grabbed the collar of NaNaNa's vest and he faced him directly through his mask. "Shut your ass up! I'm more than capable of doing that!" he said and suddenly began looking outside at the broken window to see the Soldats running around in fear. Bazz-B couldn't help but to form a smug smirk on his face. "And besides, there's no reason to worry about the loss of our Quincy: Vollständig. We can always regain it" he said to NaNaNa as he also looked outside the window.

NaNaNa couldn't help but to grin with his black and white teeth when he knew what Bazz-B was trying to explain him. "Ah I see. Regaining them will definitely be our first step" the lean Quincy noted smugly.

"Damn straight! We'll rendezvous with the other surviving Sternritters, I can sense their Spiritual Pressures. Then we can begin our path in destroying Yhwach and his lapdogs!" Bazz-B said before glancing at the Soldats. "But first, let us have some "festering". This method is strictly forbidden to use if you want to regain your Quincy: Vollständig, but because we're on our own here, we'll do whatever it takes to regain our powers!" he declared as his fist was burning with fire.

* * *

 _Inside the Squad 12 Base_

The ceiling above the Shinigamis waiting to open a gate to the Royal Realm were caught by surprise when they could feel that the entire lab was shaking so endlessly. The earthquake even made cracks in the ceiling and it made everyone cautious as they wondered what was currently happening.

"Shit! The ceiling is breaking apart! Ikkaku cursed as he could see what was happening.

"What the hell is this!? Are we under attack all of a sudden!?" Yumichika demanded an answer from those around him.

Sui-Feng felt very uneasy, as did her lieutenant. "No, that's impossible! I don't sense Quincies around us at all! This must be something else!" she added to hear fears.

"It can't be….." Urahara uttered out words in shock as he looked up to the ceiling, as he was in fact facing up in the skies. "No…the Soul King is…..dead!" he then revealed, his eyes never leaving the sight of the skies.

All the Shinigamis around him became shocked when hearing this realization, as they could not believe in what he was saying. Was it really true? Had the Soul King been killed? Was this the end of the world?

"YOU CANNOT BE FUCKING SERIOUS!" Shinji shouted in anger while facing Urahara. He was filled with outrage over seeing this. "I MEAN, HAS THE ROYAL GUARD FALLEN AS WELL!? AND WHAT ABOUT ICHIGO AND THE OTHERS!?" he then angrily asked, as the usually laidback captain was now filled with anger.

Urahara faced the floor. "I really don't have the answer, but the only hypothesis I can come up with is that the Royal Guard has been defeated and that Ichigo and the others did not make it in time" the blonde-haired man explained what he felt would be the answer, but he had more thoughts swirling in his head right now. "But at this rate, the Sereitei…no the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo and even the Human World will all vanish along with everything else….all because of the Soul King's death!" he then pointed out what would happen next.

The Shinigamis were filled with unease over hearing his explanation, as they could not believe that this was their fate.

"SO THIS IS THE END OF US!? ISN'T THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO!?" Renji angrily asked.

But while the majority of the Shinigamis were bickering and arguing in distress amongst themselves, Jushiro Ukitake was now moving himself in the middle of the circle and everyone could notice something odd about the white-haired man. For some reason, a black thing began sprouting out from his back and it stunned everyone, including Urahara and Rukia.

"Captain Ukitake…what are you….." Urahara asked in shock as he saw what the captain was planning to do.

Ukitake faced everyone around him as a black eye began to take shape behind his back. "I will replace the Soul King…and take his place!" Ukitake declared and suddenly removed his clothes until his upper torso were exposed. Bandages were falling off and the black marking on Ukitake's back began to roam free. "I will explain everything eventually, but now let me begin the ritual!" he told everyone around him.

Rukia's eyes widened as she, Kiyone and Sentaro got to see what was coming out from their captain's back. It was unbelievable to their standards.

"Captain Ukitake…..is that….." the young girl was at loss of words, as she could see what it was.

Ukitake looked over his shoulder to see his subordinates while pulling out his Zanpakutous. He then made a fighting stance while chanting a name and prayers repeatedly. "Lord Mimihagi….Lord Mimihagi….Lord Mimihagi, please lend me your powers…..with the powers you have granted me, I shall release it!" he said as the thing behind him started to take shape for real. "Lord Mimihagi…..Lord Mimihagi…Lord Mimihagi, please lend me your powers….with the powers you have granted me, I shall release it!" he then exclaimed and the thing behind him took the shape of a clenched fist with an eye in the middle. It grew taller and taller for everyone to see.

The Shinigamis backed off as they watched the eye itself growing bigger as well. They were all awed at what this thing was, as it was something they had never seen before. Even Kenpachi was surprised and stunned.

"What the fuck is that!?" he exclaimed in disbelief over seeing this.

But soon, it was safe for them to get closer near Ukitake, as he was now onto his knees with the giant thing floating above him. He was sweating, considering that this ritual was taking a toll on his body. "Ever since I was 3 years old, I have had a very bad lung disease. This white hair of mine is an aftereffect of this disease" he then explained before facing the Shinigamis around him. "I am certain that some of you are probably aware…that my life was supposed to end when I was 3 years old" he then revealed to them, thus exposing a secret he had kept hidden from most of his comrades and subordinates.

"I have only heard about Lord Mimihagi, but just his name" Urahara then admitted while glancing at Ukitake. "From what I have heard, it is some kind of indigenous god for the people that are living on the outskirts of the Eastern Rukon District.

Ukitake nodded his head as a yes while the black things swirled around his body. "You are correct. The people of the Eastern Rukon District believe that it is a single-eyed god. They also believe that it will protect those who are willing to sacrifice everything, except for their own eyes" he said but he had more to fill in as the Shinigamis were glancing at the giant eye above him. "This god…..was a god that had fallen a long time ago. Apparently, it was enshrined…..as the Soul King's Right Hand" he revealed to everyone's surprises.

Urahara was stunned to hear this. "The Soul King's Right Hand….." he said lowly. "I only thought that the legends about the Soul King having life in all of his body parts were just myths!" he then admitted into his head.

Ukitake could not help but to muse when seeing their reactions. "You see, my parents were very superstitious people. When all the doctors abandoned me, they brought me before Lord Mimihagi's shrine immediately. They prayed that he would take my lungs and it happened. Because of this, I survived. And because of my survival, I was even able to become a Shinigami and work for the Sereitei" he mused before coughing out chunks of blood.

"Captain!" Rukia called out and was about to come to his side, only for her captain to make her stop.

The white-haired man came back to his composure and continued with the ritual. "Lord Mimihagi's power has been eating at these lungs of mine, and it will continue throughout my body. This is a process we call the Kamikake" Ukitake explained while feeling how it took a toll on him. "Everything inside me will now belong to Lord Mimihagi. I have become Lord Mimihagi's representative. And by sacrificing everything inside of me, I am now…..the Soul King's Right Hand" the white-haired man noted while feeling how stronger it was becoming.

Rukia was filled with shock, and she was now beginning to see the entire picture of this. She even began to realize what Ukitake's motives were. "Captain Ukitake…..don't tell me that…you foresaw everything and used the Kamikake to…" the young woman had no more words to describe her own realization.

Ukitake faced her, Sentaro and Kiyone with a smile of his own. "Yes, I knew deep down, from the moment I was given a second time of life…..that this day would eventually arrive. It is also my wish that this life I was given….is given back for the sake of the Soul Society" he explained, but he was not finished speaking to them. A heartfelt smile was formed across his face as he took a glance on them. "Rukia…..Sentaro…..Kiyone…..I know that this may not be the best way to say goodbye forever…but I want you to know something. Whatever path you may chose that will determine your fates…I will always be proud of you….as your captain. Feel free to do whatever you wish to protect the future…because I have already…chosen mine" those were the last words of Captain Jushiro Ukitake to his subordinates, as he roared up in the skies. Lord Mimihagi had taken full control of his body and was headed up straight towards the skies. His entire mouth and eyes were filled with Mimihagi's black aura.

Rukia and her fellow members of Squad 13 only stood and reflected on what they head heard their captain tell them. Were those just words for advice? But then again, they could all agree on one thing. Ukitake was telling this from the bottom of his heart.

The other Shinigamis could only stand and watch as the black hand was shot up and through the Shakonmaku. Everything was silent in the room and the earthquake could no longer be felt. But while some were staring at the body of Ukitake, others were staring at Urahara, considering that even a smart man like him had never seen things before.

"How long will it last?" that question came from Sui-Feng as she glanced at Urahara. "I didn't think Ukitake would completely become the Soul King's substitute. But that of his ability will only last as long as he is alive. So how long will it last?" she asked the blonde-haired man one more time.

Some of the Shinigamis were feeling that Sui-Feng's questions were not helping anything. "Captain…..this isn't the time for…" Marechiyo was trying to speak up his mind, only to be interrupted by his captain's voice of iron.

"Shut it, Omaeda!" she made him zip his mouth before glaring at Urahara once again. "Isn't that the truth, Urahara!?" she angrily demanded an answer from him once again.

Urahara sighed deeply before glancing at Sui-Feng for real. "I don't know. To tell you the truth, this is actually the first time I have seen the Kamikake, so I really can't tell how long it will last" the blonde-haired man finally answered before facing the rest of the Shinigamis. "But one thing is for sure. We have to look for another way to stabilize the Soul Society. While Ukitake is standing in for the Soul King, we will make the doors and head to the Royal Realm quickly!" he said to everyone and they all agreed.

But as they were about to continue making the doors, the Shinigamis could see that they began disintegrating. Its process was only going backwards and the lines that connected it were gradually disappearing as well. This worried everyone.

"What the hell is going on!?" Ikkaku angrily asked while seeing this.

"The doors are gradually disintegrating! But why? We had just begun creating them!" Yumichika remarked in disbelief at what he was seeing.

But Nanao appeared to have the answer for it. "There isn't enough Spiritual Pressure" she replied as she knew what was happening.

"What do you mean?" Shuhei, who stood beside her asked.

"Captain Ukitake always used his Spiritual Pressure to continuously support his sickly body. This made his Spiritual Pressure stronger than the rest of us in the group" Nanao answered before taking a look at the doors that were disappearing. "But now that he is out of commission, there isn't enough Spiritual Pressure to make the doors. At this rate, we'll…." Nanao was suddenly surprised when Lisa Yadomaru appeared a shihakusho and held her hand on Nanao's ball. "Yadomaru…" the lieutenant was stunned to see her.

The stern woman fixed her eyes upon Nanao. "What do you mean by at this rate? There's no way we're gonna let things go at this rate, are we?" she then sternly asked her.

But she was not the only one, as the rest of the Vizards appeared in the room, dressed in shihakushos. But Hachi's was a special case. He was actually wearing the outfit that he wore during his time as Lieutenant of the Kido Corps. But Hiyori and Love wore shihakushos, just like the rest of the Shinigamis.

"Here, I'm wearing the damn shihakusho! Are ya happy now!?" she angrily snapped while facing Urahara. "Now give me the ball already, Kisuke! I just wanna get over with this quickly!" she added to her words.

Urahara smiled when seeing the Vizards arrive. "Excellent, you arrived just at the right time" the blonde-haired man noted when he saw them.

But Shinji was less than enthusiastic. "Pfft…..I don't know. I kind of liked it when Hiyori was not around" he thought inside his head.

"My, my, it seems that I arrived here at the right time" the voice came from Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, as he and Nemu had just exited the doors to his lab. "I noticed that there was a gathering here, but just look at the mess you have done here" he then went on expressing his dissatisfaction about the base's condition.

"Captain Kurotsuchi" Urahara was surprised to see Mayuri being finished with his research and noticed the Captain of Squad 12 heading towards the computers.

"I know, I know. You plan on gathering everyone and have them use their Spiritual Pressures for the doors. But I still don't get it, though" Mayuri noted while clicking on the dashboards. This resulted in the computers separating from one another, as something was shown in the middle. "If you needed a large amount of Spiritual Pressure, then why didn't you just use my Spiritual Pressure amplifier?" the scientist then asked the blonde-haired man.

Urahara only scoffed at this in return. "You should've told us you had it then" he remarked smugly in return.

"Well, I didn't think we would be in such a mess" Mayuri simply replied.

With the combined assistance of the Vizards and the Spiritual Pressure amplifier, the doors were once again being made. With that much Spiritual Pressure, a trip to the Royal Realm was guaranteed for the group of Shinigamis, and they all knew that there was no going back from this.

* * *

 _Somewhere deep underneath the Sereitei_

While the Shinigami were making efforts to break into the Royal Realm, Head-Captain Shunsui Kyoraku was now currently visiting the underground prison of arguably the greatest traitor to the Soul Society itself: Sosuke Aizen. Ever since his defeat at the hands of Ichigo, Aizen had been sentenced to imprisonment for many generations. His prison was deep beneath the earth, where he could never see the sun or even see clearly in the dark. The bindings around him only made it harder for him to ever do so. But still, it didn't dismiss Aizen as a potential threat to the Soul Society, based upon the crimes he committed against it.

Shunsui had been given a seat of keys to be able to free three things on Aizen's bindings: his mouth, his left eye and his ankles. The moment he put those three keys inside the holes, he was in for a surprise, as Aizen himself walked slowly towards him.

"What's wrong? You still have many keys left, don't you?" Aizen asked while glancing down upon the pink-clad Shinigami.

However, Shunsui remained calm and simply glanced at the condemned prisoner with his smug smile. "Well, how does it feel being able to walk with those ankles and see with that eye after such a long time?" Shunsui asked in his usual laidback manner.

Aizen merely glanced at him unfazed. "I see that you haven't changed at all. You are still the same as ever" he simply replied without any emotion in his voice.

Shunsui merely chuckled. "I'll take that as a compliment, thanks" he replied to his statement. But he then rose up to his feet and faced Aizen directly into his only eye, considering that Shunsui had only one eye left as well. "But listen, I didn't come here just to hear you compliment me. So how about we put this pleasantry behind us and talk business?" he then suggested to Aizen in a stern manner.

The brown-haired man was unfazed and slightly raised an eyebrow in return. "Business? What kind of business?" he asked while sounding confused. "Pardon me, but I don't recall ever doing business with you in the past, Shunsui Kyoraku" he then added.

"That's not what I'm talking about" Shunsui revealed and formed a slight frown with his mouth. "You can drop the clueless act. I know about your secret "conversation" with Yhwach" he then told the prisoner smugly.

Hearing this made Aizen form a smirk with this mouth. "Well, what does it matter? If you know about it, then you probably know about the details as well" he then said.

But Shunsui simply shook his head as a no. "Aizen, Aizen, Aizen. You really seem to have gotten sloppy with your manipulations lately" the man with the eyepatch remarked before facing the prisoner once again. "Based upon the conversation with Yhwach, you weren't merely talking about you joining his side. No, there is more to it than meets the eye" the head-captain then said smugly.

Aizen was starting to find Shunsui annoying with his tough talk. "Just what are you trying, Kyoraku?" he then asked while wanting an answer. But he also took a brief glance at the sets of keys that the head-captain had brought with him. "Hmmm….on another note, why would you go to such lengths in bringing the keys in here despite not wanting to free me?" the brown-haired man wondered.

Shunsui only stood still as he listened, but he eventually removed some of his shihakusho to reveal something in his chest. "Well, you seem to have seen through me, haven't you? Well, I guess it can't hurt showing you" he remarked and showed markings on his chest. "The truth of the matter is, I had to hide the keys inside myself. But the conditions I was given from Central 46 were "free only three parts" the pink-clad Shinigami explained.

Aizen only glanced with a frown of his own. "Hmm…the doors to this place would forever remain shut if you were to be killed, is that it?" the brown-haired man asked while glancing at the markings on Shunsui's chest. "Furthermore Central 46 also predicted that I would probably kill you and take the keys as well. Those congressmen in that chamber sure is a lot" he then remarked when he realized all this.

"Don't try to change to subject here" Shunsui said and suddenly glanced at Aizen warily. But he suddenly smiled smugly, much to Aizen's indifference. "You still haven't told me what you and Yhwach were really talking about. And now that you know everything about me, how about you let me know everything about you?" he then asked, not wanting to make a big drama out of this.

Aizen only glanced at him with disapproval, yet he did nothing in response except for speaking. "Very well. I will tell you what he said" he then gave in to Shunsui's demands

* * *

 _Many weeks earlier, Aizen's underground prison_

As Sosuke Aizen was standing inside the dark with his bindings, he was in for a surprise as he could feel that the bindings over his mouth and left eye was loosened. The brown-haired man opened his eye and then looked through the darkness.

"This Spiritual Pressure seems unfamiliar to me" Aizen admitted before noticing that it came closer to him. "Who is it?" he finally opened his mouth to speak.

A deep chuckle could be heard from the darkness and stepping out from the shadows was none other than Yhwach himself. The Emperor of the Wandenreich was facing the prisoner smugly. He merely stood five feet away from Aizen's location.

"Who are you?" Aizen asked, not feeling very surprised when seeing him. "Based upon your Spiritual Pressure, you are not a Shinigami…but a Quincy…...but that means you are…." the brown-haired man noted in slight surprise when seeing this.

"Surprised to see me here? Well, you probably have heard about me, considering your reputation as one of the Soul Society's most intelligent individuals" Yhwach replied flatly before bowing before him in a formal manner. "I am Yhwach, the Father of the Quincies and Emperor of the Wandenreich. I am humbled to finally meet you in person, Sosuke Aizen" he introduced himself.

Aizen merely smirked in return. "I see. You weren't dead as all of the Soul Society first expected. What a coincidence it must be for me to receive a visit from someone like you" he remarked in return.

"Your charm eludes me, Shinigami. I can see how you were able to become a captain" the black-haired man said in return, but then fixed a slight frown underneath his moustache. "But enough pleasantries, let us talk about your current situation in this light-forsaken place. Now how was the wise and infamous Sosuke Aizen brought to this place?" he then asked, before he snapped in realization. But all of this was seen as a taunt to Aizen. "Oh, that's right. You had everything at your hands and were on the verge of victory, only to be defeated…...by Ichigo Kurosaki, a mere Substitute Shinigami" Yhwach went on explaining, mocking Aizen at the same time.

Aizen only glanced at Yhwach with dispassion, as he did not like having this subject being brought up. "Mind you tongue. You were never able to witness how it all really went" he sternly told the Quincy before forming a smirk with his mouth. "However, I succeeded in one thing, though. I followed Ichigo Kurosaki from his birth and watched as he evolved from a mere boy to a strong fighter. He was a rare case, considering that his mother was a Quincy that was able to deal a blow to my own creation. But her defeat of White caused her dearly and she was on the verge of dying, only to be saved by Isshin Shiba" Aizen began explaining how he had been following on Ichigo. "Therefore, I succeeded in unleashing Ichigo's potential" he then concluded proudly.

Yhwach could not help but to laugh at what he was hearing. "You fool. You went all this trouble to help that boy develop, only for him to turn against you in the end. It's almost like a lab rat turning against his captor" the long-haired man was musing to himself. "But in fact, I should actually be thanking you, Sosuke Aizen. And I thank you for helping Ichigo realize his potential" he then admitted to the prisoner.

Aizen could not stand being spoken to like this, so he decided to change the subject. "Why have you come here? Did you come here just to make a mockery out of me?" he sternly, yet calmly demanded an answer.

Yhwach responded by "reaching" out a hand towards Aizen, although it was only a mocking gesture. "I am glad that you finally asked" he said with a smile. "Your plans to create an Oken and invade the Royal Realm may have ended in failure. However, you can still achieve that goal. The door is not yet closed" the man with the moustache insisted to him.

Aizen was unfazed and only raised an eyebrow in return. "Just what are you implying here?" he asked with no interest in his voice.

"Sosuke Aizen, on behalf of the entire Wandenreich, I hereby offer you my hand in friendship. I invite you to join me and remake this world together. We will do that starting with killing the Soul King" Yhwach declared while explaining to him. "Think of this as a chance to redeem yourself after your humiliating defeat" the long-haired man then said.

"I refuse" Aizen flatly responded, thus snapping Yhwach. The man in bindings only glanced at Yhwach with nothing but dispassion. "You speak as if you and I are similar, as well as share the same goal. But you have sadly mistaken, Yhwach" the brown-haired man said.

Yhwach merely raised an eyebrow warily. "And why is that?" he asked.

Aizen forced a smug smile. "Fool, my intentions were never to destroy the world, only to change it" he said. "I only wanted to replace the Soul Society's system and remove the Soul King. In this world, there should not be someone like that thing to rule over us. Rather, it is the world's most intelligent and wisest that should be on the top! They should be the greatest leaders of the society! They should be considered gods and do you know why? Because those individuals have enough knowledge and power to become Gods themselves!" the brown-haired man then explained what his view of the world was.

Aizen's motives have been questionable, but the former Captain of Squad 5 had always desired to change the world, or more specifically the Soul Society. But if he was to change the Soul Society, he would have to overthrow the Soul King and then become a God himself. However, his quest for power had led Aizen to commit great atrocities to both friends and foe alike. But even so, Aizen never seemed to care about the consequences of his actions. All that was onto his mind was power, and he cared less about those around him. He felt like he was the one chosen to become the Soul Society's true leader.

Yhwach only laughed after 8 seconds and this time it was loudly. Aizen angrily glared at the Quincy, but Yhwach soon stopped laughing and glanced at the prisoner with a smirk on his face.

"You becoming a God? Don't be so clueless!" Yhwach asked while musing to himself over the fact. "Now let me ask you something. Even to this day, you still have no regrets over the actions you have done in order to further your aims?" the man with the moustache asked Aizen.

The brown-haired man was surprised when he was asked about this. He couldn't understand why someone like Yhwach would be asking him such questions. Slowly gritting his teeth in anger, Aizen fixed a surprisingly maddened look on his face, something that indicated he had slowly been driven into insanity.

"You think I care?" Aizen asked before directly eyeing his visitor. "FOOL! THE ONLY THING I CARE ABOUT IS MY OWN DESTINTY! URAHARA, HIRAKO, MOMO, GIN, TOSEN, THE COURT GUARD, THE ESPADAS, THE ARRANCARS, TO HELL WITH THEM ALL!" he spat out in anger, finally revealing his true face, about a selfish man who never cared about anything, and never felt pain towards others. But Aizen soon calmed himself and brushed off his anger. "Let me be clear here, Yhwach! I am nothing like you and never will be. Therefore, I refuse to join you. The Soul Society will be mine for the taking, not yours!" the fallen Shinigami concluded his refusal.

So far, Yhwach had only glanced at the prisoner speak towards him unfazed. It appeared that he was displeased with Aizen's answer. Before he could even speak, the Quincy could feel the enormous amount of Spiritual Pressure coming from Aizen. The Emperor of the Wandenreich took a few steps back and watched as Aizen slowly began taking slow steps towards him.

"I grow tired of you, Yhwach. You have heard my answer. Now leave me" Aizen told the Quincy.

While slightly awed by Aizen's enormous Spiritual Pressure, Yhwach suddenly formed a grin and pulled out something from his cape. "Very well. Since you have given me your answer, then allow me to show you something" he said and suddenly held out a pale blue crystal ball in his hand.

The crystal ball glowed brightly and it even made Aizen stop in his tracks. In fact, the brown-haired man got intrigued when he saw the crystal ball, as he could even see what was inside of it.

"What kind of magic is this….." Aizen uttered out words lowly.

The long-haired man mused to himself when hearing this. "This is my Schicksal. It is able to show you anything that is not lies. And as you may know, I despise lies" Yhwach explained as the crystal ball began showing cloudy skies and it was thundering inside of them. Aizen's eye was solely focused on those rumbling clouds. "Do you think that your actions in Hueco Mundo has gone unnoticed? That is quite ignorant of you to believe in. Because right now, "he" knows of your actions against Hueco Mundo, including the abuse of its rightful power. And once "he" gets knowledge of you being alive…..he will come for you…and take what is rightfully his…then "he" will send you to the realm of eternal Nightmares and torture: the Sea of Suffering…..which is worse than Hueco Mundo and Hell combined" Yhwach went on explaining what was Aizen's fat.

While the brown-haired man listened closely, his angrily unleashed his Spiritual Pressure once again, thus sending Yhwach away one again. Aizen was only glancing at the Quincy with dispassion now.

"Your visions seem worthless to me. I have far better things to worry about than some old, dismissive myths told by former Captain of Squad 3: Bansui Amatsuki" Aizen told the long-haired man. "My time will come soon, and I will start with making you my next target, Yhwach" he then said smugly while even forcing a smirk with his mouth.

Despite hearing this, Yhwach only chuckled in return and shrugged off what he just heard from Aizen. He turned around and slowly began disappearing into the darkness once again. "Fight if you must, Aizen. But it won't matter. There will be a change in the Soul Society, but also in the entire world as well. So for now, rest easy and wait" the long-haired man said as he vanished from Aizen's view with the bindings enclosing on him once again.

* * *

 _Back to the present, in the Soul King's Palace, the Royal Realm, Soul Society_

When the shaking had stopped, those fighting in the Soul King's palace could feel this. Yhwach, who had been concentrating on fighting Ichigo, was left stunned when he witnessed what was happening at the Soul King. Not only he was caught by surprise when seeing Mimihagi stand above the Soul King, as were Ichigo and his friends.

Yhwach's eyes widened as he saw the black hand hold up the Soul King, thus protecting him. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked lowly while seeing an eye open on the black hand. "So this is it, the one thing that escapes these eyes of mine" Yhwach then noted, as even with the Almighty, he could not predict Mimihagi's interference. But Yhwach eventually knew what this was and he became furious. "Why? Why does you, the Soul King's Right Hand stand in my way!? Are you starting to feel sentimental towards the Soul Society you have always protected!? Answer me, Soul King!" he angrily demanded an answer from Mimihagi and the Soul King.

Meanwhile, the group of friends were still trying to figure out what had just happened. They had not expected this to happen, as they thought that the entire world was going under.

"What the hell just happened…." Ganju asked lowly and suddenly looked outside. "The clouds…..they've stopped moving" the long-haired man then noted.

"Then that means the end of the world has somehow been averted" Chad noted and the glanced over at Mimihagi holding the Soul King. "Whatever that thing is, it sure did us all a great favor in saving the world" the brown-haired man remarked.

Tessai adjusted his glasses while watching Mimihagi's form. "The Soul King's Right Hand. If that really exists, then it means something" the tall man noted in his thoughts. "It would mean that the myths about the Soul King having life in all of his body parts and organs…..is real" he then went on analyzing the fact.

So far, Yhwach had only stood and glanced at Mimihagi protecting the Soul King. But for some reason, the black-haired man's eyed widened in realization. It appears as if he was speaking to Mimihagi via telepathy. After 4 minutes of silence, Yhwach couldn't help but to form a grin underneath his moustache. Why was he doing that?

"Heh, I see. So, that is what this is all about?" the Quincy remarked and slowly began taking steps towards Mimihagi and the Soul King. "At first, I was stunned to see why you would become an obstacle for me, considering that you are merely a hand severed by the Soul King's body and no longer follows his will" he then admitted, as he got closer to his target. Yhwach raised his hand and readied his fingers. "If this is what has been decided, then I shall take him along with you, Soul King!" he declared and was about to make a move against Mimihagi.

But Yhwach's arm was stopped by Ichigo, who had used his Shunpo to appear right before him. The orange-haired man held the Quincy's arm and stopped him from attacking Mimihagi.

Yhwach merely glanced at him unfazed. "Move aside, Ichigo" he told the young man.

"Yoruichi, Tessai! Now!" the orange-haired man called onto his two allies and the two Shinigamis ran past him an Yhwach. Now that he was keeping the Quincy busy, Tessai and Yoruichi could do what they had in mind.

The two friends ran around the Soul King and made markings around it, also throwing papers down on the wooden floor as well. "Good work, Ichigo! We'll handle this! Juts keep him busy!" Yoruichi said, as she and Tessai began perfomring some hand seals and a barrier started taking shape around the Soul King. "So, this black blob is the Soul King's Right Hand, huh?" the purple-haired woman asked her friend.

"Whatever it is, it managed to stabilize the Soul Society by holding on to the Soul King's body!" Tessai responded while finishing the hand seals. "And if that is the case, then we will make it the new Soul King!" the man with glasses added to his explanation, as a barrier slowly began erecting itself.

Meanwhile, Yhwach was still glancing at Ichigo in displeasure, as he still held back his arm. "Why are you doing this, Ichigo? You are the one who cut the Soul King in half and your Quincy-blood dwelling inside of you should not be able to overlook his existence" the man the black-moustache said, but Ichigo's eyes remained defiant. "So what reason does that give you to stop me!?" Yhwach then demanded an answer from Ichigo.

"How many times do I have to say this?" Ichigo simply asked lowly and then angrily narrowed his eyes. "I HAVE COME HERE TO MAKE YOU SUFFER FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE! ONCE YOU'RE DEAD, THE HUMAN WORLD WILL BE FREE OF YOU!" he angrily replied.

"YOU DEFEATING ME!?" Yhwach asked back in outrage. "SUCH STUPIDITY! YOU ONLY SAY THIS OUT OF IGNORANCE!" the old man then said in return.

"QUIT DEGRADING ME, YOU BASTARD!" Ichigo hit back and suddenly swung one of his blades. "GETSUGA TENSHOU!" he yelled, as he swung a crescent beam towards Yhwach.

This attack resulted in the palace's roof becoming destroyed and it left the Soul King's quarters exposed to the open skies around it. A large chunk of smoke erupted from the palace's top.

Amidst these smokes, Ichigo stood and readied himself in facing off against Yhwach. "Hey Yhwach. I know that the blood that flows within me comes from you" the Substitute Shinigami said and brandished his Zanpakutou. "But what does it matter? I sure as hell will never become your servant!" he then said.

The smokes vanished and Yhwach stood there, facing off against Ichigo. "You won't become my servant? What a joke" he said and suddenly readied a giant Heilig Pfiel with the help of Reishi. "Whether you do it or not, is for me to decide" he said before firing the arrow.

Ichigo could see how fast it went and quickly used his reflexes to avoid it, soon running quickly towards Yhwach. His speed had increased and he was almost near him.

But Yhwach was hardly giving up and suddenly formed a Heilig Bogen made of Reishi and aimed five arrows towards him. "Sankt Bogen!" he said and fired the arrows.

The orange-haired man knew that he would have to use a different approach to reach his opponent, so instead of avoiding it, he used Shunpo to quickly vanish from the line of arrows.

This surprised Yhwach. "He is fast!" he noted and could eventually notice Ichigo appear behind him ready to strike. But the emperor caught wind of him and turned around quickly to clash against him by using his blade he had recovered. But while they were busy overpowering the other, Ichigo managed to send Yhwach away by releasing the full extent of his Spiritual Pressure. The Quincy had also been kicked in his stomach. "What kind of strength is this?" the emperor wondered as he was flying above the floor.

Ichigo used his fast speed to appear a few feet from the direction Yhwach was heading towards and he raised his blades in the air, intending on stabbing his opponent. But Yhwach had gained control of his body and quickly used Hirenkiyaku to vanish from his post. He appeared a few feet away from his opponent.

There was still smoke coming from the destruction of the palace's roof, and the two opponents simply glanced at each other. But the silence stopped as Yhwach spoke up.

"Ichigo. I have to tell you something. I never once thought of you making you do any of my bidding. Do you understand why?" he then asked Ichigo, who merely glanced at him in return. "There is no need for that. Because your decisions are all connected to mine" Yhwach then revealed.

Ichigo slowly gritted his teeth in anger over hearing this and held his blades tightly. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he asked lowly.

Yhwach merely formed a smirk underneath his moustache. "I am telling you this because you have been fighting for me" he revealed, this time making Ichigo follow him closely. Yhwach could see this and mused to himself. "Just think about it. The fights that came and strengthened you after your awakening as a Shinigami, the same power you used to defeat Sosuke Aizen, the power you lost after that fight and even getting it back, all of those was for you to take the Soul King down!" he then revealed, causing Ichigo to be surprised.

Yoruichi could see from her own standpoint that Yhwach was trying to undermine Ichigo psychologically, so she decided to intervene. "Don't listen to him, Ichigo! They are nothing but lies!" she told the orange-haired man.

Yhwach merely glanced over at her with displeasure. "Foolish sinner! You think I would lie about this!?" he berated the purple-haired woman before refocusing his attention to Ichigo. "The fact of the matter is, I never had to do anything! All I did was watch your actions with these eyes of mine. Your thoughts, your actions, all of it was for my benefit!" he said and suddenly stretched out his hands. "And that is because you and I share the same blood, Ichigo!" he then told him.

Ichigo was having enough of being lectured by Yhwach, so he angrily charged at him. "SHUT UP!" he yelled and launched himself at the Quincy, clashing blades with Yhwach once again. "TO HELL WITH THAT QUINCY-BLOOD BULLSHIT! I'M STLL GONNA DEFEAT YOU!" he yelled.

Yhwach mused when seeing this. "I have noticed that you no longer speak about "stopping" me. Did something change your mind about me?" he then asked him. "Are you still upset about your mother's death, Ichigo? It was your own doing after all" he then asked as if he felt sorry for the young boy.

Anger took hold on Ichigo's eyes. "Spare me your clueless acting, you old cocksucker…" he Ichigo said lowly as his teeth angrily gritted. "YOU MURDERED SOMEONE WHO WAS HELD DEAR BY HER FAMILY!" he then angrily snapped.

But Yhwach remained unfazed while hearing this. "Spineless brat. Your own weakness is what killed her!" he spat back, much to Ichigo's own anger.

While Ichigo was clashing with Yhwach, his friends stood and watched as they were unsure about this. "I have never seen Ichigo this angry before" Orihime noted lowly while watching her childhood friend going all out aginst the emperor.

"Then maybe we should help him!" Jinta said while resting his kanabo on his shoulder.

"Are you nuts, kid!?" Ganju asked in disbelief. "There's no way in hell that you'll be of great help to him!" the long-haired man pointed out.

Jinta merely glared at him dispassionately. "Then how about you come up with something, Mr. Jackass!?" he spat in return.

But the group of friends were interrupted by two arrows of Reishi passing by them. Each of them hit Yoruichi and Tessai respectively. Those two were concentrating on fixing the barrier, but being shot interrupted them. Turning around, the entire group could see Uryu Ishida standing there, holding his Heilig Bogen. It was apparent that he had just fired those arrows. Appearing from behind him was Jugram Haschwalth, while holding his Reishi sword in his hand.

Ichigo had also taken notice of this and his eyes snapped, as the memories came back. Because of him slaying the Soul King, Ichigo had almost forgotten about Uryu's sudden change of sides. "Uryu…" he uttered out the name of his friend in shock, as he could see that Uryu had in fact fired arrows on Yoruichi and Tessai.

Haschwalth formed a slight smile when seeing this. "Excellent work, Uryu Ishida. Now that should be enough to keep them distracted" he noted while watching the barrier.

While Tessai and Yoruichi had been distracted by Uryu's appearance, they both realized that the barrier they were creating was now disintegrating. "No! The Soul King!" the tanned man with glasses exclaimed as the barrier collapsed, leaving both Mimihagi and the Soul King exposed once again.

"Uryu! What the fuck do you think you're doing!?" Ichigo asked, but failed to notice that Yhwach was exploiting his distraction and used his strength to send Ichigo flying away.

With him gone and the barrier gone, Yhwach made his way towards the Soul King and was about to remove Mimihagi from his grasp. But before he could do that, someone was throwing white bombs, as well as fireworks from the Shiba clan. It was Yoruichi and Ganju, who were trying to distract him. Ururu had also positioned herself beside them and fired some rockets from her missile launcher.

"How do you like that!?" Yoruichi asked tauntingly while readying some more bombs. "Once the first one of my bombs has hit, the second will turn you to dust!" she said

Ganju lit a rocket and aimed it at Yhwach. "Suck on this, ya old geezer! The Shiba clan's cherry rocket will melt your eyes!" he said with confidence in his voice.

Ururu merely aimed her missile launcher at her target. "This will hurt you badly. My missiles have gas infected in them" she said in her usual statement.

But Yhwach was not to let their distraction waste his time. "Pernida" he suddenly called out the name of one of his Schutzstaffel.

Before they could continue their attacks, the three was stunned as they could feel someone appear right behind them. It was Sternritter C – The Compulsory: Pernida Parnkgjas, who had just used Hirenkiyaku to appear in the palace's highest floor. The hooded individual merely glanced upon the three. Both Ganju and Yoruichi were filled with shock, as their right arm and left arm began twisting themselves.

"What kind of power is this!?" Yoruichi asked in fear.

Ganju's right arm quickly loosened and he screamed in agony. "ARGHHH MY FUCKING ARM!" he yelled as his arm was bleeding endlessly.

"Standing Ovation!" that voice came from Tessai, as he was had just formed a Kido-barrier around Pernida, hoping to keep him trapped, as well as putting an end of his life. "Ururu! Ganju! Yoruichi! Get away as far as possible! I will dispose of that thing!" he called out to them.

But Yhwach suddenly used his powers to send both Ganju and Yoruichi flying off the palace. However, Ururu was just in time to avoid getting affected by Yhwach's attack. But the young girl could see them both falling down and aimed her missile launcher at them.

"Don't worry! I'll fire a cloth that can wrap them up and give them a safe landing!" the little girl said to her friends while aiming her missile launcher at the Yoruichi and Ganju.

"Don't be so sure!" that voice came from Haschwalth, as he was about to swing his sword at Ururu from behind. The young girl snapped in shock as the blade fell, only for someone to block it. Haschwalth got irritated by seeing Jinta clashing with his kanabo. "Go home, punk! There is no place for kids like you on a battlefield" he told Jinta.

The red-haired teenager only grinned cockily in return. "Heh! Up yours, Prince Charming! I've dealt with arrogant pricks like you before!" he taunted him.

Haschwalth grew irritated by hearing this statement. "Perhaps this will convince you!" he said and swung his blade once again, only for the red-haired boy to try blocking with his kanabo, only for it to break, much to Jinta's own shock. But that was not all, as the young boy was felt a serious cut across his stomach. The young teenager fell onto the floor.

"JINTA!" Ururu expressed shock over seeing her friend being in such a pain. She quickly rushed to his side, only for her to see the tip of Haschwalth's blade. The blonde-haired man showed no remorse for his actions. Ururu stared as Haschwalth lifted his blade in the air.

"This will be your punishment for interfering with His Majesty's business!" Haschwalth declared. But before he could land a blow, a barrier suddenly protected the little girl's back. It was Orihime, who had activated her Santen Kesshun. Haschwalth noticed this and narrowed his blue eyes. "Interminable-wench! You dare interfere?" he spoke to her with dispassion.

Orihime remained defiant in front of him. "You won't be hurting Ururu or Jinta! Not on my watch!" she said

The blonde-haired man merely scoffed at her. "I admire your bravery" Haschwalth said while brandishing his blade. "But you lack the guts to fight!" he said and then charged at her, only for Chad to block his sword by using his Fullbring. The tall man clashed with Haschwalth. "Out of my way, Fullbringer-brute!" the blonde-haired man said to him.

But Chad remained unmoved. "Not a chance in hell!" he spat in return.

Haschwalth only fixed a smug glance in return. "Hmmm….looks like the Kido Master has failed to contain Pernida" he noted, and Chad could see that Pernida was now free from the barriers.

Tessai had ocne again been hit by a Reishi arrow and it was without a doubt Uryu's doing. Amidst this commotion, Yhwach seized the opportunity and was about to claim the Soul King, only for Ichigo to appear behind him once again.

"YOU'RE NOT GETTING HIM, BASTARD!" the orange-haired man yelled.

But Yhwach surprisingly did nothing to attack and soon, Ichigo could see a Reishi arrow headed straight towards him. This forced the Substitute Shinigami to concentrate on destroying it instead of stopping Yhwach. As Ichigo destroyed it, he was outraged once again by seeing Uryu intervening and helping Yhwach with this goal.

"Don't get in His Majesty's way, Ichigo" Uryu told him sternly.

Ichigo angrily gritted his teeth and faced the floor. He clenched his blades tightly. "What are you doing, Uryu?" he asked lowly before lifting up his head to angrily glare at the four-eyed man. "JUST WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!?" he angrily asked, yet Uryu remained unfazed of his anger.

The emperor mused by what his successor to the throne had done. "Well done, Uryu. You have my thanks" Yhwach thanked the Wandenreich's crown prince and grabbed Mimihagi and tried to tear it off.

But this only lead to the palace's upper floor collapse and almost everyone was on the verge of falling off the palace, except for Pernida, as he did in fact fall off along with the rubbles. Yhwach could be seen inside the Soul King's quarters, trying to tear off Mimihagi, with Haschwalth standing beside him. Meanwhile, Orihime were trying to heal Jinta, while Chad, Ururu and Tessai stood guard.

"We…..are…..safe" Chad said while panting, trying to catch his breath. He also looked over his shoulder to see Orihime treat Jinta's injuries.

Ururu faced the floor with shame in her eyes. "But I didn't fire a cloth that could'ce saved Yoruchi and Ganju!" the teenager said while looking down at the floor in shame.

"You have no reason to worry!" the group of friends snapped and watched as Yoruichi came flying towards them with Ganju holding her foot. Apparently, the purple-haired woman was using her flight device, which she had previously used during the Rukia's rescue from execution. Both she and Ganju landed beside them, and both fell onto their knees panting. "That…...was…close" she admitted while trying to catch her breath.

Orihime noticed her and Ganju's injuries. "You're both bleeding seriously. Maybe I should use" but both of them didn't bother to listen, as they both went to see that Uryu was now standing between him and Yhwach. The orange-haired woman was extremely concerned about this, as she could not believe that Uryu was now siding with the enemy for real. "Uryu…" she uttered out his name lowly.

Uryu had appeared via his Hirenkiyaku and faced all of his friends in a cold and stern manner. But he especially faced Ichigo, considering that the Substitute Shinigami was not far from his standpoint. The raven-haired man aimed his Heilig Bogen towards them.

"Don't move, all of you" Uryu said while readying an arrow. "If either one of you move an inch, I will shoot" he told them coldly. When he could see Ichigo take one step with his foot, he fired an arrow, only for Ichigo to destroy it. "I told you I would shoot" he scolded Ichigo.

"Don't give me that bullshit! Do you have any idea why all of us are here!?" Ichigo angrily asked Uryu.

The four-eyed man lowed his Reishi bow. "I've heard it. You are here to stop His Majesty, right?" he asked with no common sense in his voice. "But I've said it before and I say not now, I won't let you do that" Uryu said coldly.

Ichigo could not believe the way Uryu was talking to him right now. "Don't you understand!? If we don't stop him, the Soul Society, the Human World, Hueco Mundo, everything will disappear!" the orange-haired man said.

Uryu only chuckled by hearing that statement. "Fool. Did you really think I would be here if I didn't already know?" he mockingly asked Ichigo.

Ichigo's eyes widened in anger and he only felt the urge to physically attack Uryu, yet tried to control himself. He really didn't carry any hateful grudges against him, only towards Yhwach. But now that he was on the Wandenreich's side, the friendship between them was now put on hard tests.

"So, you know why we're here and what we're fighting for?" Ichigo said lowly. "But if so…..THEN WHY THE HELL ARE YOU ON YHWACH'S SIDE!?" he angrily demanded an answer from him.

Uryu only adjusted his glasses in return while hearing this angry outburst. "You don't know? Well the answer is simple. I am a Quincy" he told him as honest and open as he could. But it looked like Uryu was not yet finished with him. "Honestly Ichigo, give up this foolish quest for vengeance. It will only destroy yourself" the raven-haired man suddenly spoke up.

Ichigo's eyes widened in realization as he heard what Uryu just said. "What are you….." the orange-haired man could not believe what he was hearing.

"Have you forgotten what I said to you back in the Sereitei? I told that you go home and not throw your life away for something as ridiculous as this!" Uryu surprisingly scolded Ichigo, who was too stunned to reply. "You know that this path you're walking will only destroy you, Ichigo. Your anger is misplaced! Why only prolong your own despair when you could've done something important like staying with your family?" the raven-haired man asked him seriously, but he got no answer in return. This only encouraged Uryu to continue. "What happened to your mother…was tragic indeed. However, you becoming this warrior bent on revenge is something even she would've not wanted. And you know that fact very well" Uryu concluded his speech.

The Substitute Shinigami had so many emotions running across his head, and he could no longer decide on what feeling he should have. But after few moments. Anger slowly began taking hold on Ichigo and he charged towards Uryu.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" he angrily cursed while preparing an attack.

But he was interrupted by the sound of Reishi wings coming nearby. Ichigo stopped his attack and only looked around the environment. Emerging from the rubbles of the palace and the skies were Yhwach's Schutzstaffel. Not only was Pernida back, but he had brought with him his comrades, Nianzol Weizol, Gerard Valkyrie and Lille Barro.

Meanwhile, Ichigo's friends gathered in a circle, considering that they were in fact surrounded.

"Great! More Quincies!" Yoruichi said grimly while making sure everyone was paying attention. She could still feel injuries to her arm.

Tessai held onto his staff while remaining cautious about their surroundings. "Damn it! It looks like that hooded Quincy brought reinforcements!" he noted while taking a glance at Pernida, who had been carried by Gerard.

The five members of the Schutzstaffel removed their Reishi wings and fixed their eyes upon the group. Some of them were disappointed about the group of friends itself.

"You gotta be kidding me" Lille said with dispassion. "Here I thought we were up against an army, only to be met by…this?" he asked while he was not amused.

Askin only shrugged his shoulders. "I was kinda hoping for the same thing. But…..I guess it's just them we have" the flamboyant man said.

Gerard only grinned while glancing upon the group and even drew out his sword. "So much for being an army. Now let us bring these interlopers to justice! They will pay for interfering with His Majesty's plans!" the man with the winged helmet said.

"Stand back, Schutzstaffel" Uryu's voice stopped them all from walking towards the group. He then aimed his bow at Ichigo and the group. "I don't require your assistance with this. Watch and learn" the four-eyed man said and suddenly fired multiple Reishi arrows at the ground, eventually trapping Ichigo and the gang to fall down from the palace itself.

The entire group was unprepared for this and as they fell down from the Soul King's Palace, Ichigo only looked up and faced the one he had once considered a great friend. Truth is, the conversation he just had with him now completely changed his view on him. The orange-haired man was filled with anger over seeing this.

"URYU!" he cursed out as he fell alongside the boulders.

At the palace, Uryu merely glanced down upon the group he had made fall off and fixed his eyes on his fellow Quincies. "I'll just have to drop them. That's all there is to it" the raven-haired man explained to the Schutzstaffel. But he could suddenly see Lille aiming his Reishi rifle at Ichigo and his friends. Seeing this made Uryu fire an arrow that went directly to Ichigo. The Captain of the Schutzstaffel glanced at Uryu, who was facing down at Ichigo and his friends. "I know what you're about to say. They wouldn't survive a fall from here and even if they did survive, there's no way they could make it back from below. But, if I had killed them before dropping them, then we wouldn't have to worry at all. That's what protecting His Majesty meant, right?" Uryu told Lille, who merely stood and listened.

But Gerard was greatly amused by Uryu's explanation. This was actually the second time he was impressed by Uryu's intelligence. "Well said, newcomer! You have my acknowledgement" he said, forcing Uryu to happily accept it with a nod.

But the group of Quincies could see that Yhwach had now succeeded in pulling out Mimihagi from the Soul King's grasp. The black-haired man only stood and watched as the hand slowly moved out towards him.

"Right Hand. I am pleased to see your decision. Obviously, you could see the future, but never predict the huge gape of power between us in terms of power" Yhwach said, eventually dissolving the black hand into liquid. "Apparently, you know that I have already surpassed you and that I will eventually surpass the Soul King himself. Therefore, I will take everything from him and make it mine! I will make his powers mine!" he then declared and absorbed Mimihagi's power. While he was doing that, it was apparent that Yhwach felt some sense of gratitude to someone, and it was apparent who he was thinking about. The man with the moustache formed a smirk when he thought about him. "Jushiro Ukitake….I can't express how grateful I am for your service! You will come to me!" he thought inside of him before looking over his shoulder to face his subordinates. "My sons, let us leave Sereitei be for a while. I will become one with my father and take his rightful place as the Soul King. Until then, don't let anything interrupt my ritual!" he declared and fired a black beam down from the palace itself.

 _To be continued….._

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 **Author's note: This chapter told us about Ukitake's sacrifice, the never-before-seen conversation between Yhwach and Aizen, as well as Ichigo and his groups attempts to stop Yhwach while discovering Uryu's true loyalties. What will happen now? Will Ukitake's sacrifice be in vain? What does Shunsui attend to do with Aizen? The next chapter will tell us exactly what will happen. And by the way, here is the new term we got introduced to in this chapter.**

 **Schicksal – German for "Fate": For some reason, Yhwach carries a crystal ball that can see the future, as well as discover one's fate. Whether he uses this towards others is unknown.**


	29. Against the Judgement

**Author's note: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

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 **Chapter 29: Against the Judgement**

 _Somewhere, inside a cave high in the mountains,_ _La Escarcha, Hueco Mundo_

While the entire world had been embracing its end, the Imperio de Hierro had strived to protect its civilization and people. But now that the earthquake had ceased and El Dorado was no longer under threat any longer, the authorities knew that something had to be done in order to prepare themselves for what was happening next. Not only was the Arrancars thinking about the destruction of their world, but also the threats that both Quincies and Togabitos was becoming, especially with the Togabitos. The Emperor of the Imperio de Hierro: Augustus Zod Allowin, had decided to make preparations for his people, as he knew that the biggest threat to El Dorado was around the corner.

In this frozen and snowy vale above El Dorado, which could only be accessed via a secret doorway behind the throne room in Esperanza, Augustus Zod Allowin and one of the Dechados: Killaman Khan were now inside a cave in the mountains alongside all Arrancars who were former servants of Sosuke Aizen. Grimmjow Jaegerjacquez, Nelliel Tu Odelschwank, Tier Harribel, Yammy Llargo and Gantenbainne Mosqueda were now with their emperor in this cave, but they had brought with them two newcomers as well.

When Pieddot Picasso and the Sombre came back from their mission, the people of El Dorado got introduced to the five newcomers of El Dorado. Di Roy Rinker was filled with overjoy over seeing Grimmjow again, although the former Sexta Espada immediately showed disgust when seeing his former Fracciò was even more disgusted by seeing Luppi Antenor being there as well, as he could not believe why he was still alive after all these years. But the majority of the Dechados and the Legionarios were mostly dissatisfied by both Luppi and Di Roy (especially based upon their personalities and attitudes), and those two were sent to the dungeons of the Coliseo.

The only three who were granted amnesty on the other hand, were Charlotte Chuhlhourne, Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio and Cirucci Sanderwicci. The reason why Charlotte was given amnesty was because of the Luisenbarn-sisters: Annabelle and Belladonna. They knew that the flamboyant Arrancar had previously been serving their brother Barragan as his Fracciòn, so they desired to make him a servant of the House of Luisenbarn. Charlotte was grateful, although he only considered Belladonna to be beautiful and not Annabelle. When it came to Dordoni and Cirucci, their fellow ex-Privaron Espada Gantenbainne had vouched for them, insisting that they were not beyond redemption. However, those three first needed to earn El Dorado's respect and they did so by aiding the Ojos in bringing scared citizens to safety at Esperanza. This only convinced the emperor and his allies that they were redeemable, and that they could be useful to the Imperio de Hierro, due to their former statuses as both Espadas and Privaron Espadas in Sosuke Aizen's army.

Therefore, Allowin had decided to take those two with him, agreeing with Gantenbainne's vouching. The group were now following the emperor into a cave in one of those mountains, and they could eventually see that it resembled more of a crypt or a catacomb. They were especially intrigued by the ways and walls that was built inside.

"Dios mio….I have never seen anything like this" Dordoni remarked, before glancing at Gantenbainne with a smug look. "I hear you have been improving your skills, Gantenbainne. Am I to believe that is true or not?" the Arrancar asked him in his usual Spanish accent.

Gantenbainne only crossed his arms while hearing that question. "After standing up for you, this is what you wanna do with me?" the orange afro-haired Legionario asked while feeling annoyed. "Don't even bother, Dordoni. You have idea how much I have improved" he added while glancing at him.

Dordoni was not amused in hearing this and even slumped in defeat. "How long was I gone?" he asked while tears slowly streamed from his eyes, much to the annoyance of both Gantenbainne and Cirucci.

"For crying out loud! Stop pouting like a nutcase, Dordoni!" Cirucci snapped, as she was getting tired of her fellow ex-Privaron Espada's goofy antics. But she was rather curious about this place they were currently entering. "What kind of place is this anyway?" she wondered while even glancing at both Nelliel and Harribel.

Nelliel simply smiled in return. "Honestly, we have no idea. This is the first time that His Highness enters this place with us. But we have been into La Escarcha before" the sea green-haired woman politely replied.

"Tch, well that's pretty rich coming from a Dechado" the sarcastic voice came from Grimmjow, as he was merely walking while putting his arms in his pockets. The blue-haired Arrancar with his feline eyes then glanced at both Cirucci and Dordoni. "Honestly, I can't believe that some fucked up-ass scientist of the Soul Society even felt the need to resurrect you weaklings alongside Di Roy and Luppi. I mean, come on. None of ever contributed to Las Noches' defenses" he then added, explaining his distaste for them.

Dordoni snapped in anger. "What did you just say!?" he said and pointed a finger at him. "I contributed greatly to that part. Do not forget, I was the one to first challenge the niño Ichigo Kurosaki!" the goofy man exclaimed, trying to prove himself before Grimmjow.

"I also did that!" Cirucci snapped. The young woman then glared angrily at Grimmjow. "And who the hell are you to judge us!? You were just much of a lapdog to Aizen as we were!" she pointed out to him in anger.

Grimmjow was taken aback when he heard this, only to form a smug grin in return. "Heh, at least I didn't allow myself to be raped by him, unlike you!" he then spat back. Cirucci's eyes widened in shock when hearing that, as she could not believe what Grimmjow had just said. Seeing this made Grimmjow muse. "That's right! You think I still haven't forgotten about you, Cirucci Sanderwicci!? I still know of the symbol you carry on your back!" he added.

"Grimmjow! Enough!" Nelliel scolded him and glanced at the Legionario dispassionately. "There is no point in bringing that subject up! Cirucci told His Highness about it, yet was given amnesty!" the sea green-haired woman continued criticizing his behavior.

Dordoni could see that Cirucci was facing the ground in slight shame. It was true. When asked by Allowin to be honest before him, she was forced to admit one, harsh truth. The former Privaron Espada was also one of the many victims of Aizen's sexual experiments. Even now, she began rubbing her back, which was covered by her white dress. But it was on her back where the kanji 隷 was written on her. Having that symbol attached to her didn't even wanna make her take of her white dress.

Gantenbainne could not stand and let his fellow Legionario badmouth his former comrades like that. So he approached Grimmjow, who was done discussing with Nelliel. "There is no need for such rude language, Grimmjow" the afro-haired man said while glancing at him with dispassion. "Remember, when Ichigo Kurosaki broke into Las Noches to save Orihime Inoue…none of us could stop him…..not even you, an Espada" he then pointed out.

When he was reminded about his defeat to Ichigo, Grimmjow's blue eyes narrowed with anger and he made his move towards Gantenbainne with anger on his face. "You better take back what you just said before I stomp my foot in your smartass face!" he said while slowly growling with anger.

Gantenbainne only remained calm while seeing Grimmjow's aggressiveness, but it didn't take long before Yammy decided to join in on the fun, by poking fun on Grimmjow, of course.

"Hah! Apparently, you lost your match against him because you ran out of suerte!" Yammy spoke up and grinned cockily at Grimmjow, who turned around and glared at him in return. The tall man was beginning to like this. "You heard me! You're still feeling embarrassed over the fact that he defeated you, little pussy!" he added with a taunt, much to Grimmjow's anger.

But suddenly, both former Espadas felt themselves losing control over their bodies, as they couldn't move an inch. This was thanks to Killaman, who were using his hands to simply make those two submit to their knees. The hooded man's lime green Spiritual Pressure could be felt, and his hands were covered in lime green aura. Somehow, the Dechado was using physic power to manipulate the two Legionaros.

Killaman mused to himself while seeing them onto their knees. "Your Highness, I decided to step in and discipline those two dimwits" the long-bearded man told his liege while bowing to them with respect. "Forgive me if my action was selfish" he then apologized.

Allowin simply stood and listened closely, even forming a slight smile underneath his beard. "You did a wise thing to help them realize their foolishness. I am impressed" the emperor said, before he stopped walking.

The rest of the Arrancars could see that they were now standing before a large wall made of dark blue bricks. They all thought that they had now arrived at dead end, considering that they saw no other way to choose. But the emperor suddenly approached the wall of bricks and pushed one, revealing that it was actually a secret lever. As he did that, the large wall began separating itself, like it was actually a giant door.

"What is this?" Harribel asked, as she was stunned to see this.

Allowin turned around to glance at all of his subordinates, including Dordoni and Cirucci. He had now fixed a humble look on his face. "Listen well, my sons and daughters. All of you know very well what has just transpired in the Soul Society, as the Soul King was cut in half. Many of your probably believed that the end of the world had arrived, but there is a slight misconception here. The end of the world has only begun" he told them.

Nelliel was filled with slight worry inside of her, considering that she had been told that it was Ichigo who killed the Soul King, although he did that involuntarily. Since finding out about it, the young woman had felt worried about Ichigo's current condition, as she hoped that he was still alive.

"What do you mean by that the end of the world has begun?" Gantenbainne asked while bowing his head in respect. "Are you saying that this is only the beginning of the end?" the afro-haired Arrancar asked while feeling uneasy.

Killaman stepped in to answer. "It is" he answered plainly. "As it stands now, the 13 Court Guard Squads is now crippled and it won't be long before the majority of the inhabitants of the Soul Society will start to accept Yhwach as their ruler. Even now, he has begun his path he was destined for: becoming the next Soul King and Ruler of the Soul Society" he revealed grimly.

The Arrancars were shocked by hearing this reaction. "But how…...how can someone like him achieve a title such as this!?" Harribel asked in disbelief, but her eyes also snapped in realization. "No…...if Yhwach becomes the next Soul King…then that means….." she was now thinking about the entire picture and puzzle it together.

"I will explain anything to you later" Allowin told them before gesturing for them to enter first. As they entered, he told them about something. "With the recent transgressions of Quincies and Togabitos, it is without a doubt that a great war is looming on the horizon. It has only just begun. Therefore, we will have to gather all strong Arrancars to our side. Now enter" he told them.

The group of Arrancars were stunned in what they were seeing. They were now walking out of the cave, only to find themselves walking on a road in the middle of a small valley. This way lead them to a stairway between the mountains, with two giant statues of hooded beings standing on each side. What was also noticeable was that other than the way, there was water on each side. In those waters, naked trees sprouted up and they looked like those that existed in Hueco Mundo's endless deserts.

"What kind of place is this?" Nelliel asked as she was filled with curiosity.

"Never knew that this kind of place would exists in Hueco Mundo" Grimmjow noted and even watched the waters that floated around the way from each side. "Hell, there's even water here!" he added with a realization.

Killaman followed his emperor and the others did so eventually. As they were walking towards the stairway, the hulking Arrancar with the horns sprouting out from his back decided to fill in on where they were. "This is the place where all fallen heroes can be given a second chance of redemption if they are worthy of being granted as such" Killaman told them as they walked up the stairway. "However, whether they are worthy of being given that, is up to the great rulers of old to decide. The spirits of the great rulers rest here, in Pacífico Pasar" the long-bearded man added to his explanation.

Nelliel awed by what she was hearing. "So you are saying that those Arrancars who has died can be brought back to life?" the young woman asked as she was listening carefully. "Well this explains how…" she uttered out words in surprise.

Allowin looked over his shoulders to face his fellow Arrancars, but wanting to answer Nelliel first. "Yes, young Nelliel. It explains everything. However, those who can be revived and are worthy of serving our people must have at least one good reason to be able to come back. And I am telling you this, young ones" the old man spoke up before narrowing his weary eyes. "We have watched how you as former Espadas served under Sosuke Aizen. And while you were in fact slaves to him, there is more to that than meets the eye" he revealed.

Harribel's eyes widened in surprise. "What do you mean?" the blonde-haired woman asked.

Allowin closed his eyes. "Among those Espadas….there are two of them I have had dealings with in the past, long before they went on to become servants of Aizen" he then revealed.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!?" Yammy barked out in anger. "Are you saying that there was more than just him!?" the man with the long ponytail wanted an answer.

Both Dordoni and Cirucci were puzzled by all this and wondered what the big deal was. "Who in the hell is he? I mean, care for any of you to fill us in?" the goofy man spoke up in his laidback manner.

Gantenbainne suddenly pointed his finger towards the right direction and both Dordoni and Cirucci could so somebody sitting by a cliff in the valley, gazing down upon the group that were walking up the stairways. It was someone wearing black-hooded cloth to conceal his identity.

"What kind of bum is that?" Cirucci wondered while putting her hands on her hips. However, her eyes widened in surprise as she could feel the stranger's Spirtual Pressure. "No…...no way…is that really…." She uttered out words in disbelief.

Dordoni also felt the same way as he managed to catch and measure the Spiritual Pressure. "So…...he is also part of this empire?" he asked while sweating with unease slightly.

"That's not really the case" Gantenbainne said while facing both his comrades. "In fact, he was always part of this empire, long before us" the afro-haired man told them.

Both ex-Privaron Espadas were stunned to hear this, yet couldn't ask more, as Gantenbainne ran up to catch Allowin and the rest of his gang. This forced them to do the same thing.

Grimmjow faced Allowin as they reached to the top, scowling as he could notice the hooded individual stare at him. But he merely chose not to pay attention and glanced at his superior. "So, if he's the first you've had dealings with…who's the other Espada?" he asked while resting his hands in his pockets.

"Barragan Luisenbarn can't be one of them" Nelliel spoke up, only for both Allowin and Killaman to glance at her questionably. This forced Nelliel to snap in embarrassment and she bowed her head in shame. "I sincerely apologize for bringing up that traitor's name, Your Highness! It was my mistake" she told him.

But Allowin merely smiled at her and urged Nelliel to calm down. "Rest easy, Nelliel. You are a Dechado. As such, you are able to speak up your mind, just like your comrades" the white-bearded man assured her in a gentle manner before sighing. "Now as for your statement. Barragan could have been one of them, considering that he was with us from the beginning. But his traitorous actions during the War of the Three Souls and his submission into Aizen has made him disqualified" the emperor then told everyone.

"I have communicated with the spirits" Killaman spoke up suddenly pointed his croaked finger towards a large, shiny blue emerald that was glowing so brightly. Everyone could see that there was someone inside. "It seems that the great rulers of old has decided to give this one a second chance. However, I would like to be given your permission before we can begin" the hooded man told his superior.

Allowin fixed a smile while nodding his head and watched as the giant crystal glowed brighter than usual. "Yes, I see. I do not blame their judgement. He deserves to be walking in this world once more. Especially in his true form" the emperor revealed.

The group followed Allowin and Killaman to the giant crystal and they could feel a tint of enormous Spiritual Pressue coming from it. The Arrancars became stunned, as they felt it was very similar.

"What the hell…..this can't possibly be true….." Grimmjow said lowly and suddenly glared at his superiors. "How the hell did you manage to recover his body!?" he demanded an answer from it.

Killaman merely turned around and fixed a smug look upon the aggressive Legionario. "The same thing we did when we discovered you, Yammy and Gantenbainne" the long-bearded man told him and suddenly fixed his glowing eyes upon the crystal. "This one was a special case, and we even needed the assistance of His Highness in order for us to bring him to this place, as well as piecing his body together" Killaman revealed.

Harribel's azure eyes was filled with disbelief, as she managed to get a better look at the one standing inside of this crystal. She could see the shape and the fact that it was an Arrancar, with an incredible amount of Spiritual Pressure.

"I see now….." Harribel noted underneath her breath as the figure revealed itself. "I thought he died during the fight against the 13 Court Guard Squads. But how is he…" the blonde-haired woman was filled with so many questions, as were her comrades.

Allowin stood beside Killaman and glanced into the crystal. "All of you may know that this one was once part of a larger entity that roamed Hueco Mundo. But wherever he went, others died because they couldn't withstand his powers. As such, he became afraid of being lonely. This resulted in him approaching me for help in separating his power and body into two different forms and souls. The name of this Arrancar was Alpha Starrk, once a proud warrior during the prosperous and flourishing times of Hueco Mundo" he revealed to them as they listened closely. "And yes, I granted his request and separated him into two different beings, with none of them having any memories of their past, as well as their knowledge of me. The little child became known as Lilynette Gingerbuck, while the other became…" Allowin suddenly stepped aside, allowing all the Arrancars to get a good look of who was inside.

"Dios mio…..if this is who I think it is, then that's" Dordoni was in disbelief over seeing this, as were the others.

Allowin nodded his head. "Yes. The other part became what you knew as the Primera Espada in Aizen's army: Coyote Starrk" he said.

It was true. Coyote Starrk was in fact standing inside this crystal, completely naked, with him still retaining his shoulder-length hair and a faded goatee. He still possessed his Hollow-shell, which was that of a fanged bottom jaw along his neck. Right now, the young man's eyes were closed. But they slowly began opening, this revealing glowing blue eyes.

Killaman took a good look at Starrk as his powers grew stronger. "It is just as you say, Your Highness. Now that he has finally been reunited with his other half, Coyote Starrk has regained the powers he once possessed eons ago. What he wants to call himself is up to him, but he is now a different Arrancar in terms of strength" the hooded seer remarked while commenting Starrk's powers.

"Tch…..I don't care what he was before and what he is now!" Grimmjow spoke up and fixed a confidential grin. "While he has remained stuck inside that crystal, I have grown stronger and improved my skills! My power surpasses that of the Espadas!" he exclaimed with pride, failing to see how others around him were not amused.

Yammy only crossed his arms and huffed. "Heh! You were only the Sexta Espada, he was the Primera Espada. That's a huge gap between your powers, just to be clear!" the tall Arrancar told him, before fixing a smug look. "But I was the Cero Espada, and that made me the strongest of you all!" he then taunted his fellow Legionario.

Grimmjow only shrugged his shoulders and flipped his middle finger at Yammy. "Screw off, Yammy!" he spoke with rudeness in his voice.

"Fools!" all Arrancars snapped when they heard Allowin's voice interrupt them. He was standing there with this arms crossed in dispassion. "Have you forgotten what I have told you when each took you in!?" he strictly reminded them. "There is a reason why those who were once Esclavos wear the symbol of our empire where their former numbers stood. It is a symbol and confirmation of your liberty and freedom" he told them.

Both Dordoni and Cirucci were confused, considering that they never knew so much about Allowin and the intelligence he possessed. They both glanced at Killaman.

"Care to fill us in on what this geezer's talking about?" Cirucci asked while stroking her purplish hair.

"Hey, don't refer to the one who just gave you amnesty as something like that!" Nelliel scolded her, forcing Cirucci to immediately apologize for her choice of words. "She really didn't mean it, Your Highness" the Dechado then insisted to him.

But Dordoni faced Allowin once again and even removed his shirt, thus exposing his entire torso, as well as number 103 on his stomach. The usually goofy Arrancar glanced at the emperor with a hint of realization in his eyes.

"I understand what you are trying to tell us" Dordoni revealed with a low and gentle voice. "How could I have failed to notice it? We who were enslaved by Aizen were given numbers not just for the sake of ranking our powers. No, he also did that…to restrain them…and restraining us!" he said.

Cirucci was filled with disbelief by what she was hearing. "Restraining us! For what reason!?" she asked in disbelief while huffing.

Killaman only smiled smugly and moved straight towards Dordoni, eventually reaching out a croaked finger that was glowing green. With it, he rewrote what was previously written on Dordoni's stomach and gave him the omega symbol. "You are wise to say this, given that you were only someone who had barley knowledge about us. I can see the reason why Legionario Gantenbainne vouched for you" the Dechado admitted in amusement.

Dordoni was feeling a new type of power dwelling inside of him. It felt like the shackles had finally vanished and that he was free to fly like a bird coming out of its cage. The Arrancar looked at his hands.

"I feel…free" Dordoni said lowly and watched to see Nelliel, Harribel and the others gather around him and show off their symbols as well.

"Welcome to our true home, Dordoni. You are now one of us" Gantenbainne said and revealed his symbol.

Nelliel showed hers on her back. "I look forward to work with you, Dordoni. You may be a nice person after all" the sea green-haired woman said, recalling the time Ichigo had fought him in Las Noches, and that Nelliel were dragged along into their battle.

Harribel narrowed her eyes. "Together, we will make Aizen pay for all the hardships he has put on us and eliminate the Imperio de Hierro's enemies" she said seriously while showing her symbol on her right breast.

Yammy and Grimmjow were not so enthusiastic in seeing this and could care less about it. But while Dordoni was busy enjoying this feeling of freedom, Cirucci was left on the sidelines, although she did in fact wanna know if she could also get her numbers removed. Her thoughts were interrupted by a kind voice exchanged to her from Killaman.

"You there, why don't you let me remove the number on you?" the seer asked him kindly. "Once you get to wear that symbol, you will become less reclusive and more desiring about freedom" he added to his voice.

This made Cirucci snap. "Eh, I think I should…" she was suddenly approached by Nelliel.

"It's okay, you can do it. It won't take long" Nelliel insisted to her in a friendly manner. "We know that you still feel sensitive about the symbol on your…." She was interrupted by the purplish-haired woman.

But Cirucci's cheeks blushed with embarrassment. "It's not that!" she snapped before calming herself. "I do wanna get rid of my number but the problem is…" she clung to herself. "The number is located on my….ummmm…my right butt cheek" she then revealed another embarrassing thing about herself.

Grimmjow and Yammy laughed out loud after hearing this, while the others remained stunned. However, the others did not welcome the behavior the two Legionarios were expressing towards Cirucci.

"Your number is on your ass!?" Grimmjow asked before laughing out loud once again. "Well that explains what kind of slut you really are!" he added insultingly.

"Yeah! No wonder why Aizen "tapped your ass" as they say!" Yammy spoke up. "I mean, what kind of bimbo allows herself to be…." Before he could continue, something hit him on his chin.

Both Yammy and Grimmjow were angrily beaten by both Nelliel and Harribel, who seemed very furious over hearing the Legionarios' disrespectful comments with regard to the female gender. The two Dechados fumed with anger over their fellow ex-Espadas.

"You disgusting pigs!" Nelliel spat in anger. "You think it's appropriate to say such to a woman!?" she demanded an answer from them, as they were rubbing their faces.

Grimmjow growled at the two women. "Snotty bitches! What the hell was that for!?" he angrily demanded an answer from them.

Harribel crossed her arms and narrowed her azure eyes. "Call us that again, and you'll regret it!" she sternly warned him.

"You're so gonna die when I….." Yammy was about to go into rage, until he and the others felt an enormous amount of Spiritual Pressure interrupt them.

All attentions were focused on Allowin, as he was currently standing right before the crystal containing Starrk. The emperor put his hands on the crystal and glanced firmly at the Arrancar inside. Despite the enormous amount of power, Allowin was still able to stand still, considering that he himself was powerful.

"The time has come! Now that all dwellers in Hueco Mundo is at a risk, it is time for you to walk among us once again to safeguard our people!" Allowin spoke up and cracks suddenly appeared on the crystal. "Awaken, Coyote Starrk!" the tall Arrancar commanded and the crystal cracked into an explosion. At first, the explosion was so bright, but the brightness only lasted for a short moment. Once it was gone, they could see what was happening.

Everyone watched as Starrk was on his knees catching his breath. His Spiritual Pressure was no longer out of control. The young man sat as there naked. There were small tints of crystal and smoke lying beside him. But it didn't take long before he finally lifted up his head to look at Allowin, his eyes calm as ever.

"Welcome back, Coyote Starrk. You may have so many questions about how you are still alive. But at the same time, you also seem to know the answer yourself" Allowin told him, while he only sat and listened. "See for yourself, young one. Despite you having enormous power, I am still standing before you. As those these Arrancars. You know what has happened throughout the time you were sleeping, right?" the emperor asked while looking down at him.

After catching enough breath, Starrk was finally able to say some words. "I…serve you…Your Highness…for the Imperio de Hierro" he said lowly.

Allowin only smiled when seeing this and then watched as Starrk was feeling surprised over seeing that his arm no longer bore a number, but the omega symbol instead. He was curious and then looked beside him to find his Zanpakutou lying beside him, as it was formed like a katana. The young man looked at it with realization, as he felt something similar to that weapon.

"Lilynette….." Starrk said lowly and grabbed hold on the Zanpakutou. The former Espada looked at it and began moving his blade, eventually swinging it by little. "You are…..inside the blade…..no longer outside it" he noted in slight curiosity.

Allowin sighed deeply. "Yes, that little child has now returned to being a part of you, young Starrk. Even now, you can feel her rest within your Almacenamiento" he told them before making sure that every Arrancars around were listening, considering that they had been following what he had just said. "Listen carefully now, young ones. The weapon that you carry with you may be called a Zanpakutou in some cases. But we Arrancars has actually our own name for that. The weapons that we use to store and release our full power, is called an Almacenamiento. That is what most of us call our weapons. But all of you may refer to it as whatever you desire" he then told them, revealing the fact that Arrancars had their own name for a Zanpakutou.

So far, Starrk had only been sitting on his knees listening to what was being said. The brown-haired man had for some reason been given back the memories he once possessed when he was a single entity. Clutching his Zanpakutou tightly, Starrk slowly rose up to his feet and glanced up at Allowin, whom he could tell possessed an enormous amount of Spiritual Pressure. As he was glancing up at him for a brief moment, Starrk suddenly bowed his head before the emperor in shame. However, Allowin remained unfazed, as he was still glancing down at the former Espada.

"Please…...please forgive me for the choices I've made" Starrk suddenly said before raising up his head. "All that I ever wanted…..was to be with someone…..someone whom I could trust…but somehow…I always ended up regretting my decisions!" the brown-haired man said. To everyone' surprise, he even knelt down before Allowin. "So I ask you this now, Augustus Zod Allowin. Please forgive me for wasting your resources in this foolish quest of mine!" he suddenly begged before the emperor.

Allowin only stood and listened closely, his weary eyes never changing. However, he suddenly reached out one of his strong hands to the Arrancar, who had begun sobbing. Why was someone like Coyote Starrk doing that? The answer was now pretty simple. Starrk had for the first time realized what solitude and loneliness really meant. He really feared it now. He feared about once again wandering through the endless steppes of Hueco Mundo. But what was Allowin doing in reaching out his hand to Starrk?

"Rise up, Coyote Starrk" Allowin spoke up softly, forcing the brown-haired man to stand up on his feet and grab hold of the emperor's reaching hand. The moment Starrk felt the touch of Allowin, he could see that by touching him, no one died. He looked up to see the emperor fixing a slight smile underneath his beard. "Everyone makes mistakes, young one. Even I, the true Ruler of Hueco Mundo has done that as well. And remember this: not all who wander are lost. In fact, some of them carry a hidden destiny within themselves and it is this that distinguishes them form those living in despair. Now come with us, Starrk. Come with us to your home, the true home" Allowin then told the former Espada, who only stood and listened with tears streaming slowly from his eyes.

* * *

 _In the icy cityscape, the Sereitei, Soul Society_

Things had gotten more silent in the Sereitei, especially since the earthquake stopped. Both Shinigamis and Quincies alike were stunned and confused at the same time. They wondered what was really happening, and why the world's downfall suddenly stopped. But without a common threat to focus on, they returned to fighting one another in the streets and amongst the rubbles.

However, the Sternritters who had been abandoned by Yhwach, had now gathered around in a ring inside one of the many broken apartment complexes in this transformed cityscape. What was noticeable was the fact that there were dead Soldats lying near their ring. Why were they having this meeting in secrecy? The Sternritters composed of Bazz-B, NaNaNa Najakhoop, Liltotto Lamperd, Candice Catnipp, Meninas McAllon and Giselle Gewelle were having a planning or some sort.

"Alright, all of us are here" Bazz-B said and looked at each of his fellow Sternritter. "I guess you girls also managed to get your Quincy: Vollständig back" he then said.

Liltotto was simply sitting on a dead Soldat's corpse and she simply shrugged while hearing this. "We sure did. Stealing the life-source from the Soldats were not a big deal" the young girl responded.

"Are you sure it was a good idea?" Meninas suddenly asked everyone around her and they all glanced at her questionably. The bubblegum-haired girl only snapped herself. "Not that I have anything against it. It's just that…..was killing these Quincies really necessary? They were our allies after all" she then asked while pointing out a fact.

Bazz-B only gritted his teeth in dispassion when seeing this. "You gotta be kidding me! Why the hell are you suddenly feeling sympathetic towards Yhwach's dolls all of a sudden!?" he angrily asked her.

"Yeah, what's the big idea, babe?" NaNaNa asked in his laidback manner. "After what dat mustached mothafucka did to us, you still think dat we should stick by his rules? Hell naw! We'll do anything to survive this shithole!" the lean man pointed out.

Meninas immediately bowed her head in shame before her comrades. "Right…..I apologize" she told them.

"Well I'm glad that we regained our powers back by stealing the life sources. In fact, I was able to bring one of the Sternritters back from the dead" Giselle suddenly pointed out and her fellow Sternritters could see that Sternritter N – The Narrower: Robert Accutrone was sitting beside Sternritter E – The Explode: Bambietta Basterbine. Giselle only giggled with pride. "I used the corpses of the Soldats and the Shinigamis to recreate the flesh on Accutrone's body. At least, we have now enough manpower to take the fight to Yhwach" she told them.

Liltotto only shrugged her shoulders. "Hmmm….nice job, Gigi" the little girl commended her. "I take it that you couldn't find any body parts belonging to PePe. Well, I ate half of his body to tell you the truth. But the rest of it probably vanished by the Auswählen" Liltotto suddenly revealed

Meninas sighed in relief when hearing this. "Thank goodness. That man always gives me the creeps" she admitted to her fellow Sternritters.

"Dayum girl! You sayin' you ate dat fatass bitch!?" NaNaNa asked Liltotto in open disgust. "Man, dat's just fucked up shit, dawg! I mean, I bet dat nigga tasted nasty!" he said of PePe, considering that PePe was among the Sternritters NaNaNa disliked the most.

Bazz-B only shrugged his shoulders when hearing this. "Tch, who the hell cares about him, anyway? That fat-headed fudge-packer is gone now. We don't need him" the man with the Mohawk pointed out to his comrades.

"But even if we have both Accutrone and Bambi with us, is that enough to take on Yhwach?" the one who asked was Candice, as she demanded an answer from one of her comrades. "Don't forget that he has his Schutzstaffel with him, not to mention Haschwalth and that four-eyed successor of his" the blonde-haired woman pointed out while describing Uryu.

"The Schutzstaffel?" Liltotto said while her eyes snapped in realization. "Wait, those who were appointed as Schutzstaffel…..were they deemed….." before she could say any further, Bazz-B slammed a fist onto the floor.

"That son of a bitch!" the aggressive Quincy cursed. "Those who were appointed as Schutzstaffel were deemed useful to him instead of us! That is why we were treated like cannon fodder to them!" Bazz-B spat out.

Giselle got curious when hearing about this. "Oh, but who were the five members then? We know that Haschwalth and this Uryu Ishida were only His Majesty's associates" she then asked her friends.

"One of them is definitely Nakk Le Vaar, another annoying fudge-packer" Bazz-B remarked in slight anger when thinking about Askin. "From what I heard, he retreated back to Silbern during Gremmy's rampage" the man with the Mohawk explained.

NaNaNa only rested his hands behind his neck. "I also think dat Lille is also among them" he noted. "Mothafucka's always trying to act so cool, just sayin' dawg" he thought about the one-eyed Quincy.

"Then there's Pernida, Gerard and Nianzol" Liltotto suddenly told them. The young girl could not help but to grit her teeth in frustration. "Damn it. Yhwach just had to bring along the strongest of the Sternritters. How are we supposed to get to him with them being his closest vanguard?" she wondered in slight frustration.

"Who cares about what Sternritters he's got on his side!?" the angry and sparkling voice came from Candice, as she stood up on her feet. "The first thing we should concentrate on is…..how do we get to the Royal Realm?" she asked all of them.

Hearing this question caused realizations amongst the Sternritters, as they knew that the first thing they needed was to reach the place Yhwach was currently in, which was high above the Sereitei.

"Shit…...I forgot about that" Bazz-B admitted lowly. "I guess that we also can't use The Key to enter it. Only Jugo possesses the power to activate and use it" he then said.

"Now dis some bullshit!" NaNaNa cursed. "I ain't wanna be stuck down here and watch homies die from a boulder or some shit!" he spoke up his frustration.

But Meninas suddenly made a coughing sound and everyone focused their attentions on the bubblegum-haired girl. "Anyone of you has probably noticed…..that the captains and lieutenants of the 13 Court Guard Squads has deserted us left us alone. With only low-ranking Shinigamis for us to deal with. Don't you think this sounds fishy?" she asked her fellow Quincies.

"Yeah I know" Liltotto said in agreement. "In fact, I think I can sense a huge amount of Spiritual Pressure gathering a few miles from here. That must be where all the captains and lieutenants are gathered" the young girl remarked.

"But why would they be doing something like that?" Candice asked while crossing her arms. "Were they making preparations for their deaths or something?" she then quizzed out of confusion.

Giselle only shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows? Maybe they also plan on breaking into the Royal Realm" the young girl said, only to be receiving stares from her comrades. The black-haired girl took notice of this and smiled goofily. "What? I'm just taking a guess" she insisted in a goofy manner.

Bazz-B suddenly got up and watched his fellow Quincies. "You know, she may be onto something" the young man revealed and they all listened closely. "I suggest that we go over there and see what kind of schemes they're really doing. We best hurry" the man with the Mohawk told them and was about to go outside.

"Hold on! What's happening to the skies?" Candice wondered, as she witnessed that the sky above them were turned into black.

"Dayum…..dis ain't good" NaNaNa noted warily.

* * *

 _At the Squad 12 Base_

The Shinigamis getting ready for entering the Royal Realm were all shocked when they could see something happening with Ukitake. As he had taken the Soul King's place as it's Right Hand, the white-haired man was suddenly dragged up towards the air in a fast pace, much to the shock or Rukia and the other lieutenants and captains. But that was not all. As soon as Ukitake vanished from their sight, a dark curtain descended down towards the Sereitei, eventually shrouding itself around the Shakonmaku. The entire icy cityscape was now covered by this darkness and nobody knew what was going on.

"It's so dark, almost like it's midnight" Shuhei Hisagi of Squad 9 noted while glancing up towards the base's opened ceiling. "Who's behind all of this?" he asked.

Captain Sui-Feng only snorted when hearing this. "What do you man about who's behind all of this? It must be those damn Quincies again" she noted warily before pointing her finger up in the air, towards a broken part of the Shakonmaku. The woman's eyes narrowed. "Just look closer. A part of the Shakonmaku is missing. And just a while back, the Soul King's Right Hand escaped through that hole and headed towards the Royal Realm, as did Ukitake" she explained.

Kisuke Urahara adjusted his hat. "Yeah, I can see it clearly. That Mimihagi possessed without a doubt an enormous amount of strength, considering that it was able to break through the Shakonmaku with such ease" the blonde-haired man remarked while seeing this.

"Yes. And that means the enemy will use that hole to attack us and it will be bad" Sui-Feng said and suddenly jumped up through the opened ceiling.

"Wait! Where are you going, captain?" Marechiyo Omaeda of Squad 2 asked his captain as she stood on the top of the base.

Sui-Feng merely glanced down at her lieutenant with dispassion in her eyes. "Where, you ask? Don't tell me that you plan on sitting on your fat asses and do nothing!" she said in a surprisingly rude manner. She then glanced up at the hole in the Shakonmaku. "I don't know about you, but I am going to destroy this ugly net around us" she said.

"I'm sorry, which one of us has a fat ass?" that voice came from Captain Kenpachi Zaraki of Squad 11 as he merely grinned cockily at Sui-Feng. "I suggest you put soap in your mouth and start showing respect, bitch" he spoke up.

"As much as I hate to admit it, Captain Zaraki has a point" Sui-Feng was surprised in seeing Captain Byakuya Kuchiki standing behind her. The young man merely glanced at her with nothing but disappointment. "You may as well want to reconsider your attitude" he added to his statement.

"My, my, so much resentment amongst us captains" Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi of Squad 12 remarked as he was also standing there. The scientist smiled cunningly at Sui-Feng. "Truth be told, I really can't stand when someone insults my role as a captain. I do not slack off. I am a scientist, who works his ass off doing research. But you on the other hand…." Mayuri began commenting about Sui-Feng's earlier comments.

Sui-Feng merely narrowed her eyes at him. "Shut it, pedo clown! I don't need lecturing from the likes of you!" she spat at him.

Hearing this made Mayuri slowly reach out for his Zanpakutou, yet he glanced at Sui-Feng angrily. "Ungrateful whore! I shall teach you how to address your….." Mayuri was stopped by someone interrupting them.

"Everyone, calm the fuck down!" Captain Shinji Hirako of Squad 5 told them all while sighing in irritation. "Geez, there's no need to get so hissy here! I think Sui-Feng never meant to say our asses were fat…just lazy. Although Omaeda's ass is fat for sure" the blonde-haired man remarked smugly.

"Screw you, I thought you were cool!" the angry voice of Marechiyo could be heard down below.

Shinji merely sighed when hearing this. "Whatever" he grumbled beneath his breath before looking up to the hole in the Shakonmaku. "Anyway, Sui-Feng's right about one thing: we gotta find a way to bust this black curtain. It's the only thing that prevents us from reaching the Royal Realm" the blonde-haired man pointed out to his fellow captains.

Sui-Feng drew out her Zanpakutou and glanced up towards the hole. "That is what I'm about to do, so stand back and don't interrupt me" she told them sternly and activated her Bankai. "Bankai. Jakuho Raikoben" she said and aimed her giant missile towards the hole, but she suddenly stopped when she could see something fall from the hole.

"What the hell….." Kenpachi asked lowly, as he and the other captains were standing behind Sui-Feng.

In a matter of time, Sui-Feng was overwhelmed by hundreds of small, black creatures with only one eyes. They were endless and managed to interrupt Sui-Feng from firing her missile. She tried to shove them off, but no matter how many times she did it, they just came back.

"Crush. Gegetsuburi" Marechyio activated his Shikai and swung his spiked ball to save his captain from those small, black things. "Are you okay, captain?" he then asked her only to be slammed on his face by Sui-Feng.

"Idiot, what took you so long?" she asked him.

Kenpachi was holding off against those creatures, but he could see that they were growing immensely. This made him realize that they needed to be more in order for them to drive back the things. "Ikkaku. Yumichika. Get your asses up here and help us with those things!" he called on his two subordinates from Squad 11: Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa.

The two Shinigamis arrived on the rooftops alongside Shuhei and readied themselves for combat. "We can't let those things get to the lab! Otherwise, it's all over for us! Reap. Kazeshini" Shuhei said while activating his Shikai.

"Tch, thanks for the reminder, Captain Obvious" Ikkaku remarked with sarcasm in return before activating his Shikai. "Extend. Hozukimaru" the bald-headed man then said.

"Focus, Ikkaku" Yumichika reminded his stubborn comrade before activating his Shikai. "Bloom. Fuji Kujaku" the flamboyant man said.

The three then dived in towards the pool of creatures, hoping to spread them apart. They succeeded, but the creatures still came back for more fights. These creatures really were resilient.

"Scatter. Senbonzakura" Byakuya activated his Shikai before sending his cherry blossom blades against the creatures. "Renji. Rukia. Take caution. These things won't simply go away because of one or Zanpakutous being released" he told the lieutenants of Squad 6 and Squad 13 respectivley, as they also arrived on the roof.

Renji merely grinned. "I got ya! Roar. Zabimaru" he activates his Shikai.

"Dance. Sode no Shirayuki!" Rukia activated her Shikai.

Shinji was having Momo Hinamori, and the Kudo-twins: Matsuri and Fujimaru at his side currently. They were holding off on their own against the things. But they also noticed how these things kept regenerating and coming back for more fights.

"Stay strong, Matsuri and Fujimaru! We gotta hold them off as best as we can!" Momo encouraged her fellow members of Squad 5 while holding her Zanpakutou Tobiume tightly.

"Damn it! These creatures sure are persistent!" Fujimaru cursed while swinging his Zanpakutou: Ryujomaru. "Aren't there limits to them!?" he asked in slight desperation.

"I don't know! But if this keeps going on, then we won't be able to reach that net and dispose of it!" Matsuri remarked while swinging her Zanpakutou: Kotomaru.

But while the Shinigamis were busy fending off the creature, they failed to notice the incredible amount of Spiritual Pressure that had just been unleashed. This Spiritual Pressure disposed of those things, yet the Shinigamis snapped in shock, as they actually recognized the Spiritual Pressure, and who it belonged to. But they even got more stung when they heard the familiar voice lurking from the shadows.

"How pathetic. Why are you wasting your time swinging around your swords, when it's easy to crush these things with only your Spiritual Pressures?" that voice came from none other than the Soul Society's greatest criminal to ever exist: Sosuke Aizen. He was now sitting on a chair, although he was still in his bindings that prevented him from even walking or to a lesser extent rise up from the chair. As the Shinigamis were shocked, Aizen merely smiled smugly. "There. Isn't this easier?" he asked them.

"You gotta be shitting me….." Renji uttered out those words lowly.

"You are….." Rukia was at loss of words, as she still remembered all the hardships she had been put through thanks to him. "Sosuke Aizen!" she spat out a name she hated to spill out.

"What the fuck's going on?" Ikkaku asked while sweating.

Momo on the other hand had her eyes completely widened at the sight of seeing her former captain sitting there with is usual, unsympathetic expression. Her body couldn't even move and she was on the verge of falling onto the ground, only for Shinji and the Kudo-twins to help her.

But Aizen fist took notice of Rukia, as she was the one who had first called out his name. "Oh, long time no see, Rukia Kuchiki. I never had the chance to speak to you after I left the Court Guard" he spoke up in his perceptive voice as usual. "Well, congratulations on getting your promotion. It is great they are finally acknowledging your services" he then commended Rukia, although it was difficult to tell whether that was true or false.

"Spare me these fake pleasantries, Aizen!" Rukia snapped in anger while sweating with unease. "Why are you here? You should've been locked up in the Mugen!" she asked while demanding an answer at the same time.

Aizen remained unfazed about her. "Simple. They let me go. And by that, I mean Central 46" he told her as honest as he could.

But Rukia remained unconvinced. "To hell with your nonsense! Who in the right mind would've….." Rukia stopped speaking when she and the other Shinigamis could hear a familiar voice come from behind the chair.

"It was me" the voice came from Head-Captain Shunsui Kyoraku, as the pink-clad Shinigami approached the group of Shinigamis, who were mostly stunned to see that it was he who had released Aizen from his prison. The man with the eyepatch faced the group with a reassuring glance. "I'm certain that every one of you wants me to explain the reason. But let me tell you this: we need his powers" he told them all.

The group of Shinigamis were outraged by that statement, as they could not believe what he was saying. Most of them believed that Shunsui had lost his mind right now.

"Are you fucking serious…" Renji uttered out words lowly.

"Captain Kyoraku…what are you saying!?" Rukia asked in shock.

"You really think this is a good idea!?" Shuhei demanded an answer. "You have gone insane!" he then spat out.

"Shuhei has a point. I sure as hell don't agree asking for help from someone like him!" Ikkaku remarked.

"Yes. There is absolutely no way we can just forget about all that he has done to us" Yumichika said, agreeing with Ikkaku's statement.

Sui-Feng narrowed her eyes at Shunsui. "Have you shame?" she asked the pink-clad Shinigami with incredible wariness. "I would die before I ever allowed that "thing" help us!" she then spat out.

But while Sui-Feng was furious, Byakuya, Mayuri, Kenpachi and Shinji remained mostly calm while seeing this, although they each had different reactions on the inside. But Shinji could see that Momo was feeling more uneasy by the minute and he rushed to her side, as she was being helped by both Matsuri and Fujimaru.

"Matsuri. Fujimaru. Take Momo down to the base. I'll be there shortly" Shinji told the twins and they listened and agreed with what he was saying. They held Momo and jumped back down to the lab. When they were gone, Shinji returned his attention to Aizen, sitting on his chair. "Sosuke…whatever your plans are…..I sure as hell will never let that happen. You won't be disgracing Captain Suzunami's legacy" the blonde-haired man thought in his head while glancing at his former lieutenant sitting in his bindings.

Shunsui adjusted his hat and felt like he had heard enough complaints so far. "Very well, let's talk about the 13 Court Guard Squads. As all of you may know, pride won't save the world" he told the Shinigamis as they listened. "I don't neccesarily think that fighting evil with evil makes me an evil person. Wouldn't you agree on that?" he then pointed out, convincing them to put their pride aside and fight evil with evil.

Despite hearing this, the majority of the Shinigamis felt very reluctant to agree with Shunsui's statement. However, none of them dared speak out against this anymore, and only stood and showed understanding in return.

Aizen mused by what he was seeing. "It seems to me that the discussion is over" he remarked before looking up to Shunsui beside him. "Well then, isn't it time for you to undo the seals on my hands and let me get off this chair?" he then asked the pink-clad Shinigami.

"I can't do that" Shunsui flatly replied.

"And why, if I may ask?" Aizen questioned him in return.

Shunsui scoffed at him in return. "I believe I've told you this before. I'm only allowed to undo 3 of your seals: the mouth, left eyes and ankles" he explained while showing it with three fingers. "I have no authorization to undo more seals" he then went on explaining.

Aizen sighed in irritation when he heard Shunsui's statement. "So you are telling me to deal with all of this while sitting on a chair?" he asked him.

The head-captain mused to himself in return. "I'm sure you'll figure out something" he replied.

Aizen's left eye narrowed at him. "That sounds farfetched. You know very well that I don't have the power to do so" he told the pink-clad Shinigami.

Shunsui's only eye narrowed back at him as well. "This isn't about whether you have the power to do so or not" he told Aizen before looing up above them to see a new wave of small creatures descending down towards them, only to be stopped by Aizen's immense Spiritual Pressure. "I watched as these little eyeballs chewed on you while you were seated. So don't tell me you haven't done anything about it" Shunsui added to his statement.

The Shinigamis were awed by how these small creatures managed to pour down at them, only for Aizen to use his Spiritual Pressure to hold them back.

"Hmmm, you are only making things harder for me, Kyoraku" Aizen said.

Shunsui chuckled when he heard that. "You're welcome" he said and suddenly looked to his fellow Shinigamis. "Everyone, get back into the lab! This is sure gonna be one hell of an attack!" he told them and they all responded.

Aizen sat on the chair while uttering out a famed Kido-spell of his. "Hado 90: Kurohitsugi!" he said and a cage of darkness was formed at the top of the base. It was apparent that he was now attempting to trap the small creatures along with him in this cage.

Meanwhile, everyone had gathered in the lab and were watching as the black cage took shape above them through the opened ceiling. However, even Aizen was "helping" them, the majority of the Shinigamis were still not pleased with Shunsui's decision to ask Aizen for help.

"You do understand, Kyoraku" Byakuya approached the head-captain from behind. "That you freeing Aizen, means that you have insulted us all" the Captain of Squad 6 pointed out.

Shunsui could himself see this, as there were many Shinigamis who were giving him cold stares, among them Sui-Feng, Matsuri, Fujimaru, Hiyori, Lisa and Shuhei. Others like Shinji, Love, Hachi, Renji, Rukia, Ikkaku, Yumichika and Urahara seemed to have accepted it, albeit reluctantly. Some like Isane, Hanataro, Nanao, Marechiyo and Momo were feeling incredibly insecure about having Aizen near them. But some like Kenpachi and Mayuri didn't neccesarily seem to care and only glanced up to see the black cage above them.

The head-captain sighed when seeing this. "I know. I take responsibility for my actions" he said while adjusting his hat. "In fact, all of you are welcome to kick my ass as much as you want once this is over. But for now, let me protect the Sereitei" he told them as they could see the black cage being completely formed.

After Kurohitsugi was finished, some of the Shinigamis jumped up to the top of the base to see that there was no tint of those creatures left in the wake of Aizen's Kido-spell. The Shinigamis were stunned to see how clear it was and only Aizen and the chair remained intact.

"My god…..there isn't a speck of those monsters left" Shuhei remarked by what he was seeing.

Urahara was joining them and could not believe what Aizen was capable of doing with only a single Kido-spell. "This is what his power can do. It could be possible that it has grown from the time he fought with Ichigo" the blonde-haired man noted warily.

The Shinigamis around him all snapped in shock, among them Renji. "So he's gotten stronger…even while being trapped in the Mugen?" he asked warily before glancing at Aizen, who was still sitting on his chair. "Damn monster…" he muttered underneath his breath.

Aizen eventually took notice of the group of Shinigamis approaching him. "How amazing. To think that this chair could survive a direct attack from my Kurohitsugi. If so then that means this one is made of the same stuff as Mugen. A splendid chair, indeed" the brown-haired man noted.

Renji only snorted in return when hearing this. "Fuck off, asswipe. You're not fooling me with this attitude" the red-haired man said in his rude language.

But Aizen however remained unfazed when hearing this. "I was actually talking to myself, Renji Abarai. Now do me a favor and cease this blabbering of yours" Aizen requested of him.

Hearing this made Renji grit his teeth in anger. "How about I let you taste a knuckle-sandwich instead, you slick-ass son of a….." Renji was held back by Rukia, who glanced at him dispassionately.

"Ignore him, Renji. He is just miserable after all of his plans failed" Rukia said before fixing her smug look at Aizen. "Isn't that right, Aizen?" she then asked him in a taunting manner.

Aizen only faced her with a frown in return. "Your humor eludes me, Lieutenant Kuchiki" he said in return.

Rukia narrowed her eyes. "Even for a traitor like you, that was low" she told him.

"STEP ASIDE!" all the Shinigamis snapped when they could hear an angry, but girly voice coming from someone they had least expected to sound pissed off. It was Momo, who had her eyes filled with anger while clutching Tobiume tightly in her right hand. The young girl was now standing a few feet before Aizen, who had so far only raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"It can't be.…..Momo?" Aizen asked lowly, his voice filled with slight surprise. The brown-haired man eventually formed a slight smile. "Hmmm I see that you are still serving the Court Guard as a lieutenant. So tell me, how have you…." Aizen was suddenly interrupted in his talking, when Momo quickly threw a small rock at him. She threw it fast and it actually hit Aizen's left cheek.

Her fellow lieutenants were stunned when they saw this. "Momo…..what are you….." Renji asked her in slight surprise, as she had actually never in his life seen Momo physically attack Aizen like this.

While the rock did not leave him any injuries, it still left a mark on Aizen's left cheek. He was slightly surprised when seeing this and glanced at Momo, her eyes filled with nothing but anger and resentment. This expression, was something he had never seen Momo had while she was his lieutenant.

"Well, that was unexpected" Aizen noted while forming a slight smile with his mouth. "That catch of yours was really quick, Momo. You threw it so fast that even I failed to detect it. I take it that you have been improving on your…" Aizen was once again interrupted, but this time by Momo herself.

"Shut up" she said lowly, thus forcing Aizen to stop speaking.

The man in bindings only chuckled in return. "Now, now, Momo. It is just rude to say something like this to your former captain. Didn't you ever…" Aizen stopped speaking.

"I SAID SHUT UP, YOU HEARTLESS BASTARD!" Momo surprisingly yelled at the top of her lungs, her eyes slowly starting to stream some tears.

Renji and the others were stunned to hear what was being said. When was the last Momo ever became this angry? This was probably the first time they had ever seen Momo getting really upset and angry towards her former captain and idol. Aizen was the same man who had inspired her to become a Shinigami, as well as joining Squad 5. But her idolization of him led to Momo become one of his many victims. Yes, she had been stabbed two times, with the first one being Aizen's move directly and the second being as a result of Aizen's Shikai: Kyoka Suigetsu.

The young girl felt tears drip onto the ground, her face filled with anger over what had happened. "I looked up to you…..respected you….and even mourned your supposed death" Momo began speaking up, her heart stung by betrayal. "Even after you stabbed me and left the Soul Society…I still wanted to believe that there was some good left in you! But I…was wrong" she said with bitterness in her voice.

While Momo was telling as these things, Aizen remained completely unsympathetic to her condition. However, he could not help but to form a slight smirk with his mouth.

"You still don't get it, do you, Momo?" Aizen suddenly spoke up. This made Momo stand still, not saying anything in return. "From the day I first set my eyes on you, I knew from the start that you were nothing but a misguided girl desperate to find someone to lean onto. That alone, only demonstrated your weakness" the man in bindings told Momo, who was too stunned to even say anything in return.

The Kudo-twins both expressed frustration when they heard Aizen say this to his former lieutenant. "You rotten bastard…how dare you…." Fujimaru said lowly, only feeling more desiring in killing Aizen, despite being told that is impossible.

"I see what this is all about" Matsuri noted to herself while watching how Momo stood and listened. "Momo never got the answers she wanted from Aizen. And now that he's finally here, she wants to hear them. The answers to why Aizen would go as far as to stab her…to use her in order to further his own selfish ambitions" the dark blonde-haired girl noted by what she was seeing.

Momo suddenly faced the floor with her angry eyes, never looking at her former captain. "So that's it, then. To you, I was nothing but a burden…a disappointment…..a nuisance" she said, her voice filled with no compassion towards him. But she finally lifted her head up to face Aizen directly in his left eye. "But if I really was that worthless to you…..WHY WOULD YOU STILL USE ME AS A TOOL!?" she then angrily asked Aizen.

"Spineless fool! You still don't understand!" Aizen spat back with venom in his voice. "It doesn't matter whether a person is worthy or unworthy to me. I will take anything that satisfy me the most and watch them suffer! Seeing fools like you being played against that weakling Hitsugaya is entertainment for me! You, along with anything that has served under me are nothing but ants for me to crush! When I have changed this world, you will all see!" he exclaimed, thus revealing his true and sinister nature.

While Momo was stunned, she was actually not surprised when hearing all of this coming to from Aizen's own mouth. In fact, she reached for something in her shihakusho and took it up for Aizen himself to see. This time, Aizen's left eye widened in realization as he knew what it was. This was the same letter that he had written in order to trick Momo into killing Toshiro, as well as forcing her to believe that it was her childhood friend who had killed him. Momo held it up with her eyes glancing at him in a surprisingly cold manner.

"This is the same letter you used to make me a part of your mind games. Even after your defection, I still held onto it, hoping that there would be some worth in remembering your supposed kindness" Momo explained before throwing it in the air. With the letter in the air, Momo used one of Tobiume's fireballs to burn it in front of Aizen. He was slightly surprised to see this. Momo glared at him before turning her back on him. She even looked over her shoulder to face him. "Consider this an official declaration of me rejecting of your existence. From now on, you will never exist in my memories. You will be nothing but distant nightmares. And truth be told…you're dead to me….and always has been. And why, you may wonder? Well that is because you didn't stop being my captain when you first stabbed me. Rather, you stopped being my captain when you first took me under your wing! That is what I believe it all began! Goodbye…Aizen…and may you perish in Hell for all the sins you have committed" those were Momo's last words to her former idol before walking back to the lab.

Her fellow lieutenants were stunned as they watched Momo jump down, never turning back to face Aizen while on her way to the opening. They could not help but to feel proud about Momo's actions. For the first time, she stood up for herself as a Shinigami.

"Momo…..you have grown" Renji remarked underneath his breath.

"It was hard, but I could tell she needed to do this" Rukia said, agreeing with Renji.

Aizen had so far only remained unfazed while watching Momo disappear from his sight. But he was approached by his longtime friend, Urahara. The blonde-haired man was only glancing at him with his arms crossed. Yet despite this, Aizen was not amused and merely stared at him with dispassion.

"You should think about the consequences of your actions, Aizen" Urahara said lowly, yet his voice was not pleasant. "In time, all the decisions you have chosen…...will come back to haunt you for the remainder of your life. And when that time comes…..you will actually for the first time beg for forgiveness" the blonde-haired man then told him.

Aizen only gritted his teeth in anger while seeing this, before fixing a slight smirk with his mouth. "How about we change the subject a little? As you can see, my Kurohitsugi has put a crack in this net of darkness above us and that says a lot about its density" Aizen told him while making sure everyone was listening. "All I have to do now is to use my Spiritual Pressure and it will come crumbling down" he then said before unleashing his enourmous power once more.

This release was powerful and it went actually overboard as it affected the doors that the captains were trying to create in the lab beneath him. The Shinigamis took a great issue in this.

"Stop it, Aizen! The Spiritual Pressure we have collected for the doors will disperse!" Rukia said to him.

"Doors? You won't need those. There is a hole in the walls of the Royal Realm, isn't it?" Aizen asked Rukia before glancing up to the hole in the Shakonmaku. "If all of us have some business at the Soul King's Palace, then why don't I bring it all down to us?" he suggested and unleashed his strong power.

"He's actually gonna shoot down the Soul King's Palace!?" Renji asked out in disbelief. "Is that even possible!?" he wondered out loud.

Rukia gritted her teeth in anger and reached for her Zanpakutou. "That son of a bitch! He will….." Rukia suddenly found herself being held back by Shunsui, who had appeared alongside Mayuri. They then walked towards Aizen, who was concentrating his efforts on destroying the Soul King's Palace.

But all of a sudden, the gathering of enormous power ceased instantly and Aizen was stunned to see what was happening. "What the hell….why did it stop!?" he wondered in disbelief.

"It's no use" Shunsui said while facing Aizen. "You said it yourself back in the Mugen. That those restraints on you couldn't cancel your Spiritual Pressure. The only thing it does is keep it around you" he added before fixing a slight smile. "But the power required to cap your Spiritual Pressure is unbelievably strong. So therefore, we have taken the liberty to test you on the Soul Society's proudest achievement. Care to explain, Captain Kurotsuchi?" he then looked over his shoulder and Mayuri stepped forward.

"What Kyoraku is trying to say is that Spiritual Pressure is that will keep producing as long as the heart of a Shinigami remains beating. And unless you stop the heart, there is no way can stop the Spiritual Pressure" the scientist explained while pointing his finger at the man in bindings. "For some very particular reason, prisoners in the Mugen cannot be killed. That is only because we don't have anyone that could stop their hearts from beating. It is also the reason why those restraints on you were never intended to cancel out your Spiritual Pressure to begin with" he added to his explanation. The captain of Squad 12 suddenly reached for something in his outfit and eventually held it for Aizen to see. "It's focus however, was to keep it in check. And now, whether we free you or not, is all up to me. Did you honestly think that your powers could've beaten my technology and do as you please? You are naïve, Sosuke Aizen" Mayuri said smugly while holding a small device in his left hand.

Aizen couldn't help but to form a smirk when seeing this. "So you have trapped me with your inventions? I expected no less from the minor version of Kisuke Urahra" he said in an insulting manner to the scientist.

Although Mayuri felt angry on the inside when hearing this, he refrained from pulling out his Zanpakutou. "Anyway, about whether you could actually shoot down the Soul King's Palace, or not. It won't matter as long as you are in those restraints of mine, just to clarify the fact" Mayuri told him.

"You underestimate me, Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Maybe I should try out to the maximum and see which one is the better, your technology or my power" he said, only to feel his entire body becoming paralyzed by a pattern forming around him.

The Shinigamis were stunned to see that a group of Sternritters was now standing on the pile of boulders, with NaNaNa performng his tricks on Aizen with a smirk. The lean Quincy was having fun in seeing Aizen becoming so vulnerable, expect for the fact that he had not become paralyzed.

"Man, dis some bullshit!" NaNaNa remarked in boredom. "How come dat fool on da chair ain't passing out?" he wondered in disbelief.

"Who cares? Why did you do that, anyway?" Liltotto asked him.

The lean man only shrugged his shoulders. "I'm just practicin'! But then again, dat fool would've destroyed the Soul King's Palace before we could reach it" he responded in return before glancing down upon the Shinigamis below them. "Anyway, what do we do about dese wide-eyed mothafuckas? I say we kill'em!" he suggested to them.

Bazz-B only shrugged his shoulders. "Nice try, but I have something else on my mind" Bazz-B said before glancing down at the group of Shinigamis. "Hey Shinigamis! Lay down your weapons! We're here to talk!" the man with the Mohawk told them loudly.

While he was listening to this, Shunsui looked down at Nanao and the others to see how things were going and he could see that the door had completely vanished. Nanao looked up at him. "It's no good, captain! We need to begin from the scratch!" Nanao called out to him.

"Oh dear, then we will have to deal with this quickly" Shunsui said as he and others could see the Quincies stand before them. "Hello Sternritters. I couldn't help but to hear you saying something about not wanting to fight. But what is it that…." Shunsui was interrupted by Bazz-B speaking.

"Listen, we're not here to fight you, honest. In fact, we're gonna lend you our hands" Bazz-B insisted, much to the surprise of the Shinigamis. "The Wandenreich is something that exists in the shadows of the Sereitei. If the Sereitei were to be crushed by the palace, so would we" the punkish Sternritter explained.

"So you are saying you will help us?" Mayuri asked while sounding suspicious. "Are we to believe in you? I especially can't stand that zombie girl!" he said while grumbling when Giselle stuck out her tongue at him.

But NaNaNa intervened. "Shut yo yellow ass up! Mah homie here never said anything about dat!" he said to Mayuri, who only found NaNaNa's words irritating.

"He's right. And we're not doing this for free either. We want compensation" Bazz-B pointed out to the Shinigamis. "We help you guys making the doors. And in return, you take us with you to the Royal Realm. We have some unfinished business with that bastard Yhwach!" he then stated the terms.

Shunsui whistled in amazement by what he was hearing. "Ah, I see. An alliance of convenience. You help us giving Spiritual Pressure to make the doors and we in return take you with us to the Royal Realm. Now this sounds like a fair deal to be honest, considering that we're on short schedule here" the pink-clad Shinigami remarked.

"I agree" Urahara stated while stepping beside Shunsui. "It seems to me that we all share a common enemy in Yhwach. And based upon his actions, we cannot blame you for feeling this way" the blonde-haired man remarked.

"Then all of you know what must be done" Liltotto said in return. "So what is your answer?" she asked them all.

"I guess we have an agreement" Shunsui responded.

Urahara suddenly held out a small ball in his hands and smiled at the Sternritters. "Come take one of these balls each and then join us in the lab. We could use the help of powerful Quincies such as you" the blonde-haired man remarked in amusement.

And so, the Shinigamis made an alliance of convenience with the Sternritter rebels. Hopefully, both parts could be beneficial to the other in terms of this partnership.

 _To be continued….._

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 **Author's note: This was chapter 29. We got to see how the Shinigamis were focusing on coming to terms with accepting help from Aizen, as well as Momo's struggle to deal with Aizen. Most of the part with Aizen was loyal to the canon story, although the one with Momo was my idea. We also saw the return of another favorite Espada: Coyote Starrk. What role he will play in this story remains to be seen. However, Starrk is also one of my favorite Espadas. The next chapter will tell us about how Ichigo and his gang are doing, especially since they got shot down by Uryu's arrows.**

 **Now let us see the new terms that we become known to in this chapter.**

 **Pacífico Pasar – Spanish for "Peaceful Pass": This is a place where the fallen Arrancar-heroes are given a second chance if they are worthy of being so. It is said that it is Hueco Mundo's old rulers that decided whether they are worthy or not.**

 **Almacenamiento – Spanish for "Storage": This is the terms the Arrancars use when referring to their Zanpakutous. They call it an Almacenamiento, considering that it stores their powers inside.**


	30. Die Gestaltung

**Author's note: The name of this chapter is the German word for "The Shaping". And the reason for that is because of the subjects that it will revolve on. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

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 **Chapter 30: Die Gestaltung**

 _On the Squad 12 Base, the Sereitei, Soul Society_

Having been paralyzed thanks to the actions of the Sternritter: NaNaNa Najakhoop, Sosuke Aizen finally gained consciousness from the spell he had been just cast. He looked around and saw that there was no one standing on the top of the base, with the notable exception being Shunsui Kyoraku. The pink-clad Shinigami simply glanced at Aizen as she stood by the opened ceiling. To be frank, he was waiting for Aizen to wake up.

Shunsui smiled smugly. "Can't move anymore, can you?" he asked with sarcasm in his voice.

"It would have been funny if I said I could" Aizen simply replied before facing Shunsui with his left eye. "If you seek my death, then here is your chance" he then added to his statement.

"Don't take me for a fool. I would've already killed you if it were that easy" Shunsui noted while adjusting his hat. "Honestly, to survive an attack like that despite having your Spiritual Pressure kept at its minimum, only to keep you immobile for 5 minutes? That Quincy was definitely surprised" the head-captain noted in his statement.

Aizen only formed a smirk with his mouth. "What are you talking about? Being able to stop me for 5 minutes? I don't see any reason to feel sorry for yourself" the brown-haired man pointed out.

"You said it" Shunsui noted before glancing up to the skies. "Well, if what you're implying is true, about not being at your best, then be a good boy and stay here, won't you? At least until we have the doors, that is" the flamboyant Shinigami then requested of him.

Aizen could feel the many Spiritual Pressures underneath him and they varied. But he could come up with a summary to this: both Shinigamis and Quincies could be felt. This indicated only one thing in Aizen's mind.

"Shinigamis and Quincies working together" Aizen noted before watching facing Shunsui. "Are you going to protect the Soul Society as well?" he then questioned the head-captain.

Shunsui looked over his shoulder to face him. "No. We came to a realization that we have a common enemy. Therfore, we have decided to put our grudges behind us for now" the man with the ponytail told him.

While Aizen had been knocked out, the remaining Sternritters had approached the group of Shinigamis and offering to help them rebuild the doors from the scratch. They would do so by lending them their Spiritual Pressure. However, these Sternritters did not necessarily seek an alliance with the 13 Court Guard Squads. Rather, it was a partnership of convenience. To repay their services, the Shinigamis would take the Sternritters with them to the Royal Realm. Apparently, they had some unfinished business with their leader who had abandoned them in the battlefield. However, these Sternritters had also realized that Ywach was a threat to them as well, and not just to the Shinigamis.

Aizen mused to himself as he had listened to what Shunsui told him. "So the ones that stopped me will be the ones who will enter the Royal Realm before me?" Aizen asked before he was quickly reminded about someone. Yes, ever since his defeat, there was one man he held a particular grudge against. "You really are a man who is hard to forgive….Ichigo Kurosaki" he then noted, even gazing up towards the skies.

Shunsui looked at him and had begun to notice something with Aizen. "As I expected, he has no regrets committing all those treasonous acts. All that he cares about is himself and his delusional ideas" the head-captain noted before he also glanced up to the skies. "But based upon what he and Yhwach were talking about, there is a likely possibility that Aizen is in denial about the existence of Augustus Zod Allowin. His arrogance clouds over his mind. All I can say is that Aizen will in time face his true judgement, but not in the form of Central 46" the pink-clad Shinigami noted in his head before jumping down to regroup with the rest of the Shinigamis.

This left Aizen alone by himself, and he was still looking up towards the sky, only for him to be interrupted by voices invading inside his head. These were voices belonging to those that he knew before.

"Do you think that your actions in Hueco Mundo has gone unnoticed? That is quite ignorant of you to believe in. Because right now, "he" knows of your actions against Hueco Mundo, including the abuse of its rightful power. And once "he" gets knowledge of you being alive…...he will come for you…and take what is rightfully his…then "he" will send you to the realm of eternal nightmares and torture: the Sea of Suffering…..which is worse than Hueco Mundo and Hell combined" the voice of Yhwach invaded his thoughts, which made him remind about the conversation he had with the Emperor of the Wandenreich weeks earlier.

"From now on, you will never exist in my memories. You will be nothing but distant nightmares. And truth be told…you're dead to me….and always has been. And why, you may wonder? Well that is because you didn't stop being my captain when you first stabbed me. Rather, you stopped being my captain when you first took me under your wing! That is what I believe it all began! Goodbye…Aizen…and may you perish in Hell for all the sins you have committed" he still recalled the words Momo had told him, as she had declared her open rejection of his existence.

"You should think about the consequences of your actions, Aizen. In time, all the decisions you have chosen…...will come back to haunt you for the remainder of your life. And when that time comes…..you will actually for the first time in your life be begging for forgiveness" Urahara's voice invaded his thoughts once again.

As much as these voices plagued and swirled inside his thoughts, Aizen stubbornly refused to give in to them and merely brushed them off as empty warnings trying to ruin his plans. No, the brown-haired man had not yet given up on achieving what he really wanted: to rule the Soul Society in his own image. Therefore, he knew that he was now on his own. His plans to reach to the skies would come eventually.

"Why do I hold on to these memories of them, anyway?" Aizen asked in his head while forming a deep frown with his mouth. "I don't need to hear more stories…more warnings…more questions. I have achieved what no Shinigami can comprehend. Perfection is my destiny" he then added to his thoughts, never feeling at least concerned about those conversations he had with each of these individuals.

* * *

 _On one of the five floating cities, the Royal Realm, Soul Society_

After being shot down from the Soul King's Palace by Uryu Ishida, Ichigo Kurosaki and his group of friends were now falling down towards the Sereitei far below. But he suddenly found himself landing on Orihime's Santen Kesshun, although he also collided with Ganju Shiba's head. While they were floating towards in the air, Yoruichi and Tessai had used the flight device to one of the five floating cities and they caught the Santen Kesshun with harpoon-like ropes. Therefore, the group had begun recuperating on this floating city, yet Ichigo was the only one still being unconscious.

Ichigo's eyes slowly opened up and he could see that everyone was present. "Hey there…is everyone okay?" Ichigo asked lowly. But he still felt pain inside his head and began rubbing it with his hand. "Damn….my head hurts! Did I hit my head on something?" he asked while holding onto his sore head.

Orihime was now treating Yoruichi and Ganju's injuries, while Tessai was currently examining the injuries that Jinta had sustained from Haschwalth's sword with cotton. Only Orihime, Chad and Ururu seemed to be doing fin, considering that they didn't sustain any serious injuries.

"Well, you and I did land on the same spot on the platform with our heads. So maybe that's the reason why your head still hurts" Ganju then told him as he was healed by Orihime. "Sorry, by the way" he then apologized.

Ichigo smiled when he hears this. "Eh it's no big deal. I think I also owe you an apology. Just so that we're even" he said while apologizing to Ganju.

Chad smiled when seeing his friend being awake. "We're glad to see that you're awake, Ichigo" Chad said while giving him a thumb gesture. "After you landed on the platform, you fell into unconsciousness for a short while" he then pointed out.

Ururu saluted in return. "And I'm perfectly fine, with no injuries whatsoever" she said, although it was difficult to tell whether she meant it seriously or not.

"Yeah, all thanks to me, that is!" Jinta remarked with sarcasm in his voice before wincing in pain. Tessai was now using cotton to treat his injuries "ARRRRGHHH! TAKE IT SLOW, WILL YA!?" he angrily snapped at the tanned-skinned man.

"Keep it down, Jinta! You're making too much noise!" Tessai hushed him in return.

Ichigo smiled by what he saw seeing, feeling happy about that those in his group were still alive. But the orange-haired man was then reminded about what had happened, especially since Uryu had prevented him from stopping Yhwach taking Lord Mimihagi. Ichigo also began to think about the words that Uryu had told him back in the Soul King's Palace and it plagued his mind.

"Uryu.…...I don't know what you were trying to say back in the palace. But because of what you have done, you and I are now enemies!" Ichigo noted in his head while clenching his fists tightly. "You have chosen your path…...I have also done that!" he added to his thoughts, vowing to fight Uryu for real the next time they met.

Chad began looking around and watched the cityscape they were currently standing in. "What place is this? There is nobody around here" the tall man asked his comrades. He had taken notice of the fact that the place was awfully quiet.

"Obviously, this must be one of the five quarters belonging to the members of the Royal Guard" Yoruichi replied to Chad. Her golden eyes narrowed in the process. "But you are onto something there, Chad. These streets seem so…...empty. Where are all the upper nobles and citizens that lives in these districts? Did they die during the invasion?" the purple-haired woman added to her question.

"I don't know what you all think, but I'm happy that we're all alive" Ganju remarked and suddenly glanced up to the skies. "Strange. Even now, I can feel the world no longer being in disharmony. What happened in the Soul King's Palace? I mean, isn't he dead?" the long-haired man asked while even taking a glance upon the palace, which was high above from the group's standpoint.

Orihime did the same thing. "Now that you mention it, it does feel kind of odd in the atmosphere" the orange-haired woman remarked in return.

"Blah, blah, blah! So what about this stinking place!?" the impatient voice came from Jinta, as he was now holding what remained of his kanabo. It was broken and the red-haired boy even had tears streaming from his eyes. "My kanabo's broken! How am I supposed to get it fixed?" he sniffed while glancing at his destroyed favorite weapon.

Tessai sighed in annoyance when hearing Jinta rant about his weapon. "Foolish boy. You haven't even activated the kanabo's durability mode! No wonder why it broke so easily!" he scolded the red-haired boy before pulling the ring at the bottom of the kanabo's grip. As he did that, the once broken kanabo suddenly transformed into the shape Jinta was used to, except for the fact that it was covered in metal and had spikes on all sides. The young boy gasped in disbelief when seeing this. "There…better?" the tanned-skinned man asked Jinta.

"Better, my ass!" Jinta snapped at him in outrage. "You mean to tell me that you knew all of this, yet you didn't bother letting me know about it!?" he angrily asked Tessai.

The Shinigami only adjusted his glasses. "Oh please, I did tell you back in Hueco Mundo that the boss had made improvements on your kanabo, didn't I?" he pointed out.

"Yet you never showed me how it worked!" Jinta snapped in return by what he was hearing.

All the others merely watched with raised eyebrows about Jinta throwing his tantrums. But it stopped when Yoruichi rose up on her feet to gain everyone's attention. "Alright, break it up! We've got more important things to focus on than a kanabo!" she sternly told them while flexing her left arm, as it had regrown thanks to Orihime's healing. "Now how about we plan on counterattacking?" she then suggested to everyone.

"Yoruichi is right" Tessai said in return while holding his staff. "As of now, we are on a tight schedule here. And more importantly, we don't know long this platform will stay together" the tanned-skinned man remarked while looking around the environment.

"A counterattack?" Ganju asked while stretching out his regrown right arm. He then looked up to the Soul King's Palace "Sorry to burst your bubble, but that's easier said than done. I mean, how the hell are we gonna get all the way up there?" he then pointed out.

Ichigo rose on his feet and walked to Ganju's side while looking up at the building. "Ganju has a point. It's quite far from down here. But I could try making some footholds with my Spiritual Pressure" he suggested before looking at Chad and Orihime. "Hey Orihime, you, Chad and the others could use your Santen Kesshun to give yourselves a lift up" the orange-haired man then suggested to his friends.

"Sounds like a good idea, but what if we get attacked?" Orihime asked with a hint of concern in her voice. "The Quincies could use our disadvantages we have and bring us down. And let us not forget that they have a sharpshooter among them. One powerful shot can destroy my platform" the orange-haired woman then explained.

"You're correct, Orihime. We really are at a disadvantage here" Chad said while looking up to the palace.

"No need to worry! I just happen to have the perfect solution to this problem" Yoruichi's voice interrupted them all, as she was standing before a space while holding a remote in her hand. "Open up" she said and pushed the button on the remote. All of a sudden, a Garganta was slowly opening, much to everyone's surprise. Yoruichi had used the remote to open the Garganta and it began showing something inside of it.

Ichigo was surprised to see the Garganta being made so far as the Royal Realm. However, he could feel a very familiar Spiritual Pressure coming out as the gate opened up further. The Substitute Shinigami was stunned, as his eyes caught something standing in the opening. Standing in the Garganta was someone he had not expected to ever see again: the former Sexta Espada: Grimmjow Jeagerjacquez!

"You're….Grimmjow!?" Ichigo asked in disbelief by seeing the Arrancar he had once fought against.

The blue-haired Arrancar was facing down for a brief moment, before he fixed his feline-like eyes on Ichigo. The moment their eyes caught, a psychotic and delighted grin crept across Grimmjow's face. This only indicated that he was finally pleased to see Ichigo again.

"Hey. Long time no see, Ichigo Kurosaki" he said and jumped out of the Garganta and landed on a boulder not far from Ichigo's standpoint. The grin on his face never faded away. "How many years has it been? Looks like the scars you got from me have healed already" he noted smugly while glancing at his most desired opponent.

Ichigo remained calm while facing the Arrancar, even though he had never expected to run into him again. "Of course, they have healed. You're looking well yourself" he replied back with a cautious voice.

Grimmjow only shrugged his shoulders. "Heh! You thought I died back in Las Noches, didn't ya?" Grimmjow noted before pulling out his Zanpakutou, unleashing his strong Spiritual Pressure, which even astounded Ichigo. He began to wonder whether he had grown more powerful since their last encounter. Without hesitating, Ichigo grabbed his Zanpakutous and stood ready to fight the ex-Espada. Grimmjow only mused by seeing this. "As if I would die to someone as pathetic as Nnoitora! Not without killing you first! I've waited all this time….SO I COULD GET SOME PAYBACK FOR MY DEFEAT!" Grimmjow then exclaimed, his lust for battle getting hold over him.

Ichigo was about to ready himself, only to hear another familiar voice calling to him. "ICHIGOOOOO!" Grimmjow was pushed to the ground as Nelliel Tu Odelschwank launched herself at the orange-haired man, who was caught by Nelliel's grip. "I'VE MISSED YOU SO MUCH!" the sea green-haired woman exclaimed gleefully. She then caught Ichigo and rolled onto the ground. Her appearance surprised the orange-haired man.

"What the…...Nel!?" Ichigo asked out in disbelief as he could see her Hollow-shell no longer being cut, and that she now wore clothes, as well as a strange cape. "Nel.…...what happened to you!?" the young man then asked while being stunned.

Nelliel giggled. "It's a very long story, but I now managed to get back into my true form. I will stay like this from now on. That means that I can help you now!" she then told him, her smile never fading away. "But enough of that, I'm just so glad that I got to see you again!" she said while squealing against Ichigo one more time, only dropped a sweat in return.

Orihime could not help but to chuckle nervously. "Heh, I always knew that she would react like this" she remarked, although she tried her best not to look so jealous in front of her friends.

Jinta grinned mischievously when seeing Ichigo getting hugged by Nelliel. "Keep up the good work, Nelliel! Make sure that Ichigo will start mastur…EYOUCH!" Jinta was interrupted by Ururu punching him in his stomach, much to his agony. "WHAT THE HELL, URURU!? I'M TRYING TO RECOVER FROM MY INJURY!" he angrily snapped at her.

Ururu merely crossed her arms while huffing, something which made Tessai smile in amusement. He even gave her a thumb gesture. "Splendid work, Ururu! You have my gratitude!" he then commended her.

But all this fun was interrupted by the angry voice from Grimmjow, as he got up on his head while rubbing his head "Damnit Nelliel! What the hell was that for!?" he asked while fixing his eyes upon Nelliel. "Now get lost! You're in my way!" he then demanded from the Dechado.

Nelliel focused her attention on him, her eyes completely different from those she gave Ichigo. "I could say the same thing to you. If you're gonna start a fight when we're already in one, I suggest that you make yourself scarce" she sternly told him. "And besides, I don't recall having to take orders from a Legionario like you, or should I perhaps say a number 6 in your case?" the young women then pointed out to Grimmjow.

Grimmjow only scoffed at her words. "You bonehead! Aizen's not schooling us anymore, so those numbers don't mean shit!" he spat back with his usual rude language. He then began taking small steps towards Nelliel. "So in that case, why don't we try it out then. Which one of us deserves to be a Dechado!" he then suggested with lust for fighting taking hold on him.

Nelliel remained unfazed by seeing this. "Don't make me use force, Grimmjow. You'll only end up making a fool out of yourself!" Nelliel pointed out sternly.

"Grimmjow…...Nelliel" Ichigo tried to prevent the two from confronting one another, although Grimmjow was the aggressor in this case. "Why are both of you…" the Substitute Shinigami was stunned when he heard an unfamiliar voice coming out from the Garganta.

"Enough of this foolishness!" the voice came from a one-eyed Arrancar, whose skin was red as the devil itself. He wore a cape similar to Nelliel. In addition, he held a long scythe in his right hand that acted as his Zanpakutou. Ichigo did not know him, but his friends knew him as the Dechado: Diablo Gallante. He was being accompanied by two hooded Arrancars, one stout and one skinny. The Arrancar with the cover over his mouth and white horn as his Hollow-shell glanced at both Nelliel and Grimmjow. "Remember what I told you. No fighting amongst protectors of El Dorado" Gallante sternly told them.

While Grimmjow merely scoffed while putting his hands in his pockets, Nelliel immediately bowed her head in shame towards Gallente. "Forgive me, Gallante. I fully accept my responsibility in this kafuffle" the young woman replied in return.

Ichigo's eyes widened by what he was seeing. This was an Arrancar he had never seen before. And there was something else about the Spiritual Pressure that dwelled inside of him. The orange-haired man wondered if he was a former Espada in the service of Aizen, yet like Nelliel, was betrayed and left to die in Hueco Mundo's wastes.

"Who are….you?" Ichigo finally opened his mouth, thus catching Gallante's attention.

Gallante fixed his only eye upon the orange-haired man, starting to feel the enormous Spiritual Pressure inside the Substitute Shinigami. "I see. You must be the Substitute Shinigami: Ichigo Kurosaki. Your reputation stretches even to our glorious Imperio de Hierro" he said in return, only making Ichigo and the others more stunned. Gallante then bowed his head at him in a gentle manner. "I am pleased to meet you personally. I am one of the Dechados: Paragon Diablo Gallante. Pleased to be of acquaintance" he introduced himself before moving on to Yoruichi and Tessai.

The purple-haired woman's golden eyes widened in surprise as he took steps towards them. "This isn't right…" she said lowly while clenching her fists tightly. "What the hell are you doing here!?" she angrily demanded from him. "This was not part of our agreement!" Yoruichi then pointed a finger at him.

Gallante's only eye narrowed slightly. "Do not insult my intelligence, Yoruichi Shihoin. We were all there when you and your "leader" approached His Highness with his request. Urahara asked that if he could borrow our ability. His Highness agreed to, but only if one of his most trusted soldiers was allowed to act as an observer. And here I am" Gallante explained, before suddenly glancing at a small needle being stuck in the middle of the ground. "And I see that you managed to plant the device on the right spots. Impressive" he then started commending Yoruichi, who only glared at him with annoyance in return.

"Excuse me…..Gallante" the Dechado turned around to see Ichigo standing there with a determined glance on his face. "I may not know who you are, but I really don't care. Right now, the objective of me and my team is to find a way back to the Soul King's Palace. We really can't afford to waste more time" the orange-haired man said.

Gallante only fixed a smug glance in return and even pointed his finger at the Garganta, which was still opened. "The answer to your problems lies inside that Garganta. Just go in and see for yourself. Pesche, Dondochakka, help these people into the box" he commanded the two hooded Arrancars, as they removed their hoods.

But instead of showing their Hollow-masks, the group of friends were treated to seeing the true faces of Nelliel's Fracciòn. Pesche Guatiche was that of a long-blonde-haired man with his Hollow-shell being a horn on his left side of his head, as well as the purple curtain over his eye. But his only visible eye was yellow. Dondochakka Birstanne was that of a bald-headed and brown-skinned man with black dotted eyes. His only Hollow-shell was the big nose of his that belonged to his mask and it was quite big. Nevertheless, both Arrancars remained the same in terms of physique.

"Howdy kids! How have you been!?" Pesche asked out loudly in his goofy manner as always. But that is until he got a glimpse of Ichigo, which led to him acting so perceptive. "Strange. I don't recall Ichigo Kurosaki being THIS tall" the blonde-haired man then pointed out.

"Aw great! They just had to bring along the morons!" Jinta remarked in his head with dispassion. Ganju and Grimmjow were also having similar thoughts about this.

Ichigo was dumbfounded. "Pesche…Dondochakka….is that really you?" he asked, only to see Pesche and Dondochakka doing a pose.

"Damn straight! It's good to have the mask taken off for a while!" Dondochakka exclaimed while feeling very confident in himself. The same thing could be said for Pesche.

Nelliel only giggled by seeing them like this. "You two will always be my pride and joy" she noted in her head while watching her Fracciòn.

"Are we gonna go are what!?" the impatient and girly voice came from none other than Riruka Dokugamine, as the young girl was standing at the opening of the Garganta alongside Yukio Hans Voralberna. Ichigo was surprised to see the two Fullbringers from Xcution standing there "The enemy could spot us at any minute! Now hurry your asses up and get inside!" Riruke snapped.

Yukio only glanced at her unenthusiastic. "Why are you so upset all of a sudden?" the young blonde-haired boy asked while sighing, not getting what her deal was. "I'm starting to have second thoughts about joining this circus" he then admitted in his thoughts.

The Substitute Shinigami walked towards the Garganta. "Riruka, Yukio, what are you guys doing here?" he asked, only to notice that the two Fullbringers were standing on a stairway. This stairway lead to a black box that was running on a white track inside the Garganta. Ichigo became intrigued. "What is that box for?" he then asked.

"Well…..it's a long story" Yukio then replied. "But it is one of my many abilities, that I can confirm" the young boy added to his answer.

"Mine too!" Riruka snapped, although Yukio simply ignored her tantrums. "Hey! What's the big idea ignoring me like that!?" she then demanded, although the young boy didn't seem to care.

Gallante approached them with the Arrancars at his side. "Do not leave your posts, Fullbringers. You are the key to this transformation system after all" the red-skinned Arrancar told them and both Riruka and Yukio walked up the stairs to open the black box. They were the first to enter, followed by the group of Arrancars. Ichigo was not sure about how to respond to this.

"What is really going on here?" Ichigo asked, as Yoruichi appeared beside him.

"I'll explain everything to you once we're inside that box" Yoruichi said to Ichigo and fixed her golden eyes on the rest of the group. "Alright everyone! We're going inside that black box. It will take us to the Soul King's Palace without getting noticed" she then told them and Chad, Orihime and the others complied with her order.

All the group entered the box and noticed that it was full of technology on the inside. There was one seat for Yukio, considering that he was the one driving this box on the white tracks. Some of the seats inside looked like those belonging to ships and most people took what they could find. However, Ichigo was now having a conversation with both Yoruichi and Tessai, as he wanted to know what was really happening.

"Well, Ichigo? What would you want us to tell you now?" Yoruichi asked.

Ichigo only scratched behind his neck. "I was actually gonna say everything. But I can perhaps ask some of it to Orihime, Chad, Nel and Grimmjow later. I don't have time to get stressed as I already got enough shit to worry about, anyways" he said in return, before looking around in the box. "But what I really want you to hear from you is how in the world were you able to make something like this inside a Garganta" Ichigo then said while glancing around curiously.

Tessai mused underneath his moustache. "I knew that you would say something like that. Your mind has changed a lot since I last saw you, Ichigo" the he noted in return. "We refrained from telling you all this, considering that you were busy training in the Royal Realm and journeying to the Sereitei. But you can withstand that, right?" he then asked smugly.

Ichigo only scoffed at Tessai's words dismissively. "Pfft, showoff" he said in return.

"I guess we just have to start from the beginning" Yoruichi said before clearing her throat. "As you may know, the Soul Society and the Human World is connected by the Precipice World" she said while Ichigo nodded his head in return, indicating that he knew it. "And around the Precipice World are these little pockets called the Valley of Screams, which become the gathering ground for Souls that have escaped. That's where the Garganta comes in to fill in those little voids" the purple-haired woman explained.

Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise. "You know now that I think about it, I remember Urahara telling me something about the Valley of Screams a long time ago. I think it was after my first trip into the Soul Society" the orange-haired man remarked as he heard this.

Tessai nodded his head in return. "Yes. You have passed through these a few times yourself, so you are probably aware. But a Garganta is something that has an unsteady Spiritual Pressure is always releasing it to make its own path. If it doesn't do so, it won't have a means of moving" the tanned-skinned man then explained to Ichigo. "And brings us back to talk about the Valley of Screams. That place has for some reason, remained there as some sort of Reishi storage unit" he then added to his explanation.

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked while listening closely.

"What he means is that some people deduce that it was probably because of the structure of its own Reishi that has kept the Valley of Screams there. Kisuke plans on using this whole thing, which is why he required the assistance of everyone standing here, including those two Fullbringers" Yoruichi answered while looking over at Riruka and Yukio. "The power to control space at his own will with only electricity and the ability to freely move people and objects in to or out of anything that she adores" she then remarked while even forming a smug smile.

Yukio lifted up his head from his PSP and faced the group who was speaking to him. Riruka however, only huffed while crossing her arms. Apparently, they did not seem to fond of being sought out by Urahara. But as they previously said, they only agreed to help him because the Quincies were a threat to them all, not because they loved the Soul Society and its system. The magenta-haired girl fixed her eyes upon Ichigo.

"We used my powers to move a whole Valley of Screams into a box like this! Sounds kind of batshit crazy, but it's true" Riruka explained while not giving so much thought about this.

"Once we did that we changed the box into a room with some rails with my powers. I don't really know how we did it, but whatever" the blonde-haired boy joined in the conversation.

Yoruichi then stretched out her arms for Ichigo to see. "And that, is how we're in this box" she told Ichigo smugly before fixing a frown. She even pulled out a nail that was quite similar to the one that was standing at the place they came from. "While it was a success, it's movements are fairly restricted. What it can do right now is move between here and the Soul King's Palace, or at least until I put the nail into the ground" she explained seriously. But Yoruichi quickly formed a smug smile while glancing at Ichigo. "But with this, we could get into the enemy's base without letting a single bit of Spiritual Pressure slip. So let us spring an attack on them, Ichigo" she then explained.

While he heard this, Ichigo could not help but to form a smug smile in return. "Always so smug. We'll take all those bastards out in one go!" the orange-haired man said.

When he felt like the time to go was tight, Yukio pushed some buttons and the black box began running on the white track while being inside the Garganta. The speed of the box was relatively fast and it surprised Ichigo and his group.

"Well, this is gonna be one hell of a ride" Yukio noted to himself.

"So…...now what?" Jinta asked while resting his hands behind his neck

Tessai adjusted his glasses. "We will keep moving until we have reached the Soul King's Palace. Once we are there, we will ambush the enemy" he explained sternly.

"While me and Tessai were working on the barrier around the Soul King, I put a nail identical to the one I just showed you near him, just in case" Yoruichi revealed to them all smugly. "As long as they haven't noticed it, we'll be able to reach the palace without any problems" the purple-haired woman added to her explanation, while Ichigo, Chad, Orihime and the others listened.

Ururu made a salute to her in return. "I got it" she said.

"There is something I've been wondering about, though" Chad spoke up to his comrades. "What powers does that guy in the hood have? The one that attacked you and Ganju. We couldn't see well form where we were" the tall man added to his explanation

Yoruichi formed a frown when she heard that. "I don't even know that myself to be honest. Our arms broke, just when the Quincy merely glanced at us" she noted warily.

"You got that right. Whatever that thing is, I suggest we stay far away from it. I can't afford to lose an arm a second time" Ganju suggested to his friends and took a glance at Ururu. "Hell, you're pretty lucky to have not been taken by it" the long-haired man then said while facing the teenage girl.

"But that hooded Quincy was not the only one who proved to be a challenge. There is also that blonde-haired man who slashed Jinta" Orihime pointed out. "I'm glad that I intervened just in time to save you. If not, you would've died" the orange-haired woman said.

Ururu smiled by what she was hearing and nodded her head in return. "Yes. Thank you" she replied back with kindness.

Orihime then took a deep breath before letting it out. "It appears that we underestimated the Quincies' tenacity" she noted to her friends.

"FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!" the short-tempered voice came from Riruka, and everyone looked at her with raised eyebrows. "I don't even get why you are having this conversation! If what's done is done, then why don't you stop being depressed over some crap that was already over!?" she asked out loud while facing them.

The group of friends merely glanced at them confused, not understanding what her deal was, as Riruka was known to be a misunderstood girl. Someone was even starting to have some distaste in her already. The magenta-haired girl was filed with disbelief.

"COME ON! WHAT ARE YOU SO…" Riruka was interrupted by

"Will you can it already!?" Jinta asked while scratching his slick hair. "We're trying to get some relaxation before the battle, so put a cork in your mouth. Man, you really have a diarrhea in your mouth" the red-haired boy asked in annoyance.

Yukio silently mused to himself when he heard Jinta's words. "Hmmm, tell me about it" he then said lowly.

"Jinta's right, the least thing we need is some loudmouthed brat yapping until our ears bleed endlessly" Ganju pointed out, confirming that he also was dissatisfied by hearing Riruka's overreaction.

Despite hearing these harsh words, Riruka only huffed and looked to another direction. "Pfft….assholes" she cursed lowly underneath her breath.

Ichigo suddenly looked up to the seat where the Arrancars were sitting at and he could see Gallante, Grimmjow and the others. "Hey you" the orange-haired man asked them and they turned their attentions to him. "What made you wanna come to our side in this battle?" he asked them, wanting to know an answer from one of them.

Grimmjow glared at him dispassionately when he heard those words. "Your side? Don't be so damn delusional, fuckwit! We're on our side in this battle" the aggressive man rudely replied in return. "If we Arrancars let that bastard Yhwach do as he pleases, he'll destroy Hueco Mundo" he then said.

"As much as I hate to agree with him, Grimmjow speaks the truth" Gallante said as he jumped down from his seat and glanced at Ichigo with his only eye. Ichigo had slowly started to get curious about the red-skinned man. "While I won't go into detail, I will tell you this. We of the Imperio de Hierro will fight the Wandenreich on our own terms. As such, we will never aid the Soul Society, or their sorry excuse for a Court Guard" Gallante told him as he listened. "The Shinigamis are just as guilty for this world's state as the Quincies are. However, you are merely a Substitute Shinigami. But that is not the sole reason why I have chosen to accompany on this trip as an observer of His Highness" he revealed thus surprising Ichigo, as well as some of his friends. "Nelliel…..she is alive thanks to your actions, Ichigo Kurosaki. If not for you, she and her Fracciòn would've been left to die in the wastes of Hueco Mundo. Instead of killing them like an ordinary Shinigami would have done, you chose to help them back on their track. For that, you have my respect" he said with a brief nod before heading back to his seat.

Nelliel was surprised by what he was hearing and the young woman could not help but to smile while seeing her fellow Dechado take his seat beside her. "Thank you for doing this for me, Gallante. I assure you that Ichigo is not who you really think he is" she said, knowing that Gallante still felt wary about Ichigo, despite her vouching.

"Hey Ichigo, one more thing. There's a reason why I'm here" Grimmjow said. "If Hueco Mundo vanishes, where am I supposed to kill you?" the aggressive man then said.

Hearing this forced a smug smile on Ichigo's face, knowing very well that Grimmjw had not given up on beating him. But he also liked about the fact that the blue-haired man knew about common courtesy, as he was able to save his thirst for Ichigo's blood later.

* * *

 _At the Soul King's Palace_

While Haschwalth, Uryu and the Schutzstaffel were resting in the palace's quarters beneath him, Yhwach was now doing the most unthinkable. He was now absorbing the Soul King, taking everything, including his powers into him. As he had finally completed his ritual, Yhwach only stood there, never moving a muscle. However, he did in fact look down upon the diagram where his father had once been kept inside. A smile crept underneath his moustache.

"At last" Yhwach finally said as he even raised up his right hand and clenched it. "We are finally one, father. You have nothing to fear. All that is before us now…..is peace" the long-haired man uttered out those sentences lowly.

As Yhwach was standing there, he could feel someone enter the hall he was standing in, yet he didn't bother to even turn around. He knew who it was that had entered. It was not his loyal children, the Sternritters. Rather, it was a group of 10 white-hooded individuals, who all varied in size. However, they still wore the same outfit, which was also included a white cape. As they all gathered in a ring around Yhwach, they kneeled before him. In fact, they even pulled out what no one had expected them to have: Zanpakutous. They each held a katana in their hands while kneeling before the Quincy.

"Behold, brothers and sisters!" one of the hooded individuals spoke up with an elderly voice. "Behold, the return of our glorious messiah. The return of the Soul King!" he added with a declaration to this event.

Yhwach chuckled when he heard this declaration. "I have been expecting you, my newborn knights" he said, never turning around to look at them, still glancing towards the distance. "I was told about your answer by my father's Right Hand itself. How glad I am that so many of you are willing to serve me" the long-haired man said.

The one who had said the declaration rose up to his feet and pulled back his Zanpakutou. "My lord, the commandments have been sent across the realms. Soon, all shall know the birth of a new Soul Society and your glorious return. No longer will this realm be ruled by cowardly nobles and weak-minded Shinigamis. The leadership will belong to you and you alone" the hooded man spoke, feeling so confident about his master.

"I am flattered" Yhwach replied to his words, never looking over his shoulder. "Now I see that there are only 10 of you standing here. Have you found the three last ones yet?" the emperor then asked them.

The hooded-man nodded his head in return. "Yes. The Grandmaster has already given us three likely candidates that will serve us well. They shall be the last we need to finish the remaking of your new order of knights. But that requires time" the hooded-man said in return.

Yhwach formed a smiled underneath his moustache. "I see. But we can wait. We have all the time that we need" he said in a satisfying manner, indicating that he was proud over hearing the progress so far. "In the meantime, I may also start to revise the plans for our new world. The Wandenreich shall reign supreme" he then added. "Now go, and spread the message to those incompetent fools that dwells on these surrounding platforms. Let them know of their true ruler's return. And if they refuse to accept my authority…slay them" he told them with no remorse for what he just said.

The hooded-man bowed his head as the rest of the hooded people got up on their feet and did the same thing. "Yes, Soul King. Your wish is our command" he said before they all vanished into shadows, leaving Yhwach behind in this room.

The long-haired man was standing there, having never once turned around to look at the group of hooded people. He was now covered in oozed darkness with so many white eyes and it was a twisted look of the Emperor of the Wandenreich. "It is time, Haschwalth. Come here and bring along Uryu and the Schutzstaffel. The re-shaping will commence soon" he sent this to the Sternritter Grandmaster via telepathy. He even began releasing the true extent of his powers, which he had gained by absorbing the Soul King. He was now destined to create a new world for his followers.

* * *

 _Inside a black box, in the Garganta_

The black box was still moving on the white tracks inside the Garganta and it was almost time for the group inside to leave the box. Even now, they had begun preparations and were ready to exit the box, as well as the Garganta.

"We're almost there. Are you ready?" Yoruichi asked the group while looking at the door that would take them out of the box.

Ichigo held onto his Zanpakutou while narrowing his eyes. "I sure am" he said lowly in return, indicating that he was dead-serious about this. He would fight them all: Haschwalth, Yhwach and even Uryu. That was his decision.

Yukio glanced at the group who was ready with his usual lazy and unenthusiastic expression. Apparently, he was not amused by what he was seeing. "Let me just be clear with you all" he then spoke up from his seat, thus catching their attentions. "I'm not moving an inch from this seat, so you guys just go on this crazy rampage without me, okay?" he then said to them.

While some of the group furrowed eyebrows by hearing Yukio's words, Ganju was outraged and even offended by the words the boy just said. "Hey! What's with that attitude of yours, kid!?" Ganju barked and approached Yukio, who only glanced at him with his usual disinterested expression. "I don't know who the hell you are, but I….." the long-haired man was interrupted.

"It's funny, because I don't know who the hell you are either" Yukio flatly replied, much to Ganju's outrage.

Chad raised an eyebrow while seeing this. "I thought everyone got to know each other while being inside this box" remarked to his friends.

"Well, you know Yukio. He's not much of a talker" Orihime nervously remarked in return.

Ganju was still filled with disbelief over hearing Yukio's attitude. "I may not know you, but let me ask you this: we're all fighting for our lives here, but what's this crap about not moving an inch!?" he then asked the young boy.

Yukio sighed in annoyance when he heard this. "Look, I basically got dragged into this mess against my own will. Therefore, I have no obligation in participating in this rampaging crusade" the blonde-haired boy said to Ganju, who was still not satisfied with his words.

"Fighting with obligation isn't the same as fighting for your life!" Ganju strictly pointed out. "Hiding in this box won't help you! If we all die, everything will disappear! Everything, I tell you!" the long-haired man added to his words.

Yukio narrowed his eyes at him. "So, you're saying that you will lose?" he then asked him, which snapped Ganju.

Before he could continue, Ichigo surprisingly intervened and pushed Ganju aside. He sighed deeply while doing that. "Just cut it out, Ganju. There's no point in throwing him under the bus now" the young man told him before fixing his eyes on Yukio. "Yukio, you stay here, okay?" he then asked him kindly.

"Tch, that's what I've been saying the whole time" Yukio flatly pointed out.

Ichigo nodded at him with a smile before facing Riruka. "Riruka, you should stay here as well" he told the young girl who snapped in outrage over hearing this. The Substitute Shinigami still looked at her with a reassuring smile. "Your powers will only make the coming battle more dangerous, so it's best if you remained here" the orange-haired boy then said his reasoning.

But Riruka was still not convinced. "What the hell are you talking about!? I've been there before! I know the Valley of Screams!" the magenta-haired girl snapped in return.

Ichigo only mused to himself while hearing this. "For someone like you that only cares for the cute and keeps whatever she finds cute, there's no way you would keep it after seeing it" he remarked before smiling at the young girl. "But still, you did it for us, didn't you? Tanks a lot" Ichigo then thanked her, much to Riruka's own surprise.

But the young girl in her rabbit-like hoodie only huffed in return, evens trying to hide some red cheeks. "I…...I didn't do it for you…..just so we're clear!" she then insisted to him in a stubborn way.

Ichigo nodded his head in return. "I know. And that is why I would like to ask you for one more favor. Could you stay here with Yukio? Protect him so that we can escape when the time comes, if you know what I mean" he then requested of her.

Riruka sighed deeply after she heard this request. "Fine" she replied, much to the satisfaction of Ichigo.

"Hey Ichigo" the young man heard the voice of Ganju coming from behind. He looked over his shoulder to face the long-haired man. "I can't believe I'm saying this…..but you've grown a lot" he admitted to him.

Ichigo furrowed brows when hearing Ganju's words. "You think so?" he asked, before forming a smug smile at him in return. "Well, you've gotten braver, Ganju. I really admire your willpower" he then said while commending Ganju.

Ganju only shrugged his shoulders in return. "Nice try, dandelion-head" he said with sarcasm in his voice and Ichigo knew that his words were filled with sarcasm, as did his friends.

While they were finished, Gallante then stood with both Nelliel and Grimmjow, and they were facing Ichigo and his group of friends. "Now that you're approaching the battlefield I will leave Nelliel and Grimmjow in your care, Ichigo Kurosaki" he revealed as the two Arrancars joined up with the group. Gallante narrowed his only eye. "But mark my words, young one. I am not letting Nelliel, who is a Dechado, assist you because I believe you are a hero. I am doing this out of respect for you saving her life" the red-skinned Arrancar then told him.

Ichigo looked at Nelliel, who was smiling at him in return and Grimmjow, who only poked his ear to pretend he wasn't listening or interested. He then faced the red-skinned man and nodded at him in return. "Thank you, Diablo Gallante. I will honor this agreement" Ichigo then said with formality in his voice.

"What's this? Aren't you coming along with us?" Yoruichi asked him smugly.

"As I told you earlier, the Imperio de Hierro has no interest in helping the 13 Court Guard Squads. I along with His Highness are only letting Nelliel help him out of respect for his actions. And do not forget, the Substitute Shinigami is not a part of the Court Guard" Gallante replied to her flatly.

"You speak of this "Highness". Who is….." Ichigo's question was interrupted by Nelliel holding her hand. The young man could see her shaking her head as a no. Seeing how the expression on her face meant that he should not be asking more demands from someone like Gallante, Ichigo understood and lowly bowed to the Dechado. "Sorry, I meant no offense" he then said.

Gallante nodded his head at him. "Wise words, Ichigo" he said before fixing his only visible eye upon Yoruichi and Tessai. "We heard that you Shinigamis plan on storming the Royal Realm and defeat Yhwach. Do you honestly think that waltzing straight into the unknown will guarantee a victory? Your strategy seems flawed" the man with the scythe then commented.

Tessai adjusted his glasses in return. "And what do you mean by that?" he robustly asked the Arrancar.

This time, Gallante glanced over at Chad and Orihime, indicating that he wanted to talk with them. "Yasutora Sado and Orihime Inoue. In light of the events that has transpired, do you still believe that Killaman's visions are false?" he then asked them. The Fullbringer and the Interminable both snapped in shock over hearing this. Gallante could see that they knew what he was talking about and decided to continue with his subject. "Think about it: Uryu Ishida joining the Wandenreich, Ichigo Kurosaki slashing the Soul King, these were some of the visions that you were told would happen in the future…and they did" he added to his words.

"That doesn't make a difference!" Yoruichi interrupted in outrage, yet the Dechado remained unfazed. "You think we're gonna take everything seriously just because your own seer say this!? You are delusional!" the purple-haired woman snapped in defiance.

The Arrancar with the eyepatch and cover over his mouth sighed deeply and returned to his seat. "Very well. If you Shinigamis are holding onto your pride, then do as you wish. However, I can tell you all this:" Gallante said as he took his seat. "All of you are only walking right into a viper's nest. When you have reached the walls of Silbern, you will regret ever setting foot into this battlefield" he then told them all.

Those in the group had different reactions to this, with some like Ganju, Yoruichi, Jinta and Grimmjow only scoffing at his warnings, indicating that they were not interested. Orihime, Ururu, Chad, Nelliel and Tessai were all slightly concerned about this scenario and wondered if the Dechado was correct in what he was saying. Meanwhile, Ichigo narrowed his eyes at the red-skinned Arrancar, starting to suspect something from him.

"I don't know what game you wanna play in, but don't you EVER stand in my way" the Substitute Shinigami thought in his head. "Yhwach is my target, not yours!" he added to his thoughts.

"Well then!" the cheerful voice came from Pesche, as he and Dondochakka was smiling at the group. The blonde-haired Arrancar waved a hand at them. "Now that you're here, we only wanna wish you guys the best of luck, especially to you Lady Nelliel. And to you as well, Ichigo Kurosaki, Renji Abarai and Rukia Kuchiki!" he then told them, although he was actually referring to Jinta and Ururu by failed names.

The young boy snapped in anger. "IT'S JINTA HANAKARI! GET IT RIGHT!" he spat out in return, although Pesche didn't seem to care what he thought.

For some reason, Ichigo was musing to himself when he heard what Pesche just said about the two teenagers. Apparently, he had been having such similar thoughts about his friends as well. "You know, I've sometimes wondered whether Renji and Rukia are their long-lost parents" he thought in his head, although he had never taking this up with either those two or Urahara.

Nelliel smiled at her Fracciòn. "Alright you two. You stay here along with Gallante and those Fullbringers in this box. Who knows, we may need it at some point" the sea green-haired woman told them.

Dondochakka saluted before her in return. "Your wish is our command, Lady Nelliel! You guys have fun pounding some Quincy-flesh" the stout Arrancar said while even laughing at the end, although most people did not find his words particularly funny.

"Alright everyone, let's go!" Yoruichi said and faced Ichigo. "Ichigo, you first" she told the Subtsitute Shinigami, who nodded at him in return.

Ichigo grabbed the door's handle and opened it. As he exited the box, all the other members in his group followed suit. They began walking down some stairs and could see that the Garganta was drawing a line. This meant that it would open there. Slowly and steady, the space opened like a mouth. This made it possible for Ichigo and his group to see what was on the other side.

The moment they saw what was outside, they became stunned. However, they exited the Garganta and found themselves entering an icy cityscape with European-style architecture, similar to what had happened with the Sereitei. Was this even the Soul King's Palace, let alone the Royal Realm? As the Garganta behind them closed, the group was forced to contend with his unfamiliar territory.

"This has to be a joke….." Ichigo uttered out lowly before looking around, seeing how these buildings reminded him of those in the Sereitei. "Where are we!?" he asked in slight uneasiness.

"This isn't he Soul King's Palace….." Chad uttered out those words. "The buildings, streets, they're just like those in the Sereitei!" the tall man remarked by what he was seeing.

"Hey Tessai, Yoruichi!" Jinta snapped at the two Shinigamis. "What the hell happened!? I thought you said that we would arrive at where the nail was placed! But I don't see any nails!" he added to his frustration.

"That's impossible! I swear, I put the nail right behind the Soul King during the….." Yoruichi stopped talking, as everyone could hear some clinging voices coming to them nearby. Yoruichi was the first to turn around and she could see the same nail she had supposedly placed in the Soul King's Palace. She then lifted her head up and her golden eyes widened in shock. "Everyone…look up!" she then told them warily.

When Tessai got to see what Yoruichi was seeing, he adjusted his glasses while gasping and sweating at the same time. "What in the name of…." Tessai was at loss for words.

"My god…" Ganju noted lowly. "Is this shit even real!?" he then asked in slight outrage.

"How is this even possible!?" Jinta asked in discomfort.

"That's…the Soul King's Palace!" Chad uttered out.

The group was standing before the tall building that was once the Soul King's Palace. But the building was slowly coming apart, as it was covered in ice. At the same time, new buildings arose nearby and it astounded the entire group, who was very unsure about how to respond to this.

"What's going on here!?" Ururu asked while looking up to Yoruichi.

"I think the fact of the matter is: we're still in the Royal Realm, as well as the Soul King's Palace. There is without a doubt that we're there" she said before noticing the buildings that has come to shape. "This must be the work of Yhwach! He has reshaped the palace to his liking!" she then said while sweating.

Orihime glanced at her with a worrying expression. "Reshaping the palace…no way!" she exclaimed by what she was hearing. "But how was he able to pull off something like that!?" she then asked all of her friends.

"That is a question I would really like to know myself, Orihime" Tessai replied as he looked at the deconstructing building before them. "But somehow, we managed to avoid the reshaping while we were inside the Garganta. I think we should all consider ourselves both lucky and thankful" the tanned-skinned man then added to his words.

Ichigo stood before the group while holding onto one of his blades. "Alright. If this place has reshaped, then it's obvious Yhwach and his loyalists have re-located themselves" he told them as they all listened. "But as difficult as it may sound, we'll start searching for his whereabouts! Now let us…" Ichigo was interrupted by the sound of a horn and came from behind.

Turning around, the group was confronted by a horde of people dressed in white armor. Their armors had the Wandenreich's cross right in the middle and they also carried shields that had the Wandenreich's symbol engraved on them. They all gathered in lines while holding out their shields. Once they did that, they pulled out swords, which looked very similar to those used by the Divine Soldiers. The group was stunned by what they were seeing, and it was because of something very disturbing.

"Their Spiritual Pressures…...they're not Quincies!" Yoruichi remarked with unease.

Ichigo's eyes snapped by what he was hearing, also because he knew that she spoke the truth. "You're right. These men are…Shinigamis!" he said grimly in return before drawing out his Zanpakutous.

"By the order of His Majesty: Yhwach, we are to eliminate all intruders that dares to defile our glorious home!" one of these soldiers said while pointing his sword at the group. "We are the Bewachens, the backbone of Wahrwelt's army! All that dares to defy the new Soul King will be executed without mercy!" the soldier added to his declaration.

The group was stunned when they heard what he had just said, especially Ichigo. The young man snapped in outrage over hearing that man addressing Yhwach as the new Soul King. "What the hell's going on!" he thought lowly while clenching his blades tightly. "WHAT THE FUCK HAS HAPPANED!?" he then yelled while charging at the incoming soldiers, who called themselves the Bewachen.

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Author's note: This was a cool chapter! We got to see how Ichigo and the other made their way to the newly transformed Soul King's Palace. We also saw the new type of allies Yhwach had managed to acquire, as he had absorbed the Soul King. And yes, while some of the scenes was loyal to the canon-story, I have added some flavor to it by taking away the unnecessary comedy scenes, as well as giving other characters the opportunity to talk. The next chapter will tell us about how Uryu is dealing with this, and how the Shinigamis are entering the Wahrwelt. In fact, the next chapter may be Quincy-orientated, as I plan on also focusing on Bazz-B, Shaz Domino and Yhwach. But is this the atual final battle in my story? Meh! This is only the beginning of the Sereitei's TRUE DOWNFALL!**

 **Now let us see the only new term that we came to now in this chapter and what it means.**

 **Bewachen – German for "Guard": For some reason, the Wandenreich has begun recruiting Shinigamis to its ranks of soldiers. Why would they ever work for their worst enemy? There are rumors that these soldiers were once Divine Soldiers guarding the Royal Realm. But when the Royal Realm became Wahrwelt, they pledged their loyalty to a new master.**


	31. The Starcross Rebellion

**Author's note: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 31: The Starcross Rebellion**

 _Somewhere in the Royal Realm_

While Ichigo and his group had used the Garganta to find their way back, the Shinigamis in the Squad 12 base had managed to create a large door that connected them directly to the Royal Realm. The moment they entered into this familiar world, the Shinigamis and the Sternritter-rebels went separate ways, considering that they would deal with this problem by themselves. But before entering the door, those in the base had been surprised by feeling an earthquake in the Sereitei. At first, they wondered if he Soul King had somewhat died, but that was not really the case. Nevrtheless, the members of the 13 Court Guard Squads were in for a shock as they entered the Royal Realm.

"What the hell…" Captain Shinji Hirako of Squad 5 asked as he got to see where they currently were standing in. The Shinigamis had arrived in a street with icy European-style architecture, awfully similar to the transformation that had happened to the Sereitei. "I thought you said we should've entered the Royal Realm by now, but why are we in a the Quincies' streets?" he asked in disbelief as he and the other Shinigamis were confused and lost about this. "Hey Kisuke! Care to explain what went wrong!? This sure as hell ain't the Royal Realm!" the blonde-haired man demanded an answer from Urahara, who only sweated in return.

"The coordinates are correct. We're now far above the Sereitei. Therefore, this should be the Royal Realm" Urahara responded.

"Then why does this place looks so awfully similar to those white streets in the Sereitei?" Captain Byakuya Kuchiki of Squad 6 asked as he took notice of the surroundings.

"I think I've an answer to that" Byakuya, Urahara and Shinji were suddenly approached by Head-Captain Shunsui Kyoraku. "If what Urahara says the coordinates are affirmative, then it means that the streets that were lifted from the Sereitei just now, have destroyed the Royal Realm and the Soul King's Palace and rebuilt themselves on top of it" the pink-clad Shinigami.

Shinji snapped out in disbelief when he heard that hypothesis. "Yeah right! Like something like that could've possibly happened!" Shinji blurted out in disbelief.

"That may be the case here" Shunsui told him in return. "Obviously Yhwach has become so powerful that he is now able to move up an entire cityscape to the air. That is my hypothesis for this case" he added to his explanation.

Shinji and the other Shinigamis snapped in outrage, as they heard his statement. For them, it was impossible to believe that someone was even capable of performing such tricks. It only convinced them that Yhwach and his Wandenreich was their most dangerous foe they had yet faced.

"Look here" Captain Sui-Feng of Squad 2 told her fellow captains as she stood over the edge of the platform, gazing downwards towards the endless clouds and skies. The other Shinigamis joined her. "The streets seem to go around something. And if I remember correctly, this is the place where the Royal Guard's headquarters once was, below the Soul King's Palace" she said as she looked up towards the sky. "But if we look above, there is nothing there, which can only mean one thing….." she spoke up grimly.

Her lieutenant: Marechiyo Omeada was gasping in disbelief. "Hold on, captain. You're not suggesting that…." The chubby man was stopped by his captain speaking.

"Yes, Omaeda. I am serious" she told him. "The Soul King's Palace has fallen and the enemy now has everything in their hands!" Sui-Feng then revealed to everyone grimly.

Many of the Shinigami lieutenants were filled with disbelief over hearing this. "No…...that's not possible!" Rukia Kuchiki of Squad 13 uttered those words in disbelief. The young woman then looked around in the icy cityscape. "It means we're too late! The Quincies were once again a step ahead of us!" she then gritted in irritation.

And it was true. As of right now, the Royal Realm had undergone some dramatic changes while they were prepared to enter it. Yhwach, having just absorbed the Soul King, began creating a new home for his followers and empire. Moving all the icy buildings from the Sereitei to the Royal Realm, Yhwach had created a new city and capital for the Wandenreich, so high in the sky. He named it Wahrwelt, as it was to be the cornerstone of their new world. The five platforms that once floated distantly between each other, were all now connected as one. In fact, whenever you looked up towards it, it seemed like a giant Quincy Cross with five spots at each end. And as Rukia just stated, the Quincies were once again one step ahead of the Shinigamis

"I knew there was something bad about this!" Shuhei Hisagi of Squad 9 noticed his head while feeling insecure. "We've walked right into a trap!" he then added to his thoughts, signaling his doubts about this mission.

"But there's no way going back now" Momo Hinamori of Squad 5 noted warily, the young girl also taking notice of their surroundings. "At this rate, we're now stuck in the Royal Realm" she then added to her words.

"Tch…what a giant pain in the ass!" Hiyori Sarugaki exclaimed as she also sweated. But the young Vizard with the pigtails could not help but to worry about someone very dear to her, namely her former captain: Kirio Hikifune. "Captain Hikifune…..where are you?" she then wondered, realizing that she could no longer feel her Spiritual Pressure.

While everyone was struggling with coming to terms with this unexpected change, Yushiro Shihoin snapped in realization as he could feel a very familiar Spiritual Pressure from a different direction. "That Spiritual Pressure…it belongs to my big sister!" he exclaimed in surprise and without delay jumped from the edge, intending on creating footholds of Reishi to reach Yoruichi. "I'm coming to you, Yoruichi! Just you wait!" the young boy exclaimed, but he soon noticed that he couldn't create footholds. With that, he fell down, only for Lieutenant Renji Abarai of Squad 6 to grab his right hand in the nick of time, thus saving him.

"Idiot! What the hell do you think you're doing!?" Renji asked in outrage. "Are you suicidal or something!?" he then added, not understanding why the blacl-haired man would so something as stupid as this.

Yushiro only chuckled nervously when he heard that. "I'm sorry. I don't know what's happening with the atmosphere around here" he said as Renji pulled him up. "Thanks for saving me, by the way" he then thanked him.

"It seems to me that it will be a difficult task for us to create footholds out of Reishi here" Byakuya spoke up while he glanced around to notice the atmosphere.

Renji turned around to face his captain. "What do you mean?" the red-haired man asked.

Byakuya's eyes narrowed, as he could feel the density around them. "I believe you feel it too, but the concentration of the Reishi that is here right now is a lot higher than before. Therefore, it would be impossible to create footholds out of this concentration" the black-haired man said before he turned around to watch the cityscape before him. "And that only leads us to one conclusion: the one who controls the Reishi in this area, is no longer one of our own. Yes, it is a fact, given that they would create a field that favors them, not to mention that the Quincies' attacks Reishi-related" the captain said while looking up in the skies. "And of course, Yhwach would do something like this, considering that he is their leader. But the fact that he has become powerful enough to kill someone like the Soul King" he then said lowly.

Sui-Feng knew what her fellow captain was talking about and uneasiness began to take hold on her mind. "You are correct. Even if we managed to reach the Soul King's Palace, I doubt that we would be able to even see him" the young Commander of the Stealth Force said while feeling more insecure. "So the Soul King has died..…..but if that has really happened, then that means…." Sui-Feng was interrupted in her thoughts by the head-captain.

"Well, I don't know what you folks think, but we can at least feel the presence of Ichigo and his friends, despite them being many blocks away from us. And its good news that they're still alive" the man with the eyepatch said, trying to raise the morale among his fellow Shinigamis. "And besides, if the Soul King is really dead, then all we have to do is defeat Yhwach and find a new one. If Ukitake was with us right now, he would've probably said the same thing" Shunsui added, causing Rukia to snap, as did her fellow members of Squad 13 Sentaro Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu. The flamboyant man looked over his shoulder to face his subordinates. "Well, isn't it time that we of the 13 Court Guard Squads start acting like…" Shunsui was interrupted in his words, when he could feel two people drawing their Zanpakutous near him.

To most of the Shinigamis' shock, Sui-Feng and Shuhei were now pulling their blades close to their head-captain, yet Shunsui only seemed to be slightly surprised by this.

Shuhei narrowed his eyes at his superior. "Don't even think about moving" he told him in a surprisingly cold manner.

Momo, Renji and Rukia were concerned about seeing their fellow lieutenant acting so rash against their superior. "Shuhei…what the hell are you…." Renji asked lowly.

"Stay out of this!" Shuhei snapped at them in return. He then refocused his glance on the head-captain. "We have a right to question our superiors" he then added to his statement.

Marechiyo was astounded by seeing her captain's actions. "Captain, what are you…." He was quickly silenced by Sui-Feng.

"Shut it, Omaeda! I don't have time dealing with this bullshit attitude!" she snapped at him with vulgarity before fixing her stern eyes upon Shunsui. "Now as for you, what are you hiding from us?" the young woman sternly requested him.

Hearing this made Shunsui furrow brows, as he couldn't believe what she just asked of him. Eventually, he let out a chuckle, not finding this situation to be any dangerous or shocking at all.

"Hide from you? Maybe you can rephrase that, Sui-Feng" he told her in his usual laidback manner in return. "Now I know why you're doing this. As you say, you suspect me of hiding something from you. Well, I did in fact neglect to tell you that I would be taking Aizen out on a trip to assist us. I knew that I should've conferred with you first before releasing him" he then told them.

Shuhei narrowed his eyes. "That's not what we mean!" he told him sternly, even gripping on his Zanpakutou firmly. "Obviously, we believe that you know of them all. Where Ukitake, Hitsugauya, Komamura, Mugurama and Otorbashi really are?" the black-haired man then revealed to him.

This caused stunning reactions among the Shinigamis, including among the Vizards. Even Shinji was feeling that Sui-Feng and Shuhei took this too far, as did Urahara.

"Look Sui-Feng, Hisagi. I know that you're both still miserable after being humiliated in battle. But taking out your anger on him wouldn't help you find Kensei and the others' whereabouts" Shinji pointed out to them both.

"You heard him!" co-lieutenant of Squad 1: Nanao Ise joined in. "None of you are helping this situation by trying to divide us!" the four-eyed woman insisted to them.

Sui-Feng gritted her teeth in anger. "HE has divided us!" she spat back at Nanao before facing Shunsui with her cold glare. "At this rate, there is so many things that I would like to do to you right now. To hell with your promotion as head-captain. You're not…" before Sui-Feng could continue, all the Shinigamis could feel the area shake and it came from the only way before them. Sui-Feng and Shuhei thus stopped focusing on their superior and watched as something rose up high from the pile of buildings.

The group stood in awe as a giant and imposing tower of ice rose up from the piles of boulder and right into the air, shining like a beacon of superiority. In fact, on top of this tower lied the icy palace of Silbern. It was something the Shinigamis never had seen before.

"Would you look at that?" Urahara noted while standing beside Shunsui. "That's one hell of a building right there. It looks like the enemy wants us to come at him" the blonde-haired man noted while seeing as how imposing and revealing the tower was.

Shunsui only shrugged his shoulders. "I think that's what they want. And If they want us to come at them, then we're more than happy to oblige" the flamboyant man noted to Urahara before looking over his shoulders to face his fellow Shinigamis. "Alright everyone! This is it! There is bound to be hindrances on our way, but that tower is our destination and target. Ichigo and his group must also be headed towards the place as we speak. So, for now, let us put our petty grudges aside and deal with the enemy like true members of the Court Guard!" he then rallied the Shinigamis and they all followed him towards the imposing palace.

The group that was currently headed towards it was composed of Shinigamis of the Court Guard, Urahara and a group of Vizards. This would allow them to oppose any that stood in their way, as everyone knew that Yhwach would take notice of their arrival and launch his forces upon them. However, Urahara was running beside Shunsui, and he looked at the pink-clad Shinigami questionably. The head-captain took notice of this and only raised an eyebrow.

"Hey Kyoraku" Urahara said to him in a serious manner. "Before Sui-Feng and Lieutenant Hisagi interrupted you, I noticed a hint of deception in your eyes. Those two may be right. You are hiding something from us" the blonde-haired man pointed out.

Shunsui only sighed deeply when he heard this. "And who are you to judge me?" he then questioned Urahara with a smug-looking glance. "If you're so enthusiastic about the Soul Society, then why didn't you accept Old man Yama's amnesty?" he then added to his statement.

Urahara only narrowed his eyes, and the shadows of his hat could reveal that they were formed out of suspicion. "Whatever methods you plan on using to save the Soul Society with a new Soul King…don't involve Ichigo in this" the blonde-haired man pointed out to him. The blonde-haired man had even narrowed his eyes at him in a cunning way. "If you touch him, then I'll make sure you regret it" Urahara surprisingly warned his fellow Shinigami in a slightly threatening way

Shunsui only chuckled when he heard this in return. "You're pulling my leg there, Urahara. Rushing to conclusions won't solve anything" he said in return before looking ahead on the way before them. "And besides, I've got more things to worry about and let me tell you, I have a feeling that there will be more then Quincies in this battle, that I am sure" the pink-clad man added to his statement.

* * *

 _In the icy palace of Silbern, Wahrwelt, Royal Realm_

Inside Silbern's throne room, a large gathering had commenced, where soldiers, officers and researchers of the Wandenreich stood before their emperor while kneeling before him. Among them included Jugram Haschwalth, Uryu Ishida, Shaz Domino, the five Schutzstaffel and many of the Wandenreich's scientists, including Reinhardt, Arthur, Hugo and Leopold. Other well-renowned scientists included the blonde-haired woman with glasses named Kana Kido and the shaven-haired boy named Rudolph. These two were also part of the group of scientists that had secretly aided Uryu with his projects, even though no one else besides them knew what it was.

But many of the Wandenreich's "newly acquired" soldiers were also present in the throne room, including the Bewachen, formed by members of the Divine Soldiers. Furthermore, many of the upper nobles and citizens who lived in the Royal Realm before the invasion were also standing, kneeling before Yhwach. Why would these Shinigamis and Souls ally themselves with him? Apparently, these people had already given up on the 13 Court Guard Squads. Furthermore, they were also inspired by the promise of a stronger Soul Society under Yhwach, whom they began to view and worship as the true Soul King. This only indicated that the Wandenreich was now inhabited by Quincies and Shinigamis, as well as some Arrancar slaves and mercenaries.

Yhwach was now sitting on his chair, but the black ooziness that could once bee seen all around him gradually began creeping back into the long-haired man's closed eyes. His eyes were shut, but he soon opened them, thus revealing something astonishing to all his subjects. They were now oval with black sclera and unusual pupils, just as those of the Soul King! There was no question about it. Yhwach had in fact become the new Soul King!

"Rise up, my sons and daughters! This is the start of a new and glorious Soul Society! From our Wahrwelt, the Wandenreich shall start remaking this realm into a paradise, where no fear and agony exists!" Yhwach declared while sitting on his throne, with the hordes of his followers chanting his name in return. The emperor took great pleasure in doing this and gladly accepted their greetings and gratitude to him

Having heard Haschwalth's report of intruders lurking in Wahrwelt, Yhwach had commanded him, Uryu and the Schutzstaffel to dispose of them, also knowing that Ichigo was among those intruders. In fact, Yhwach had decided to be alone with only those two men and the Schutzstaffel and discuss their next move. Once the majority of the attendants had gone off, the emperor was speaking to his most trusted allies by himself.

"We shall dispose of these invaders before you even set eyes upon them" Haschwalth said in return, signalizing his desire to carry out the order of his liege.

Yhwach mused by seeing this. "Schutzstaffel, I want each and every one of you to go into each of Wahrwelt's district on your own. Find whatever enemies you can. And more importantly, take Uryu with you" he then ordered them.

Uryu widened his eyes in surprise after hearing this, but he was not the only one. In fact, Sternritter X: Lille Barro took an issue with this and faced Yhwach with a slightly defiant expression on his face. But after seeing how firm his emperor was glancing upon him, Lille had no choice but to accept his command. He and the Schutzstaffel rose up, as did Uryu and Haschwalth.

"As you wish, Your Majesty" Lille said while bowing his head, He then glanced at the four-eyed crown prince sternly. "Come along, "Crown Prince" Uryu" he then said to him.

The entire group then exited the throne room and set their course towards Silbern's courtyard. Haschwalth was to stay back and be in charge of Silbern's defenses, especially since the was about to end and the night would come. This signalized that Yhwach would be going to sleep.

But as they were currently walking in the halls, Uryu suddenly stopped in the middle, thus surprising his fellow Quincies. Uryu looked up at them and adjusted his glasses. In fact, he even faced a somewhat shameful look on his face, which was a very odd thing of him to do.

"What's the matter, newcomer?" Sternritter M: Gerards Valkyrie asked in his compassionate manner as usual. "Aren't you pleased that you get to come with us?" he then asked the young man.

Uryu sighed when he heard this. "I know that some of you still distrusts me. And I can fully sympathize with you on that fact" he said, specifically facing both Haschwalth and Lille. "Therefore, I kindly ask of you that I remain by His Majesty's side inside the Silbern" he then said with a slight smile.

The Sternritters furrowed brows when they heard his request, especially Sternritter D: Askin Nakk Le Vaar. "You're not joking, are you?" he asked the young man while stroking his hair, even forming a chuckle in the process. "Not to burst your bubble, but what makes you think that we will simply let you stay back in Silbern?" he then asked while crossing his arms.

Surprisingly, Uryu formed a smirk with his mouth. "Isn't it obvious? His Majesty is going to sleep. And while he does that, it will be a perfect opportunity for assassins to strike down. And I am not necessarily talking about Shinigamis" he said and adjusted his glasses, glancing over at them smugly. "I am talking about…Sternritters" he cunningly told them.

The group of Quincies snapped in surprise when hearing this, even the usually stoic Haschwalth. Apparently, they did not expect the newcomer to be saying stuff like this.

"Sternritters…..invading Wahrwelt…..reaching Silbern?" Sternritter W: Nianzol Weizol asked, his head clouding with so many thoughts. "Are you sure it will happen?" he then added another question.

Uryu nodded his head in return. "Yes. And since you Schutzstaffel are now being sent out to the frontlines, you're only leaving Silbern exposed to the invaders. Obviously you must've realized that by…." Uryu was interrupted by Haschwalth's strict voice.

"What kind of nonsense are you spewing on us now!?" the blonde-haired man demanded, even going as far as to hold the grip of his sword. "Have you gone insane?!" he then asked.

Lille also aimed his Reishi rifle at the young man. "I knew that we couldn't trust you! You're nothing but an entitled brat who has not clue about what being a Sternritter even means!" the black-skinned man snapped in return.

"Halt, you two! Let us hear him speak!" Gerard urged both Haschwalth and Lille to ease their anger.

"Yeah, I think we may actually learn something from the crown prince" Askin joined in, before glancing smugly at the raven-haired boy. "Go on, tell us more" he encouraged him.

Uryu cleared his throat before continuing. "What I am trying to say, is that when His Majesty unleashed his Auswählen upon the Sternritter in the Sereitei below us, he made a mistake. By declaring their uselessness, those Sternritters found a way to survive, yet their powers were taken away. And those powers were given to resurrect you five" the young man explained while pointing his finger at each of the Schutzstaffel. "And when His Majesty abandoned those Sternritters, they simply regained their powers by using the most horrid and malicious method" he then added.

"Wait…are you talking about….." Nianzol spoke up lowly.

"Stealing the source of life from other Quincies….the Soldats" Askin uttered out lowly in shock, even sweating in the process. "Damn…..that means they're alive!" he then added with a gulp.

"Hold on just a damn minute!" Lille's voice interrupted them all and glanced at Uryu suspiciously. "So what if those Sternritters survived? Big deal! They're nothing but incompetent fools!" he spoke up with nothing but dispassion in his voice.

"And how do you expect them to even reach the Royal Realm, when they don't have The Key to rely on?" Haschwalth then asked sternly.

Uryu formed a smug smile. "Well that's simple: entering a partnership of convenience with the enemy, because they share a common enemy in His Majesty. And to put it another way, the Sternritters would agree to help the Shinigamis with their doors, while in return, the Shinigamis would take the rebel Sternitters to the Royal Realm with them." he answered plainly. The crown prince then reached for something in between his coat and held out an amulet for them to see. "And of course, the Shinigamis may take some while to reach Silbern….but what about the rebel Sternritters?" he then cunningly asked.

"Damn…..he actually speaks the truth" Gerard noted lowly. "How could we have been so blind? With us out in the frontline to assist our armies with the interlopers…..they will use the Gate of the Sun….to reach Silbern" the blonde-haired man remarked, starting to get the picture.

Askin looked at Haschwalth with a serious expression. "My, who would've thought that our own crown prince was THIS perceptive" he then asked before forming a smirk with his mouth. "Come now, "Grandmaster". Why the long face?" he mockingly asked the blonde-haired man.

"Spare me your idiocy, Nakk Le Vaar!" Haschwalth blurted out before fixing his eyes on Uryu. "I will be in these halls and so will you!" he commanded Uryu.

"Hold on! But what about the courtyard? Are you just gonna leave the defenses there to our soldiers?" Nianzol asked him. "You're only shooting yourself in the foot!"

"I have a solution to your problems" Uryu revealed and suddenly stretched out his arms in each direction. Before everyone knew it, a pool of shadows was now formed and from it, five silhouettes rose up from it, standing by Uryu's side. The group before him widened in surprise, watching as Uryu seemed confident in himself. "I am the Prinz von Lichts and the Wandenreich's future emperor. If His Majesty can have his own cadre of Sternritters at his side, so can I. I hereby present to you, my own Schutzstaffel!" he then declared.

Haschwalth was awed by what he saw, and he even recognized the Spiritual Pressures belonging to each of these Quincies in hooded coats. "What in the name of….." he asked lowly as he watched each of them remove their hoods.

The first one to take off his hood was a young, stoic man with black hair, as well as a scar running across his lips. "I am Sternritter I – The Iron: Cang Du. I am also known as the captain of Prince Uryu's Schutzstaffel" the calm-mannered man said.

The second one to take off his coat was a peculiar individual wearing a helmet. "I am Sternritter K – The Knowledge: BG9. From this day, I hereby serve Prince Uryu" the android-like Quincy responded.

The third one to take off his coat was a very tall, black-bearded man, as he towered Gerard. He then fixed a grin on his face. "Heh! Sternritter O – The Overkill: Driscoll Berci. Now a proud member of Prince Uryu's Schutzstaffel" he then exclaimed deeply, even feeling confident about himself.

The fourth one to take off his coat was also a tall man, although Driscoll still dwarfed him. He was noticeable for wearing dreadlocks, as well as having large fangs in his mouth. "Sternritter R – The Roar: Jerome Guizbatt. I owe my life to Prince Uryu" he said before bowing to the young man with respect.

And the fifth and final one to take off the coat was a woman with pink hair, although her bangs on the right were longer and purple. She smiled cunningly at the group before her. "Hmmm Sternritter Q – The Question: Berenice Gabrielli. Nice to see you guys again" she then said with sarcasm in her voice.

Askin rubbed his eyes before he looked at them once again. "Hold on! All of you…you we're supposed to be dead" the flamboyant man uttered out lowly in return.

"How were these Sternritters brought back to life?" Lille wondered in disbelief.

Haschwalth pierced his blue eyes on Uryu, who was standing there with a smirk. Seeing this made the blonde-haired man filled with anger on the inside, and he simply wanted to physically assault him for never letting him know about this. Thus, he began taking steps towards him quickly. But before he could even reach Uryu, Cang stood before him, armed with his Reishi claws. Seeing the same man he had executed caused Haschwalth to widen in surprise once again.

"Cang Du…" he uttered out that name lowly.

The young man's eyes narrowed at Haschwalth in return. "You thought you could kill me?" he coldly asked him. "Don't force me into murdering you by accident, Haschwalth" Cang added.

Haschwalth remained unfazed. "Step aside, criminal" he sternly commanded him.

"Heh! You call us criminals? How rich!" the voice came from Driscoll as he glanced down upon the blonde-haired man with distaste. "Now as for your rude tone, we won't let you harm Prince Uryu" he then warned him.

Berenice smiled smugly when hearing this and glanced at Haschwalth in a teasing manner. "So how have you been, Jumpy Jugo? Are you still cleaning His Majesty's boots with your tongue as usual?" she asked him while addressing Haschwalth by a nickname, similar to what Bazz-B did.

"I told you not to call me that anymore, Berenice Gabrielli" Haschwalth muttered out to her in return.

Berenice only stroked her bangs. "Heh, you're still as egoistical as ever" she noted smugly in return.

Lille suddenly motioned for his Schutzstaffel to come at his side. "Alright men, let's move out!" he said before taking one last glance at Uryu. Lille nodded his head at him. "Very well, you'll get your request. However, we trust that you uphold your word and defend Silbern!" he said and proceeded to run towards the exit.

This left Haschwalth alone with Uryu and his own Schutzstaffel. The four-eyed man adjusted his glasses while glancing at the blonde-haired man. "Well, we may as well begin our organizing of defenses in the courtyard" he said before facing his trusted vanguard. "Cang, BG9, Driscoll, Jerome, Berenice, head out to the courtyard and rally the Soldats that are stationed there. And when you see the rebels, do with them as you please" Uryu then commanded them and each of the Sternritters had different reactions to be given this order. They then used Hirenkiyaku to vanish.

As they were alone, Haschwalth decided to head somewhere else, although he stopped when he stood side by side with Uryu. "I don't know how in the world you managed to do this. But because of the situation we're in, I will let you stay here in Silbern" the blonde-haired man told him, before his blue eyes narrowed further. "But mark my words, Uryu Ishida. I have my eyes on you. Should you turn your back on us, you'll find yourself crucified before His Majesty" he coldly warned him without remorse. The Sternritter Grandmaster then proceeded walking, thus leaving Uryu alone in the hall.

The four-eyed man even forced a smug smile as he was left alone. "Hmmmm…..I better tread carefully from now on" Uryu noted, realizing that Haschwalth would not hesitate to attack him, despite Uryu being Yhwach's successor to the throne. But suddenly, he could hear someone approach him. Turning around, Uryu spotted the female scientist named Kana Kido. She bowed to him formally as she approached him. "Kana, so nice to see you again" the four-eyed man told her with a slight smile.

The blonde-haired woman adjusted her glasses while facing the crown prince. "All goes according to the plan" she said seriously. "Are you sure about this, Prince Uryu?" Kana then asked the young man.

Uryu nodded his head at her in return. While doing that, someone had appeared out from the nearby wall with the help pf Reishi. It was the mysterious and reclusive member of the Sternritters: Shaz Domino. He only stood there and leaned against the wall while having his arms crossed. For some reason, Shaz fixed a grim frown on his mouth.

"You better watch yourself from now on, prince. Haschwalth and Lille almost attacked you" Shaz told him while playing with his Reishi knives. The man with the weird glasses then glanced over at Uryu. "But just as you know, this rebellion will be put down easily, even without the Schutzstaffel at his side" he then told him.

"I know that" Uryu responded flatly while starting to take small steps forwards, with Kana following him suit. "If His Majesty or Haschwalth demands my presence, tell them that I will be in my own personal quarters. I can still have some rest amidst this bloodshed on Wahrwelt" the raven-haired man then told Shaz, before vanishing by using his Hirenkiyaku. Kana did the same thing.

This only left Shaz alone in the hall, but he only chuckled to himself while leaning against the wall. Apparently, the cunning Sternritter knew that there was something going on. "Hmmm…..the battle…..has only begun" he noted lowly to himself when reflecting about the conflict that had happened so far in the Soul Society.

* * *

 _Somewhere in the streets of Wahrwelt, the Royal Realm_

While Shunsui was leading the main group of Shinigamis towards the imposing palace, another group had arrived in Wahrwelt by using the doors empowered by Spiritual Pressure. It was Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi of Squad 12, and his lieutenant Nemu Kurotsuchi. They had allowed Shunsui and his group to go first, so that they would concentrate on doing their research while staying in the Royal Realm. Mayuri was delighted by the fact that he would do this alone…...or so he thought.

The scientist was joined by another group of Shinigamis: Captain Kenpachi Zaraki of Squad 11, accompanied by subordinates Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa and the co-3rd seat of Squad 4: Hanataro Yamada. Apparently, Kenpachi and the others had been taking a visit to the bathroom while the majority were passing through the door and he was arriving late. But they saw Mayuri and Nemu opening the doors, thus making the group of four follow the Squad 12 duo.

Even though they were separated from the majority of the group, Kenpachi didn't mind it, as it made him stop thinking about injuring allies with his immense fighting skills. Mayuri also agreed to this, although he got into a intimidation contest with Zaraki. They then started to argue, causing Ikkaku and Yumichika to begin walking without them. Hanataro followed, yet Nemu only waited for her superior. But the timid medic was trying to speak with her about what she thought about the captains clashing. She simply replied that she had no comment.

"Hanataro, move your ass" the voice of Ikkaku blurted out and the young boy quickly followed the baldheaded Shinigami and his flamboyant comrade. Ikkaku took a brief glance at Kenpachi and Mayuri and merely sighed in annoyance. "Tch, let's just go on ahead without them. They'll catch up to us eventually" he said and three Shinigamis then walked.

As they wandered through the icy streets, Hanataro was beginning to become puzzled by what he was seeing. "Strange, I didn't expect the Royal Realm to be infested with so many Quincy buildings" the young medic remarked while looking to both sides. "What happened?" he then wondered.

"It's probably the enemy's doing" Yumichika noted and took a look at his own reflection in one of the buildings' mirrors. While admiring his glance for a second or two, he quickly ceased his admiration and continued on the way. "But yes, the Quincies were somehow able to move the streets of the Sereitei and rebuild them upon the Royal Realm. Quite fascinating I must admit" he then added to his statement.

"Tch, well I'm not impressed by anything I see before me right now. It's only a town of ice" Ikkaku said in return, his voice filled with both boredom and displeasure.

But the trio stopped in the middle of the street, as they could see the imposing tower and the palace of Silbern lying on the top of it. The Shinigamis were awed as they witnessed how far it was from their viewpoint and how high the palace was. And they had barely begun wandering through the streets.

"My god…" Ikkaku noted while looking up at the building. This had really caught his interest. "I don't know what, but that is without a doubt the Quincies' HQ. But how the hell did they manage place it up so high!?" he then asked while sweating a little.

"Obviously, the place where that tower and palace stands on is the same place the Soul King's Palace once stood. This means that the enemy has taken control of the entire Royal Realm! Did we arrive too late?" Yumichika wondered uneasily. But all of a sudden, he heard the sounds of marching. Yumichika got cautious. "Wait! Do you hear that!?" the flamboyant man asked as he drew out his Zanpakutou.

Ikkaku did the same and pulled out his blade as well. "Yeah! This is without a doubt the work of the….." the baldheaded man suddenly snapped, as he could hear something come from the air above them. As he looked up, he could see several Reishi arrows headed straight towards them. "TAKE COVER!" Ikkaku yelled as he grabbed Hanataro and pushed Yumichika. This resulted in them avoiding getting hit by the arrow, and they stood by a wall.

"WHAT HAPPANED!?" Hanataro yelled out in discomfort.

Yumichika got in front of Ikkaku to see something troubling. "Enemy spotted! There are three Quincies over there armed with Reishi bows!" he exclaimed in surprise.

Ikkaku and Hanataro looked to where Yumichika was looking at, and they could see a trio of Quincies stand in the street that was to the left side of the Shinigamis. Apparently, they had been trying to use the distraction to eliminate them with the Reishi arrows. But since they now saw their targets avoiding the shots, they began to aim their bows at the Shinigamis once again. Hanataro got extremely uncomfortable when he saw this.

"UAAAAAHHHH! THEY'RE GONNA SHOOT ME…" the young boy was suddenly slapped in the face by Ikkaku to make him calm down.

"WILL YOU SHUT UP!? JUST GO SOMEWHERE SAFE AND LET US HANDLE THOSE SNEAKY BASTRADS!" the baldheaded man explained to him strictly while activating his Shikai. "EXTEND. HOZUKIMARU!" he exclaimed, being ready for battle.

But before the Quincies and the Shinigamis could even begin to attack, something was approaching their location and it made small quakes in the wake. The three Quincies stopped aiming their arrows and flee from their location as something wanted to steal their pleasure in eliminating the interlopers. The three Shinigamis were stunned as something big and armored appeared in the street.

"What the hell…." Yumichika asked lowly, as he looked up to the thing. "What kind of construct is this!?" he demanded an answer while being uncomfortable with this.

Approaching the Shinigamis was a giant golem clad in white armor. It had horns on the helmet while having the Wandenreich's symbol attached to its torso. Moreover, the helmet contained a cross-shaped opening which glowed with blue light. Whatever that thing was, it was without a doubt a giant construct, and not a living creature. It looked like a golem in armor and made out of Reishi.

"How fascinating!" the voice came from Mayuri Kurotsuchi, as he along with Nemu and Kenpachi had arrived on the scene. "From what I can tell by looking at this construct, is that it is empowered by Reishi on the inside. Must be one of the many constructs that the Quincies was known to have created" the man cladded in white clothing remarked by what he was observing.

"Would you like to study it, Master Mayuri?" the woman dressed in similar white clothes asked the captain, who only waved his right hand dismissively.

"That won't be necessary, Nemu. I have no interest in petty toys made from Quincies" the Captain of Squad 12 said to her in return before reaching for his Zanpakutou. "However, since that thing is standing in our way, we have no choice but to…" Mayuri's explanation was interrupted by both Kenpachi rushing towards the golem, and the golem rushing towards the group, ready to smash him.

Kenpachi grinned by what he was seeing. "All that encyclopedic bullshit of yours made my ears bleed, pedo clown! You should get a hobby for real!" the aggressive captain told Mayuri, as it was meant to poke fun on him. The Captain of Squad 12 got angry by hearing his fellow captain's rude remarks. But Kenpachi ignored Mayuri and concentrated slowly on the raging golem before him. It had now begun to raise its fists of metal at him, only for Kenpachi to pull out his blade. "Heh! Looks like I won't be needing the help of my Shikai with this armored bastard!" he noted smugly and drew his Zanpakutou: Nozarashi without releasing his Shikai.

As Kenpachi swung his blade, the armored golem stopped reaching out his fist towards him. In fact, after ten seconds, a cut could be seen on the construct. It ran from its right arm and across its torso. As it became exposed, the golem fell apart and Kenpachi stood and glanced at his handy work in delight.

While his subordinates and Hanataro were amazed by seeing how strong and talented Kenpachi really was, Mayuri and Nemu only watched his unfazed, especially Mayuri. Seeing his fellow captain tear down the golem did not make him impressed at all.

"I am not amused" the Captain of Squad 12 said while crossing his arms. "And besides, you only took down a mere construct. Even a Lieutenant-level Shinigami could've defeated it" Mayuri went on explaining.

Kenpachi heard what was being said and only shrugged off those words in return. "Heh, whatever you say, Mr. Calculatorpants" the aggressive Captain of Squad 11 rudely replied, although Mayuri didn't necessarily seem to care at all. But the long-haired man glanced over to his subordinates and Hanataro. "Alright you three, shall we go?" he asked them with his smug grin.

"YES, CAPTAIN ZARAKI!" all three Shinigamis said at once. Even Hanataro possessed enough guts to say something like that, considering Kenpachi wasn't even his captain. But due to this unlikely situation, Hanataro would have to put his trust in both Kenpachi and Mayuri to find his way back to Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu of Squad 4, or perhaps putting more trust in Kenpachi. Mayuri was not necessarily known to be that dependable.

The Captain of Squad 12 only rolled his eyes and motioned for Nemu to come after him. "Let's just get this over with. The faster I get rid of you mindless simpletons the quicker I can start with my research" he said, not caring about the fact that the Shinigamis could hear him say that.

* * *

 _At the Gate of the Sun, on a tower in Silbern's courtyard, Wahrwelt_

While the Shinigamis struggled their way to reach Silbern, the Sternritter rebels had already made it there first. This group of Quincies, having sworn revenge after they were abandoned on the battlefield in favor of his Schutzstaffel, would stop at nothing to achieve their goal. After helping the Shinigamis form the doors by lending them their Spiritual Pressures, the Sternritters were taken with them to the Royal Realm. But sensing that everything that previously existed in the Sereitei had been moved up to the Royal Realm, the rebel Sternritters decided to see if the transport system that was useable to them were still intact. Turns out they were.

Even now, Bazz-B, NaNaNa Najakhoop, Liltotto Lamperd, Gissele Gewelle, Candice Catnipp, Meninas MacAllon and the zombified Robert Accutrone and Bambietta Basterbine were standing on a couple of towers overlooking the courtyard of Silbern. They had been able to reach the palace long before the Shinigamis thanks to the Gate of the Sun. They could see how different the location of the palace was, given the fact that they were high above the ground.

"So, it seems that the Gate of the Sun was still intact" Bazz-B remarked, as he stood on the tower, gazing upon the palace and its courtyard, which was currently empty.

NaNaNa only adjusted his weird glasses. "I can't believe dis shit, dawg. What the hell happened while we we're down in the Sereitei busting some asses?" the lean Quincy asked, not believing what he was just seeing.

"It may have been a little hard to navigate now that the city has changed" Liltotto told the two men before looking down at the palace. "But there is no question about it. We've made it pretty close to Silbern" the young girl noted as she looked at it.

However, Candice was filled with suspicions. "Something doesn't seem right" the blonde-haired girl said while surveying the courtyard. "Silbern and its courtyard are usually stacked with Soldats and other form of infantry. Why does it seem so…...empty?" she then asked her comrades.

"I don't know. But I could care less about that" Bazz-B replied before standing on the edge, his eyes narrowing. "All of you know what we must do. Because the Shinigamis are too far away, we'll be the ones to end all of this" he said, a burning determination building inside of him.

NaNaNa couldn't help but to grin when he heard that. "Hell yeah! I can't wait to whoop some ass!" he exclaimed in return.

"We'll take them all down. Yhwach…and Jugo" Bazz-B said, mentioning the Sternritter Grandmaster, whom Bazz-B had a particular connection with. "Just you wait, old friend. I'll get you for real this time" he then said inside of him, thinking about the blonde-haired man he had both despised and respected at the same time.

"Hold on! There's something appearing out of the palace!" Meninas exclaimed and pointed her finger at an army of Soldats, Quincy archers, and Bewachen marching outside, spreading all across the courtyard. But that was not all, as two armored golems joined alongside them as well. "Soldats…..but wait! Those Spiritual Pressures they feel like…" the bubblegum-haired girl said those words in utter disbelief.

"Shinigamis….." Liltotto said lowly, her eyes widening with shock. "Why would Shinigamis be allowed to serve under Yhwach!?" she asked in disbelief. But she quickly snapped out if it, remembering the reason why she and the others were outside Silbern right now. "Listen, remember what I've told you all, we must not let Yhwach know that we're here. So we will infiltrate the palace and then….." the young girl was interrupted by the voice of Bazz-B

The Sternritter with the Mohawk was preparing an attack on the small army below them. He was grinning with confidence. "Infiltration!? Screw that! Those who stand in my way of getting my revenge on Yhwach shall be fried to crisps!" he said, forming a blade of fire with four fingers. "BURNING FINGER 4!" he yelled and fired the blade down upon the group. It caused a loud explosion amongst the ranks.

Bazz-B dived down towards the army, as did NaNaNa, who was smiling in delight over what he was seeing. "It's showtime, baby!" the lean Quincy exclaimed as he joined Bazz-B on his attack.

The man with the Mohawk only grinned by what he was seeing. He could see that the soldiers below had been slightly in disarray, given that they didn't expect to be attacked from above. Gathering fires in his hands, Bazz-B prepared to attack his enemies when landing.

"BACK FROM THE DEAD, ASSHOLES!" the punkish man exclaimed as he started slaughtering his opponents.

Liltotto was angered over what she was seeing her fellow Sternritter doing. "DAMN IT, WHAT DO YOU RETARDS THINK YOU'RE…" she asked in outrage, only to snap by seeing Candice and Meninas diving down to join the Sternritters in the battle as well. "I SAID WE WERE GONNA INFILTRATE, NOT LAUNCH A FULL-SCALE ATTACK!" the young girl then yelled out in anger by seeing the two girls joining the fight.

Giselle stood on the edge with her arms spread out, thus motioning for both Bambietta and Robert to attack as well. However, the black-haired girl remained at Liltotto's side. As she looked on, a goofy smile was formed on her face. She had even pulled out her Reishi bow.

"Well, I guess we'll have to improvise" Giselle said and then looked at Liltotto. "By the way, if you still wanna infiltrate the palace on your own, now's the chance" she then said. "While we're dealing with those Quncies out here, you can just go on ahead into Silbern without us" the black-haired girl then told her.

Liltotto only glanced at her with dispassion. "Are you kidding me? Infiltration is when we make sure that no one knows we're here! How do you expect that work now that everyone knows we're…." Liltotto and Giselle suddenly found themselves shot by a lance made out of Reishi and it forced the two girls to fall down towards the courtyard. "SON OF A BITCH! WHO THE HELL DID THIS!?" she yelled as she and Giselle dived down towards the courtyard.

Meanwhile, Bazz-B and the others had enjoyed in taking care of the soldiers, and they were easily defeated, given that the Sternritters' power surpasses them. They even managed to take care of the golems. However, they were stunned when they felt Spiritual Pressures, that seemed very familiar. To their shock, the soldiers had called out for reinforcements. They came in the form of Uryu's Schutzstaffel, consisting of Cang, BG9, Berenice, Driscoll and Jerome.

"No…..fucking….way!" Bazz-B snapped by what he was seeing. "THIS HAS TO BE A FUCKING DREAM!" he then cursed out loud.

Driscoll held a Reishi lance in his right hand. He laughed out loud by what he was seeing. "So, these are the rebels whom the four-eyed kid warned us about. Heh, this should be a piece of cake!" Driscoll remarked smugly by what he was seeing. But when his eyes caught the glimpse of Bazz-B, he exclaimed out in laughter. "Bazz-B! Hah! So you're finally doing it? Trying to kill His Majesty after going on pouting about not being strong enough for so long" the tall man then added.

Berenice fixed a sweet smile by seeing the man with the Mohawk. "Hey there, handsome! Lookin' good as always, I see" she said, while even throwing a wink at Bazz-B in the process.

Bazz-B only stood and glanced at them angrily. "Driscoll, Berenice…..and even Cang" he said with contempt as he stared at them. "I never expected to be stumbling upon you like this. Weren't you all dead or something?" the hotheaded Sternritter asked.

Berenice fixed a scowl by hearing this. "It's been so many weeks since we last spoke and this how you reply?" she asked with distaste in her voice. "You're such an ass, Bratty Bazz!" she then added, with a nickname to Bazz-B.

"That doesn't answer his question!" Candice suddenly stepped in and glared at Berenice angrily. "Now how the hell are you still alive!?" she then snapped while aiming her Reishi bow at the group of Sternritters.

Cang suddenly stepped forward, his eyes glancing at them all dispassionately. "How we reincarnated is not for you to learn, worm. We have sworn to protect Silbern from any intruders, as Schutzstaffel of Crown Prince Uryu" the black-haired man declared while brandishing his Reishi claws.

The eyes of the rebel Sternritters widened in surprise and astonishment, especially Bazz-B. "Schutzstaffel.…...to that four-eyed dimwit?" he asked in disbelief.

BG9 aimed one of his Reishi miniguns at the young man with the Mohawk. "Mind your tongue, deranged one. Prince Uryu saved us when we were all on the verge of our deathbeds" the android said, his robotic voice coming through his helmet. A small circle of light could also be seen through it. "Therefore, we are more than obliged to serve as his personal vanguard!" he added to his statement.

"Enough talk!" the stoic voice came from Jerome Guizbatt as he was cracking his knuckles. He glanced at the rebel Sternritters with serious eyes as he readied his fists. "By the high authority of His Majesty, we are not to allow any intruder near him. That goes for you traitorous fiends as well!" Jerome added strictly.

Liltotto held out her Reishi bow. "You're one to talk. All of us suffered at the hands of that selfish creep Yhwach! He abandoned us on the frontlines! Doesen't that qualifies for being a traitorous fiend!?" she then snapped back in anger.

Jerome only narrowed his eyes when hearing this. "I grow tired of you bunch of brats! It is time to end this insurrection!" the muscular man said and took a deep breath.

"Dayum! Dat nigga's about to release his sound wave!" NaNaNa exclaimed in shock and quickly sidestepped, only for Driscoll to appear right before him. The lean Quincy gulped. "Ah hell naw!" he exclaimed in disbelief.

Driscoll only grinned and firmly grabbed NaNaNa by his throat, thereby choking him. "Heh! So you're still alive, NaNaNa? I'll admit that I'm impressed by seeing you making this far. You've got more balls than that faggot PePe ever had!" he said before exclaiming out in laughter. He was mentioning their fellow Sternritter: PePe Waccabrada.

While struggling to free himself from Driscoll's tight grip, NaNaNa formed a smug grin to himself. "Oh, you said balls, eh?" the lean man said, before doing the unthinkingly to Driscoll. Moving his right foot, NaNaNa landed it straight in Driscoll's pelvis area.

The muscular Quincy yelled, as he felt like his world had cracked, or maybe it had in his mind. Driscoll lost his grip on NaNaNa and fell down on his knees while holding onto his pelvis area. NaNaNa backed away from his opponent, who was still on his knees with tears streaming from his eyes.

"My balls…my dick….." Driscoll said while sniffing before angrily glance at NaNaNa. "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT ALL ABOUT, YOU DESPICABLE BASTARD!?" he then angrily asked NaNaNa.

The lean Quincy only shrugged his shoulders in return. "You know what dem homies say. Stomp'em in the nuts!" he said out of randomness, much to Driscoll's own anger.

The muscular Quincy had already formed a Reishi lance in his right hand and was really bent on killing NaNaNa. "I'm gonna pile your corpse on my lance and use it as a kebab!" he angrily exclaimed at his fellow Sternritter.

Meanwhile, Jerome had unleashed his supersonic roar and blew it towards the rebel Sternritters. However, as he tried to hit them with this attack, he accidentally managed to hit soldiers of Silbern. At the same time, his attack was loud and Jerome's comrades needed to cover their ears. But on the other hand, some of the rebel Sternritters had taken this as an opportunity to move past their enemies and enter Silbern. Among them was off course Bazz-B.

* * *

 _Inside Silbern_

"I see" Haschwalth was currently standing in a hall, speaking with three officers of the Wandenreich. They had just approached him to bring him good news from the Wandenreich's communications unit, also known to the Quincies as Kommunikation. "So, these are the news you had for me?" the blonde-haired man asked the officer in the front of the two others.

The three officers were all kneeling before the Sternritter Grandmaster. "Yes. The Schutzstaffel belonging to His Majesty have already rendezvoused with our soldiers to confront the enemy. They have each gone into five different directions as we speak" the Quincy with the moustache said.

Before they were about to leave, they were stopped by Haschwalth once again. "Officers, a last word before you go. Do you know where Uryu Ishida is? He was supposed to join me in defending Silbern from any intruders" the blonde-haired man then asked the officer.

"Oh, Prince Uryu said he wanted to go back to his personal quarters. However, the last time I saw him, he was heading towards one of our laboratories" the officer said in return.

"Follow him" Haschwalth surprisingly commanded the three Quincies, who were only stunned by what he was hearing. Haschwalth looked over his shoulder to glance at them while taking steps forward quickly. "I cannot leave so far from His Majesty's location. Therefore, I want you three to follow him and see if he does something that is not part of his orders. If you find out he plots something then let me know right away" the blonde-haired man added to his words.

"My lord…..what are you…." The man with the moustache asked in surprise by seeing this.

Apparently, Haschwalth had just figured out something. He had apparently been played by Uryu and he thought about it carefully. "How could I have been so careless? I shouldn't have allowed him to stay here in Silbern. There are no Sternritters here on my side to watch him. And Uryu Ishida has already gained loyalists that are already favoring him above me. None of them are interested in obeying my commands. With His Majesty's Schutzstaffel out on the frontlines, it appears that I am the only one left standing to deal with his antics" Haschwalth thought inside his head, knowing that Uryu had wanted him to be busy. The blonde-haired man still noticed that the three officers had not yet left. "Why are you still here? Go and find Uryu" Haschwalth commanded them once again.

"YESSIR!" the three men replied and rose up to their feet.

As the three officers obeyed without hesitation, each one of them died by a bullet of fire piercing in their heads. Haschwalth remained calm, even by seeing that there was an interloper inside Silbern, but not in the form of Uryu. Rather, it was the face of a Sternritter he knew from a very young age.

"Uryu Ishida is someone you should worry about in the least" the rowdy voice came from Bazz-B as he pushed away the officers and fixed a smug smile at the blonde-haired man. "I suggest you listen to what I say to you, Jugo" he then added.

Haschwalth remained unfazed by what he was seeing. "Bazz-B, what was that for?" he asked, feeling dissatisfied by the fact that the Sternritter had disposed of the officers whom he had just dispatched to find Uryu.

The man with the Mohawk only shrugged his shoulders. "Shouldn't you rather be saying "Why are you still alive?" he then asked before charging at him in full speed. "Well you're mine now!" Bazz-B exclaimed in joy as he quickly grabbed the blonde-haired man by his coat and readied his finger at his opponent. "Burning Finger!" he exclaimed.

But Haschwahlt simply grabbed Bazz-B by his wrist and then jumped in the air to avoid him. Removing his coat and letting it fall on Bazz-B, Haschwalth then proceeded to attack him with the butt of his sword. Haschwahlth then drew out his sword, only to see that Bazz-B was tearing his cape apart with his flames. Apperently, the man with the Mohawk had not fired his finger yet and he did that now. The bullet of fire almost hit Haschwalth, leaving a bleeding cheek on the young man. Taking the hit, Haschwalth backed off and stood facing his fellow Sternritter.

"I see. Your wounds were not caused by the enemy, but by His Majesty" Haschwalth then noted, realizing what he was just seeing before him. "You were not chosen as a Schutzstaffel" the blonde-haired man then remarked.

Bazz-B gritted his teeth when hearing this. "Chosen? I was never chosen. Me and the rest of us in the Sereitei had Auswählen rained down upon us" he spoke out with a bitter voice. "It was a genocide. Those that managed to avoid the light lost their Vollständig. But for those who was hit directly by it, lost their lives" the man went on explaining.

Despite hearing this, Haschwalth's expression remained unchanged for the most of the part. "I see. What a pity" he spoke up lowly.

Bazz-B threw his left arm in the air when he heard this. "A pity? Don't give me that bullshit!" he said in return before facing him seriously. "You know about all this, didn't you?" he then asked.

"And why would you want to know?" Haschwalth asked the punkish man in return. "If I said I didn't know, would you still believe in me?" the blonde-haired man then asked him.

Bazz-B looked at the ground while hearing this question. "Of course, I would. We're friends, aren't we?" the young man suddenly asked Haschwalth in a soft voice. The young man still remembered something from their childhood and he lifted up his face to glance at Haschwalth once more. "Aren't we friends, Jugo!?" he suddenly asked out loud.

Despite hearing all of this, Haschwalth remained untouched by hearing Bazz-B's honest answer. "Bazz-B….." he uttered out his name lowly.

"You can call me Bazz, like you used to back then!" Bazz-B then exclaimed with a smug smile in return. He then unleashed his fires once again. "Burning Finger 2!" he exclaimed while forming a ring of fire around him.

Haschwalth swung his blade as he narrowed his blue eyes at his fellow Sternritter. "I think it's useless to talk sense into you anymore" Haschwalth noted lowly as he took small steps towards his opponent. "If you intend on challenging me, then I will have no choice but to end this quickly" the blonde-haired man said.

"I wouldn't be so sure. Look outside" Bazz-B pointed out while motioning this head towards the window behind him. The skies were darkening and the moon was showing itself through the clouds. "The night will come soon. I know that when Yhwach sleeps at night, you and his power are swapped. That is why I'll kill his power. TOGETHER WITH YOU, TRAITOROUS BASTARD! I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU, JUGO!" he angrily exclaimed.

And thus, the fight between Bazz-B and Jugram Haschwalth was now commencing, while the Wandenreich was forced to deal with their own rebellion right at their own headquarters. What would be their fate?

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Author's note: And that was the end of chapter 31. Yhwach has now officially taken his place as the new Soul King, and both Shinigamis and Quincies alike are now accepting him as their true ruler. We got to see how Shunsui and the rest of the Shinigamis were doing after entering Wahrwelt, with the head-captain forced to be questioned by Shuhei and Sui-Feng. Why would they do that? We saw that Uryu had managed to handpick his own Schutzstaffel, Sternritters who were previously assumed dead. They would assist with the defense of Silbern against the Sternritter rebels, whom Uryu had told they would become a threat. But maybe Uryu has some motive in dong such actions. The next chapter will most likely tell us about the friendship between Haschwalth and Bazz-B. And I want to add flavor to this flashback story, and may as well include other younger Sternritters, like Robert, Cang and Berenice, not just those two.**


	32. Hell March

**Author's note: While I DID say that I would continue with the Sternritters and their backstory, I felt like I needed a break from what was happening in the Soul Society. Therefore, this chapter is orientated mostly on the Togabitos, as well as the Diyu Empire. In fact, this chapter will tell us about how Hell is suddenly dragged into this conflict, as well as the alliance between the Wandenreich and the Diyu Empire. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 32: Hell March**

 _2 weeks ago, inside the_ _hellish palace of Shēnyuān, the city of Youdu, Hell_

Before Togabitos had even begun exiting Hell and into the Human World, there had been a secret event taking place inside the hellish palace where the Emperor of the Diyu Empire: Wang Yanluo lived. From there and the city of Youdu, the devilish tyrant commanded all Togabitos and forced them, as well as the Kushanadas, to serve him. He had also managed to create an army loyal to him, among them the imperial army aka Yíngpán and the group of loyal monks called the Fahai. But inside his throne room in , Yanluo was currently sitting on his throne, awaiting the arrival of some of his closest councilors and allies.

"I hate waiting for these….imbeciles" the emperor expressed his thoughts while grumbling lowly to himself.

But Yanluo was not alone in the throne room. Already present were Guan Gong: the Emperor's Left Hand, Jiutian Xuannü: the Emperor's Right Hand, Mao Khuan: the Emperor's Right Eye and Cheng Nezha: the Emperor's Left Eye. Apparently, they were joining their superior in a secret meeting, but first, they were waiting for someone to arrive. Yanluo sat on his throne, waiting impatiently.

"The rest of my inner circle better show up soon" the red-skinned creature said as fires burned along with him. "My patience is thin!" he then loudly exclaimed, his fiery eyes only burning with anger.

"Have a little patience, Eternal Emperor. I am confident they will arrive soon" the voice came from the youthful-looking woman named Jiutian Xuannü, as she smiled at her emperor with a surprisingly seductive glance.

The thick-bearded man named Guan Gong saw this and simply snickered in return. "That woman is so delusional" he noted in his thoughts, before forming a grin with his teeth, indicating that he was planning on something. "My dear Xuannü, why do you always have to act like a prostitute in front of our great leader?" he then mockingly asked her.

Xuannü simply narrowed her eyes at him when she heard his words. "Your words do not affect me, Gong. Hearing you speak is almost as if a young child was inside a man's body" she then responded, even shooting a jab back at Gong.

Before Gong could say anything in retaliation, the door to the palace suddenly arrived and in came a couple of small children. But despite their young appearances, they were indeed Togabitos. The tallest of the two was a young black-haired girl with two pigtails. Her style of clothes was that of a black traditional Chinese dress with sleeves. Despite her young age, she looked kind of melancholic on her expression. The smallest of the two was a young boy with shaved black hair. His style of clothing was similar to that of Qiao, as he was dressed in a black Maoist outfit with a hat and a red star attached to it.

Both children bowed as they reached Yanluo's throne. Even though their superior was glaring at them with his burning eyes, they never got intimidated by him.

"Meng Fan: Left Foot of the Eternal Emperor, at your service" the young girl spoke up in a very monotone voice. She then glanced up to her emperor. "I humbly apologize for being late. But this idiot beside me got me caught in some kind of prank" she then apologized while glancing disapprovingly at the young boy beside her.

The young boy was poking his nose as if he didn't care. Despite doing this, no one seemed to consider it nasty or inappropriate. The young boy kept doing this as a means to not pay attention to what his partner was saying, much to Fan's open irritation.

"Get over it, already! I was getting back at you for stealing my property and for making me look like an ass in front of the everyone!" the young boy spat back, before noticing that he was bickering in front of the emperor. The young boy immediately fell down on his knees and begged for forgiveness. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend you in any way! I will behave! Han Yao: Right Foot of the Eternal Emperor at your service!" he then insisted.

Some of the other advisors were getting tired of seeing this, especially Gong and Nezha who found the bickering between those two children to be quite annoying.

"Heh…..lousy, ignorant brats" Gong muttered underneath his thick beard.

"Can we move on to the next subject?" Nezha asked after letting out a deep sigh.

"We can't do that yet" the lion-like Khuan spoke up while facing the young man in dragon-like armor. "There are still two remaining advisors left so we….." Khuan was interrupted by a familiar sound calling to him.

"I am already here" the voice came from a Togabito who was unique in appearance, similar to Khuan and Yanluo. The first of them was a long individual, considering that he was a green-scaled Chinese serpent standing on two feet while his outfit looked like that of a Chinese folk dancer. It was both red and black. A chain could be spotted hanging around his long neck. The serpent had whiskers, black eyes, golden horns, but also white-facial hair. The serpent bowed before his emperor with respect. "Chiang Kai: the Eternal Emperor's Heart has arrived. I apologize for the delay" he spoke up with formality in his voice.

"Hey! Don't forget about me, the Eternal Emperor's Brain: Chan Chu!" the cranky voice came from Togabito, who looked like a golden frog with red eyes. He wore an outfit that seemed awfully similar to those worn by the Chinese Buddha statues. He even wore red prayer beads around his neck, while a chain could also be noticed, considering that the frog-like Togabito's belly was exposed. He was relatively smaller than his comrades, but at least much taller than Hao and Fan. The frog-like creature cleared his throat. "I humbly apologize for being late, but I…" he was suddenly interrupted.

"GET ON WITH IT, ALREADY!" the angry and fiery voice of Yanluo left chills in not just Chu, but also Yao as well. "I HAVE NO TIME TO HEAR MORE EXCUSES! JUST TAKE YOUR SEATS!" he roared and no one spoke back in return. They imply found their places to sit and listen to what their leader was planning.

The eight Togabitos joining their leader were called the Liántōng. Along with the Fahai, they were considered to be among Yanluo's favorites. But whereas the Fahai were commonly seen as grunts and soldiers by the emperor, the Liántōng had far more respect from their superior. In fact, they even held important political positions within the Diyu Empire. They also acted as Yanluo's personal councilors and advisors, while being willing to for their superior should that be the case. However, rarely did those Togabitos ever fight, as they usually called upon the Fahai to deal with such matters. But if provoked, they could become deadly adversaries, as they were able to stand beside their superior on an equal level.

"Eternal Emperor, why have you summoned us?" Khuan then broke the silence while bowing his head before the fiery creature.

The fire in his eyes stopped blazing and Yanluo surprisingly found calm within himself. Whenever he felt stressed out, he would always need to kill someone. Therefore, many lesser Togabito slaves had been brought into the throne room, with all of them pleading that they would not be taken away the opportunity to escape from Hell.

"I have called you all here for a particular meeting, my dear Liántōng" the red-skinned creature spoke up, his voice booming the throne room. His claws slowly dug into the hard steel of his throne. "Apparently, we are receiving guests inside the Shēnyuān. It is time that you all get to see who I have been communicating with for the last couple of years" Yanluo told them.

There were different reactions to his followers, but some like Fan and Yao were filled with curiosity over the subject. Others like Gong, Nezha and Chu seemed less than enthusiastic about it, given that they each had different motives for being loyal to the emperor. But Khuan, Xuannü and Kai seemed to pay attention to what was being said.

"Are we getting visitors?" Fan asked in her sweet but scary voice. "I hope that they would like some tea" the child-like Togabito added to her statement.

Nezha simply glanced down at her with his arms crossed. "There will be no tea party here, Fan" the young man with the topknot said disapprovingly while facing Yanluo with a respective nod. "Eternal Emperor, are you certain that we can trust him?" he then asked his superior with a hint of concern in his voice.

Yanluo only sat on his throne, his fiery eyes narrowing further. "He himself knows about the disadvantages he has in my realm. If he ever tries something, I shall take all of his souls" the red-skinned Togabito responded.

After two seconds, a large black portal appeared in the middle of the throne room and all members of the Liántōng got cautious. From what they knew, this was not the work of a Shinigami or an Arrancar. Out from the black portal, two figures appeared and revealed themselves for the emperor to see. Some of Yanluo's allies got cautious and wary. The man walking towards them was none other than the Father of the Quincies himself: Yhwach. But he was not alone, as he was accompanied by a squadron of his Soldats, as well as the Sternritter Grandmaster: Jugram Haschwalth.

As they approached the throne, Yhwach forced a smirk underneath his black moustache. Yanluo rose up from his seat and took small steps towards the long-haired man. His three eyes were solely fixed upon him. So far, neither Haschwalth nor the Soldats had made a move to attack the Togabitos.

"Hail to you, Wang Yanluo" Yhwach spoke up in a surprisingly respective tone at the beginning. But he was not finished just yet. "I must say that Hell is quite different since the last time I saw it with my own eyes" the Quincy then added to his statement.

"Spare me your nonsense, Yhwach!" Yanluo barked, his eyes slightly burning as he glanced down upon some of the Quinces that were accompanying him. "Did you conquer the Soul Society with a group of grunts like these?" he then asked Yhwach.

"No" Yhwach sternly replied. "This is only a tiny bit of the immense army and arsenal the Wandenreich possesses" he then added to his answering.

The Soldats were mostly intimidated by the enormous Spiritual Pressure that came from Yanluo and his allies. But Yhwach remained calm, only glancing at his fellow emperor with nothing but boredom. However, Haschwalth was at least stunned to be able to see powerful Togabitos like these.

"Such immense power" Haschwalth remarked inside his head by observing the interaction between Yhwach and Yanluo. "We best do what we are here for and return to Silbern. Many Quincies will without a doubt question His Majesty's motives for visiting Hell" the blonde-haired man then added to his thoughts.

Yhwach suddenly reached for something underneath his cape. "Enough brattling, I did not come here just to hear you throwing tantrums over things in the past. We should focus on the present" he said and suddenly held out a medallion. This was not just an ordinary medallion. It was the same one he had used to steal Zanka no Tachi, the Bankai of the late Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto. Even as he held it in his hands, the hear began consuming the medallion. Yhwach smirked. "I believe that you said that the Wandenreich and the Diyu Empire would only become allies if I managed to get my hands on the Bankai of Shigekuni Yamamoto. Was it not this you were talking about? Well, here it is: Zanka no Tachi" the black-haired man revealed cunningly.

The three eyes of Yanluo widened in surprise, as he could see feel the heat on the medallion that longed to be released, only to be restrained by Yhwach's Spiritual Pressure. A devilish grin formed around his mouth, as he knew that the Quincy spoke the truth.

"Yes…..not just Zanka no Tachi…..but all the flames of Ryujin Jakka…held within that tiny object" he exclaimed in a gleeful manner and even chuckled in amusement. "I cannot believe I am saying this…but I am impressed" the emperor admitted while glancing at Yhwach.

The Quincy was smiling at him in a smug manner. He even held out his medallion to him. "Go on. Take it" Yhwach told him while motioning the medallion in his right hand. "You said that we could come into an agreement if I gave you Yamamoto's flames. Well, here is your chance. I did keep my word, didn't I?" he then reminded the red-skinned Togabito before him.

Yanluo didn't need to be told twice as he immediately snatched the medallion off from Yhwach's fingers and glanced down at it in a delightful manner. Apparently, he was happy to have Yamamoto's Bankai in the palm of his left hand. A grin of satisfaction crept on his face.

"Yes….I can feel the flames…..my flames" Yanluo spoke up as he was starting to feel anticipation within himself. "For many eons, Yamamoto have been using my flames as a means to bend his allies and opponents to their knees. But they were mine to begin with! He had used my flames to empower his own status! But no longer. Now that the flames have returned, they will rejoice in being reunited with me!" he exclaimed with pride as his fest hand became enveloped in burning flame.

"Well then" Yhwach interrupted Yanluo, who begrudgingly turned his attention to him. "Now that I've done my end of the bargain, I expect the same thing from you, Yanluo" the long-haired man told Yanluo.

The red-skinned creature narrowed his fiery eyes, indicating that he was somewhat angered with what Yhwach just said. Even so, the Togabito did not make a move against him and simply crossed his arms in return.

"So, you wish for the Wandenreich and the Diyu Empire to become allies?" Yanluo's voice boomed in the throne room. "And what makes you think that we who have dwelled in Hell will want to agree with your proposal?" he then questioned Yhwach sternly.

Yhwach's smirk never faded away. "Simple. I know how to break the barriers between Hell and the other realms" he revealed, much to the surprise of Yanluo, as well as his allies. "Yes. I have plans on making a new world. And in this world, all realms belong as one, including your empire. Have you ever wished that the dwellers of the Soul Society could see the giant and impregnable wall of the Diyu Empire? In that way, they would know how to fear and respect you" the Emperor of the Wandenreich explained his proposal.

While the Eternal Emperor was slightly getting interested in it, something else prevented him from fully agreeing to Yhwach's proposal. "You think that mere Souls will be a threat to my empire!? Do not insult me!" the red-skinned creature barked at Yhwach. "As soon as you have disposed of their leaders, they along with the Shinigamis will become nothing but a disunited warband that is easy to crush. And yes, I have learned about the one Human you are so curious about: Ichigo Kurosaki. Even he will not be a threat to my domain" he then added to his explanation.

"I am not simply talking about Shinigamis, sinner" Yhwach spoke up and held up the small object of his called the Schicksal. The small crystal ball shined brightly, and it intrigued the Togabitos. But considering that Yhwach was standing before Yanluo, he got to see what it really was. The three-eyed monster could see something inside that crystal ball. "I take it you know who this is, right?" the man with the moustache asked smugly.

Yanluo angrily gritted his teeth in anger over what he was seeing. "Arrancars…" he spoke up lowly and clenched his demonic hands together. "And they are being led by that bastard…..Augustus Zod Allowin!" he then bellowed in anger.

Yhwach mused to himself after seeing this. "Yes. The Hollows and Arrancars have now gathered themselves under a new power in Hueco Mundo and they are lead by the one you speak of" the Quincy said and glanced up to the Togabito in a serious manner. "Therefore, our two empires should form an alliance of convenience. If you agree to this alliance, I promise to break the barriers that separates Hell from the other realms. In fact, I may start remaking the world by bringing in Hell first" Yhwach then spoke up, his voice indicating that he was serious.

Yanluo, who had thought about this while hearing Yhwach speak, fixed his burning eyes upon him. The look on his face seemed rather calmer than his usual self. He slowly nodded his head at him, which brought satisfaction to the Quincy Emperor. It was obvious that the promises had played a key part in persuading him over to his side.

"Very well. As repayment for giving me my flames back, the Diyu Empire shall become allies with the Wandenreich" he said, and a giant black portal began forming behind Yhwach and his group of Quincies. The long-haired man was about to turn around, only to be stopped by Yanluo's voice. "But remember our bargain, Quincy. Do not dare cross me!" he then sternly warned him.

Yhwach merely looked over his shoulder with a smug look on his face. "There is no need to get so jumpy with me, Togabito. The next time we meet, I expect you to follow your end of the bargain. Until then, farewell, Wang Yanluo" he then bid him farewell, as he, Haschwalth and the Soldats entered the dark portal thus vanishing from the throne room, let alone the entire Hell itself.

There was a discussion amongst the Liántōng after there was no traces of Quincies left in the throne room. Each member had different reaction to what was being discussed.

"That Yhwach…." the frog-like Chu expressed his distaste for the man. "How does he have the nerve to come here and bark demands from the Eternal Emperor!?" he then snapped in outrage over what he was hearing.

"I agree" Gong said while brandishing his halberd. "We should've killed him while he was here!" the bearded man exclaimed with his hidden bloodlust.

Some of the members did not find their opinions particular amusing or supportive. "You allow your hunger for battle to blind you, Gong" Khuan said while crossing his arms. This caused Gong to angrily glare at the lion-like Togabito, but Khuan was also targeting Chu as well. "And as for you, Chu. You really have no idea what it means to be on a battlefield" he then scolded the stout Togabito.

"You shut your mouth, Khuan!" Chu spat back in return.

Kai was himself having mixed feelings about this proposal, as had Nezha and Xuannü. The serpent-like Togabito had a talk with them on that matter, with each of them telling their own opinions.

"I don't trust Yhwach" Nezha said as honest as he could. "From what I could see in his eyes, there was a hint of deception. And that blonde-haired man that was accompanying him looked almost like a younger version of him. Something is not right" the young man spoke up.

Kai nodded his head at him in return. "Indeed. And more importantly, why does the Quincies want our aid? They have used Hell to punish their own in the past, and have always referred to us as the sinners" the he spoke up while remaining cautious about this subject.

"Even so, I can't help but to feel somewhat tempted by this agreement" Xuannü admitted with a smirk forming on her lips. "We all know that Yhwach is someone who is not keen on keeping actual promises. Why don't we do the same to him when the time comes?" she then suggested to her comrades.

"But he did return the Eternal Emperor's flames to him, didn't he?" the young and slightly melancholic voice came from Fan, as she was glancing up to her fellow members of the Liántōng with a curious glance. The girl with the pigtails then looked over at the emperor, who was suddenly beaming with happiness in his three eyes. "He does seem to be in a happy mood right now" Fan added.

"What's a stupid medallion worth anyway!?" the brash and impatient voice came from Yao, as he simply crossed his arms while looking at his superior holding it. "I say, this was nothing but a waste of my….." the young boy snapped as he felt a frim grip on the collar of his clothes.

It was Yanluo's doing, his eyes burning with rage, much to Yao's own fear. "What was that, Han Yao!?" he demanded a question while his fingers tightened his grip. "I dare you to say this in front of your superior!" the red-skinned Togabito then dared the young boy, who was snapping out of fear.

"Hold on! I was just joking! I mean….the f-flames are great! Yeah great!" the young boy then insisted to the emperor.

Yanluo simply released his grip on Yao's collar and turned his attention on the medallion. He could see that Yhwach's Spiritual Pressure was still restraining it. However, that did not stop him from wanting to achieve control over the flames. The red-skinned being held it in the palm of his right hand. Before everyone knew it, he crushed it. When the medallion was torn into many pieces, the emperor felt so much pleasure inside of himself. His three eyes were burning with fire.

"What is happening with him?" Chu asked with concern in his voice.

Kai only chuckled in return. "Why, the Eternal Emperor is finally reclaiming what was taken from him" the serpent replied to the stout frog-like Togabito and fixed his eyes upon his superior, who was beaming gleefully as the heat surrounded him. Kai bowed before his emperor and so did his fellow loyalists.

"We are yours to command, Eternal Emperor" Khuan said.

Seeing how he was treated with respect and dignity like a true emperor would have been, Yanluo felt proud over being the ruler of Hell. In fact, he decided to demonstrate his new powers and he did that by spewing out fire up in the air from his mouth. This fire was enormous and there was no doubt that with Yamamoto's flames, Wang Yanluo was now powerful.

"That was amazing, Eternal Emperor" Fan said while she, Xuannü and some of the other Togabitos began clapping their hands for him. They were all amazed by his power.

Yanluo returned to his throne and fixed his eyes upon his subjects, who were still on their knees bowing before him. The red-skinned creature decided to do some research of the Human World on his own. And by that, he would also like to find more information about Ichigo Kurosaki, the same Human that Hell had loaned its power to defeat the rogue Togabito named Kokuto.

"Bring me Zhong of the Fahai!" his booming voice called out to them all. "I have a special mission for him! A mission that will take him to the Human World" he then added with a grin creeping on his face.

* * *

 _Weeks later, in center of Youdu, Hell_

After Zhong failed his mission and was brought back to participate in the summit of the Fahai, Wang Yanluo was still scheming his plan to make his move on the outside world. He had dreamed of seeing his people march through the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, as well as the banner and flag of his empire hanging over either the Sereitei or El Dorado. But finding El Dorado was proving difficult, and the Sereitei was already experiencing their second invasion from the Wandenreich.

But something else had happened in Hell since those events. Small tints of earthquakes had rocked the imperial city of Youdu and many Togabitos began to wonder whether this was the end of them. This was mostly feared by the Diyu Empire's noblemen. But Yanluo and his loyalists never thought of this as the end of the world. Rather it was only the beginning of the Hell's new era.

Since the earthquakes stopped, most of Yanluo's followers had been allowed to do as they pleased. They would be notified whenever their services were needed. But in the city of Youdu, the dwellers were trying to rebuild some of the buildings that had been damaged during the earthquake. But in the sewers of the dark, but bustling city, four members of the Fahai were now sitting and pondering about recent events.

"This stinks…." the baldheaded man with pointy ears named Zhong exclaimed as he was conversing with Bohai, Ling and Ping. "This stink even more than shit!" he then added to his profane language.

The big-eared man only rolled his eyes. "Of course, it stinks down here, genius. We're in the sewers!" Ling pointed out while looking around in the city's sewer system, made by bricks and rocks.

"I'm not talking about that!" Zhong snapped back at the shaven-haired man. "I'm talking about the fact that none of us are allowed to go into the Human World! I mean, what's the big idea?" he then asked while feeling a bit of frustrated.

Ping only snorted in return. "Well, there's a reason why you're not allowed to. You completely made an ass of yourself on your mission. Seriously, why did the Eternal Emperor even chose you to go scouting?" the round man pointed out while asking his fellow Fahai a question.

Bohai could not help but to hide a chuckle when he heard Ping ask him that. "I would like to know that myself" he noted in his head while musing over the fact.

Zhong only crossed his arms and looked to another direction, thereby deciding to ignore what Ping just said to him. In fact, he looked up where he could see through one of Youdu's many grate locks. There were a lot of Togabitos wandering through the street that were above them. It was both higher Togabitos and lesser Togabitos. The lesser Togabitos were considered to be unintelligent and were usually treated as slaves and laborers in the Diyu Empire.

While Zhong was busy looking up, the three other monks decided to continue their conversation. And of course, it was Ling who took the initiative.

"Anyway, what do you guys think about this sort of "alliance" that we have with the Wandenreich?" Ling cunningly asked his comrades while poking his left ear. "You wanna hear my answer? Well, I honestly don't feel like becoming friends with Quincies" he then expressed his opinions.

Bohai stroke his long, black hair while listening to this. "I agree" he spoke up his mind in a very suspicious tone. "I only hope that the Eternal Emperor knows the choices he makes" the muscular man said while thinking about what he had heard.

"Yeah, I could really….what the….." Ping pointed his finger at Zhong, who had been left out and was relaxing. He saw something that was hanging from the grate lock and right beside the baldheaded man's pointy ear. "Ummm…..Zhong…." he asked with a concerned voice.

Zhong merely grumbled when hearing this. "Give me a break, Ping. Is this one of your hilarious attempts to wake me up from my…" he suddenly snapped in fear when he could feel someone hiss in his ear. Turning to his left side, it was a snake that was hanging from the grate lock. "AHHHHH WHAT THE FUCK!?" he yelled out in shock and outrage.

Both Ping and Ling laughed their butts off while seeing Zhong's reaction. But Bohai simply shook his head in disbelief in seeing the immaturity that was going on. The pointy-eared man looked up and growled by seeing who was standing above the grate lock, as well as sending the snake down at him.

"Daiyu! You gothic, oriental bitch!" he cursed in anger while seeing the black-haired lady standing there with a smug look on her face. The snake climbed up to her and hang around her neck.

Daiyu stroke her black hair. "Sorry about that. But I couldn't help but to hear your voice coming from this grate lock, so I decided to tease you" she said while fixing a so-called innocent look on her face. "But you will forgive a sweet lady like me, won't you?" she then teasingly asked Zhong while bending over. However, she snapped as she could feel something touch her from behind. Looking over her shoulder, she could see a hand coming out from a void and groping her butt. The young woman became furious, but the hand disappeared. She angrily glanced down at Zhong. "You pervert! How dare you touch me from behind!?" she angrily spat at him.

Zhong was pulling out his right hand from a void he had created. It was the same void that had appeared behind Daiyu a second ago. He smirked mischievously. "You call that an ass!? Heh! Your ass is nothing but small pillows!" he then taunted her while insulting her appearance.

This caused both Ping and Ling to laugh with Zhong on this one, as they could not believe how far he was willing to go, considering that he had touched the backside of Daiyu, one of the more dangerous members of the Fahai.

"Man, you really got balls" Ling remarked while lying on his back laughing.

"Yeah, maybe Daiyu should get om implants" Ping said and he snorted while laughing, even beginning to lie on his stomach.

While Zhong was laughing, he suddenly stepped sideways as some purple liquid began pouring itself up from above and down to the sewers. The other Togabitos around him took notice of this and became cautious as well. This was the work of Daiyu, who was now unleashing her poison through the grate lock.

"I will drown you all in poison!" Daiyu snapped in anger as she unleashed her poison into the sewers. But while she was doing that, she suddenly felt her entire body losing control and she was lifted up into the air, along with her snake. The woman got angered by this, yet snapped as she saw who was behind pulling this trick on her. "Xiaodan! Put me down!" she snapped as she felt her arms and legs twist.

Another member of the Fahai was doing this to her, the red-haired woman named Xiaodan. She merely stood there with her arms folded while her eyes glowed red. It appeared that the Togabito had a psychic ability and she used it to lift her opponent up into the air. She felt no remrose for her actions.

"Okay! You win! I was only trying to teach these fools a lesson!" Daiyu then gave in in order to make Xiaodan stop with her telepathy. The black-haired woman fell on the ground and rubbed her arms and head while groaning. "Damn it, Xiaodan! You almost broke my bones just now!" she complained to her fellow Fahai.

The young woman dressed like a Chinese princess immediately came back to her senses and felt shame running across her face. In fact, she even gasped after learning about this.

"Oh I am terribly sorry for that, Daiyu" Xiaodan insisted and fixed an apologetic look on her face. "I only wanted to lift you up in the air and away from those boys. I never intended to use my abilities to attack you" she said awkwardly while doing a nervous gesture with her fingers.

As much as she simply wanted to slap the hell out of the red-haired woman, Daiyu restrained her anger as she had known Xiaodan to be that incredible naïve. Xiaodan's naivety was one of the many weaknesses she knew about.

"Honestly, Xiaodan. When are you going to master your abilities for real?" the black-haired woman asked her in a surprisingly nicer tone. Daiyu petted the snake hanging around her. "If used wisely, your ability could become a weapon against our foes" she then told the princess-like woman.

Xiaodan sighed deeply before facing downwards towards the street. "I know. I get your point" she told her. For some reason, her cheeks were blushing. "I can't help myself, but I have been thinking a lot about Prince Nezha lately" she then admitted.

"So it is true, you two really are a thing, huh?" a cunning voice could be heard from a corner of the street and both women turned around to see the Fahai Zhen standing there leaning against the building. He held his staff in his folded arms. Even though his Chinese hat made it impossible for the women to see his eyes, they could see his mouth. Zhen seemed kind of in a good mood now. "Sorry for eavesdropping on you, but I couldn't help but to overhear Daiyu having some fun with the rat below us" he told them while mentioning Zhong indirectly.

"I heard that, asshole!" the angry voice of Zhong came from the grate lock, although none of the Togabitos seemed to care about what he was saying.

In fact, Xiaodan felt her cheeks blush as Zhen stood there looking so smug. She was embarrassed over the words that he had just said, coupled with the fact that he had been eavesdropping on her and Daiyu. The black-haired woman glanced at the man dressed like a wanderer with suspicious eyes, as if she was about to make a move on her.

"Zhen, what's the meaning of this?" Daiyu questioned him coldly.

But Zhen only waved his right hand at her as a means to calm her down. "Easy there, Daiyu. I've no interest in seeking a confrontation against you" he insisted while fixing his attention on Xiaodan. "I get it. You do have feelings for Nezha. I don't get how you can have feelings for someone as pompous as him, but I respect your choices" the Togabito then told the young woman.

Xiaodan could not help but to giggle slightly, given that she found Zhen's words to be slightly hilarious. But she then glanced at the man dressed like a wanderer with a sweet look on her face. "I thank you so much for saying this, Zhen. I promise you: Nezha is a completely different man when he is not around the Eternal Emperor" she then assured him.

"That is if what you think" a robotic voice could be heard as two members of the Fahai suddenly approached the trio. Xiaodan and her comrades turned to see who it was. Approaching them were the robotic-like Feng and the woman named Qiao. "Sorry for interrupting your conversation, but we just came here to ask something of you" Feng then stated.

Qiao giggled as and leaned onto Feng, much to the robotic Togabito's annoyance. "Me and Feng here are out having on a date! Since none of our services are required right now, we're now prepared to watch the parade taking place in this city" the woman dressed like a Communist Party member told them.

A sigh could be heard through the opening of Feng's metallic mask, signaling his irritation. "It is NOT a date" he replied sternly to her, his mechanical voice showing his discontent. But he remained focused on the other Togabitos before him. "Listen. About the meeting between the Eternal Emperor and Yhwach. What do you think of it?" he then asked them.

Xiaodan, Daiyu and Zhen all widened in surprise when they heard what he was saying. True, when all members of the Fahai had learned about a secret alliance being formed between the Diyu Empire and the Wandenreich, each of them had different reactions to it. Yet, those who expressed opposition to this had not showed it to Yanluo directly.

"Well….." Xiaodan asked as she nervously smiled. "I trust that the Eternal Emperor knows what he is doing. He is our superior after all" the woman dressed like a Chinese princess answered as honest as she could, even though there was a tint of uncertainty in her voice.

Feng did nothing but only nodded his head at her in return. "I see. So you have not given much thought about it" the black-haired man with the metallic mask responded in return.

"Honestly, I don't get what your point is" Daiyu said while crossing her arms. "The Eternal Emperor said it himself, he would not allow himself to be kowtowed by the Quincies, despite our alliance" the black-haired woman added to her statement.

"Well I can tell what his point is" Zhen said as he had stopped leaning against the wall and fixed his attention on the robotic Togabito. "I take it you tell us this because you want us all to be prepared, right? Prepared to battle the Quincies when the time comes" the man with the Chinese hat asked Feng.

Feng simply nodded his head slowly. "Well spoken, Zhen. It appears you at least seem to get the gravity of the situation" he replied with his robotic voice. He then fixed his gaze upon the two women. "But you on the other hand do not. So far, only Qiao seemed to have taken this seriously" he then said.

Qiao smiled delightedly when she heard this. "Off course I have, silly. I too have been worried about the things that have happened here lately, especially with the quakes" she responded and began pulling Feng's robotic arm. "Now let's go and see the parade, already!" she said and dragged Feng away.

Despite being dragged away by Qiao, Feng continued to glance at the three Togabitos, until they vanished around a corner. None of them knew what the robotic Togabito's point was about.

But Zhong had overheard their conversation from the sewers. But it didn't seem as if those Togabitos above him seemed to care about the fact that he had been eavesdropping on them. The man with the pointy ears had hung himself on the grate lock, and when he felt like not listening anymore, he let go of his grip and landed on the slimy ground.

"Did you guys hear that? Obviously not everyone among the Fahai is…" Zhong stopped speaking, as he could see that Bohai, Ling and Ping were no longer sitting where they sat. He was now all alone in the sewers and it made him slightly pissed off. "Great, now where did those crackheads run off to?" he grumbled while following the way that lead to the exit of the sewers.

In the center of Youdu was bustling with trade and other forms of activity, something else was happening on one of the cities' promenades. That's right, the denizens of Hell had now been gathered on both sides of the promenade as there was a parade taking place. This form of parade was almost similar to those happening in China, except for the fact that the colors used in this were black, white, red and yellow. It was a testament to both the hellish landscape that existed in Hell, as well as the essence of death. People were dressed in black and white clothes, while holding handmade Chinese dragons up in the air. At the same time, there were also many skulls involved when it came to decoration. This only indicated that this parade was held in homage to the mighty emperor of the Diyu Empire: Wang Yanluo. In fact, flames could be seen among the parading Togabitos as well.

Watching the parade from the balcony of a tower were the two youngest of the Liántōng: Han Yao and Meng Fan. The two children-like Togabitos watched from their chairs as many lesser Togabitos began doing services for them, like pouring drinks or fanning them. As close servants of the Eternal Emperor, Yao and Fan were treated with respect and dignity.

"Man, this is so boring!" Yao exclaimed impatiently while crossing his arms. "I was told something fun and exciting would happen in Youdu today. However, no one ever told me that it was a lame-ass parade!" the young boy snapped.

Fan only rolled her eyes in return by what she was hearing. "Gee, I wonder if you would have enough guts to say something like that in front of the Eternal Emperor. That, I would pay to see" she said, even forming a smirk underneath her lips.

"Screw off, Fan" Yao said boringly before fixing his eyes on some of the Togabito servants with the drinks. "Hey you! More baijiu, please" he told him while waving his glass.

The Togabito responded without hesitation and poured some baijiu onto his glass. It was very inappropriate by the fact that these two children drank alcohol. However, considering that they were Togabitos, rules for drinking never existed. In fact, unlike the Human World, Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, Hell didn't necessarily have rules that applied to children. In the Diyu Empire specifically, everyone could do as they pleased, as long they it was nothing against the rule of Yanluo.

The young boy dressed like a Chinese Communist Party member drank the baijiu from his glass and let out a burp which was loud. But Yao soon felt satisfaction in this. "Ah man, nothing beats a glass of baijiu" the boy remarked as he felt himself completely relaxed.

"Are you still talking to me?" Fan asked sternly while raising an eyebrow. "I mean, you did tell me to screw off" she then added to her question.

Yao growled by what he was hearing. "I was talking to myself, you stupid bitch. Now do me a favor and shut your ass up!" he snapped at her in return.

Before Fan could say anything in return, she was surprised by someone who had appeared in the same balcony she and Yao were currently sitting on. These visitors had appeared by using Zouguó. Both children turned around and could see Fahai-members: Feng and Qiao appearing before them. Each of them bowed their heads in respect, given that they were among the Eternal Emperor's favorite followers.

"Lady Fan, Lord Yao. Pleased to see you" Feng spoke up with honorifics in his voice. "Allow us to be by your side and witness this parade" the man with the metallic mask then said.

While Yao only glanced at them with no enthusiasm, Fan simply nodded her head at them with a smile on her face. "Off course, suit yourself. I was starting to get bored with speaking to only Yao anyway" she said, much to the anger of the young boy. The girl with the pigtails then faced her Togabito-servants. "You there, bring them some refreshments" she then told them and they responded without delay.

"Hey you! Don't you ignore me you…" Yao was about to angrily attack the girl, only for him to get hugged by none other than Qiao. She did that so hard that the boy himself felt unable to even breath. "HEY…WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" he then asked as he was squeezed by Qiao, who was noted for being a strong woman.

"Oh Yao, that outfit of yours suits you very well! It makes me want to hug you so much!" she responded, considering the fact that they both wore the same outfit. Yao's however was much geared towards men and younger boys than with what Qiao wore.

Fan laughed by seeing this, before she fixed her attention on Feng. Surprisingly, he drank some baijiu by pouring it through the opening on his metallic mask. Many Togabitos were not sure whether his "mouth" were located where the opening ran, but Feng was able to drink and eat, despite his somewhat cyborg-like appearance.

"Tell me, Feng. Do you happen to know where Gong, Xuannü and the others are?" she asked him nicely while wanting some answers.

Feng stopped drinking and fixed his gaze at the young girl before shaking his head. "Sadly, I don't. However, as far as I know my Fāxiàn is able to detect the Spiritual Pressures of Master Chu and Master Nezha. They both seem to be around in Youdu" he simply responded while gazing out from the balcony.

The young girl became surprised as she heard what Feng told him. However, she was not actually surprised to hear this and she sighed lowly. "I know Nezha is probably taking in charge of the city's security while Chu is staying in the palace. However, I have noticed something about the Eternal Emperor lately, especially since he managed to get back his flames" Fan told the member of the Fahai, as he listened closely.

"Indeed. He has been somewhat reclusive" Feng spoke up with his robotic voice. "However, it should not be of concern to us, as long as it helps him focused on the challenges ahead" he then assured her, as well as Yao, who was still trying to get Qiao off of him.

"Come on, Yao! Just a kiss on my cheeks!" she pouted while refusing to let go of him.

"Damn it, Qiao! Get your dry lips far away from me as possible!" the young boy snapped in return.

However, a shadow suddenly appeared high above the balcony and those standing on it could see that it was because one of the Fahai, the young woman named Ying was flying above the tower, eventually using her powers to float above them. The brown-haired woman smirked as she faced down the Togabitos.

"Hey kids, nice view from up her, isn't it?" she asked while standing on the balcony's edge. But she then noticed that there were drinks served and she felt thirsty. "Ah, I would really like a drink!" she exclaimed and grabbed a glass that was brought to her by one of the Togabito-servants.

Qiao let go of Yao, and focused her stern eyes upon her. "Hey Ying! You sure have some nerve referring to Lord Yao as a kid! Show some respect!" she snapped, although Ying seemed to ignore her tantrum. "And by the way, why are you bothering us?" she then asked while wanting to know an answer.

Ying was finished with her drink and dried her mouth. "Relax, serge. I was only racing to the top of this tower with Jiang. But as usual, he beat me" she replied while pointing her finger up towards the edge of the roof above them, in which they could see the grey-haired man dressed in black and white traditional outfit sitting at the edge.

He simply waved his hand at them in his gentle manner. He then fixed his bright eyes upon Ying. "I told you, didn't I, Ying? My speed is at the same haste as lightning itself" he said, as small sparks of lightning could even be seen around him, including his hair and eyes.

Ying only shrugged her shoulders in return. "What a showoff" she replied to her thoughts before resuming her conversation with her fellow Fahai and the two Liántōng. "Now I couldn't help but to overhear you wonder where Master Khuan and the others are. Well, they're at the wall along with the Eternal Emperor" she then revealed to them, much to the surprise of the Togabitos before her.

"The wall…..but why?" Fan asked while her eyes became filled with realization. "Hold on…..don't tell me that….." she then said lowly, causing Ying to simply nod her head in return.

"Yeah, the wall is finished" she responded. "However, that's not the only reason they are there. You see, the reason for that, as well as this parade taking place, is because the barriers that have long separated Hell from the other realms…..will finally be broken" she revealed with a delightful smile creeping on her face.

Yao grinned cockily while seeing this. "So does that mean…we can finally start invading our enemies for real!?" he then asked loudly while his grin never faded away.

"Hold your horses, young lord" Jiang interrupted Yao's thinking. "The Eternal Emperor has not yet given us such orders and where are not to do anything until he gives us the order. Therefore, we are to remain here in Youdu" he then reminded the young boy, who merely grumbled impatiently in return.

* * *

 _On the giant and long wall called Màncháng, Hell_

The giant wall that both Togabitos and Kushanadas had been constructing on for many years was finally complete. The wall itself was a wonder to behold, even though it was built in the realm of the unforgiven. Because of its long structure and symbolic gesture, the wall was called the Màncháng. Even now, Emperor Wang Yanluo was standing on it along with some of his favored Liántōng, as well as five members of the Fahai: Bohai, Ping, Ling, Longwei and Niu. There was a reason for why he had summoned them specifically.

The Eternal Emperor was surveying what had gathered before him while his Liántōng watched from the sidelines. The five Fahai had arrived alongside soldiers of the imperial army, who had begun to occupy the many watchtowers the wall had. Almost all of them bowed before the infernal leader on their knees, knowing better than to show disrespect towards their superior. Yanluo grinned as his eyes blazed endlessly.

"I am glad that all of you could answer my summon, Bohai the Water Crocodile, Ping the Earth Boar, Ling the Wood Monkey, Longwei the Fire Dragon and Niu the Metal Bull. Each of you represent an element that has been vital to the construction of the Màncháng" the imposing Togabito told them in a delighted mood, even addressing them by their titles.

"WE HUMBLY ACCEPT YOUR GRATITUDE, ETERNAL EMPEROR" the five Togabitos said in unison, almost as if they were in the military.

The red-skinned demon was happy to see that he still commanded respect among his people. "I will gladly reward your services by allowing you five to coordinate our assault on our enemies!" he then exclaimed before moving towards the other end of the wall. "Now, come here all of you! Let us gaze upon this change, as the barriers that have long separated Hell from the other realms finally breaks today!" he exclaimed as they all gathered beside him.

He and his followers watched as they could all see nothing but an endless wasteland lying before their eyes, not to mention the pools of yellow lava that was also located along the giant wall. The skies above were grey and red as always. While most were patient, Guan Gong did not necessarily seem impressed by what he was seeing

"Well? I don't see any changes around here!" the thick-bearded man spoke up while crossing his arms with open dispassion. "All I see here is nothing but the endless wastes that always make me sick to my stomach!" he then added to his explanation.

Chiang Kai glanced at him sternly. "Hold your tongue Guan Gong. Patience is what is required at the moment" the serpent-like Togabito pointed out to him with dispassion.

Gong merely grunted in return, not bothering in paying attention to what Kai had just told him.

The winds blew in the horizon and that was the only thing that could be seen. However, this silence would not last long. Before everyone knew it, the shaking that had affected Hell once, appeared again. But this time, it did not feel like an actual earthquake, considering that the shaking did not damage the wall. However, that did not stop some Yanluo's followers from being slightly discomforted.

"What kind of magic is this!?" Khuan wondered as he was stunned by feeling this.

"I can see that this shaking does not damage the wall!" Xuannü pointed out before turning her eyes on her superior with a formal bow. "Eternal Emperor, care to explain what is really happening now?" she asked while feeling slightly afraid.

Yanluo only grinned, thus exposing his demonic teeth. The red-skinned Togabito gathered an enormous amount of Spiritual Pressure that even managed to intimidate many of his followers, with the notable exceptions being the Fahai and the Liántōng. Most soldiers found themselves kneeling beside their emperor as he was delighted by what he was seeing.

"At last! We Togabitos will finally be able to exact our vengeance upon this wretched world and their creators!" Yanluo declared while his eyes were burning with fury. "Because of the Soul King being dead, it has enabled us to do something that none of the unworthy Togabitos could ever hope to accomplish!" he added to his declaration.

All of a sudden, the empty landscape before them started to change drastically. Shadows began to envelop all that stood before them and it felt as if Hell itself was dragged upwards towards. The wall remained intact and was dragged along as well. What was the meaning of this?

* * *

 _Somewhere in the countryside of the Soul Society_

While the Wandenreich was resuming their assault on the Sereitei, the Souls dwelling in the surrounding countryside had taken notice of the earthquakes and were feared for their lives. However, thanks to Ukitake's sacrifice, the earthquake stopped. For the Souls that lived far away from the Rukon District, this only confirmed that the Soul King had both died and been saved at the same time. Therefore, they thought that all was safe in the Soul Society. But not for long.

When Yhwach had absorbed the Soul King and taken his place, he had begun creating a new home for his followers. Therefore, he let Sereitei be, as the place was already in ruins thanks to the attacks that had been ongoing. For the Souls dwelling in the districts near the Sereitei, it was seen as a victor against the Quincies, but that was hardly the truth.

In fact, two threats had now entered the Soul Society and it was not just the fact that Yhwach had become the new Soul King, as well as making Wahrwelt and gaining new followers and loyalists. The second threat however, was something did no dweller in the Soul Society had at least expected to happen. The only ones who knew were the Quincies and the Arrancars. Thanks to Yhwach becoming the new Soul King, it gave him the opportunity to break the barriers that separated the many realms and bring them into the Soul Society. Considering that the Human World and Hueco Mundo's barriers were too big and strong, Yhwach had already begun destroying the weakest barriers that existed in the world. And that was the barriers that separated Hell from the Soul Society.

In a secluded area where local farmers lived, many children were playing in the nearby woods. This was an area where the Soul Society's tall mountains could be found. Safe to say, this was an area between the Soul Society's thick forest and the mountains. There existed farmlands on the green fields, as well as small villages. Considering that the Souls lived far away from the Sereitei, the 13 Court Guard Squads failed to detect what has taking shape in that area. Because this once secluded but peaceful area between the thick forest and the towering mountains that kissed the sky.

As the children and adults minded their own businesses as usual, whether it was playing, working or even fishing, something drastically happened and they could all feel the entire ground beneath them shake. The Souls were filled with disbelief, wondering whether it was a new earthquake. However, they could see that the nature around them did not disintegrate and it made them wonder what was really happening.

However, the moment they could see the sky turning red and grey, they knew that something was not right. There was more to come as something as imposing began to reveal itself for the Souls and they were stunned and shocked. They were even unable to move, as they could see that something long and imposing was stretching itself from the mountains to the thick forests. But the thick forest that were once peaceful and filled with life, had become tainted and corrupted, all thanks to the pools of yellow lava polluting it.

The nearby Souls got a closer look as they could see a giant and imposing wall standing right before their eyes. Yes, it was indeed the Màncháng standing before them, as Wang Yanluo himself was standing at the edge sprouting out fire across the green fields. This could only mean one thing: the Diyu Empire and Hell in general had been integrated into the Soul Society.

The many Souls ran in disarray, as they were practically powerless to stop the incoming army that was waiting behind this imposing wall. Yanluo laughed out loud as he watched them run away.

"THIS IS THE END, SOUL SOCIETY!" Yanluo exclaimed loudly while raising his burning whip chains in the air. "THE TIME OF THE TOGABITOS HAS COME, AS YOU WILL ALL END UP BECOMING THE SINNERS! EMBRACE YOUR SHAME AND ANNIHIALATION!" the red-skinned Togabito added to his angry declaration.

While this had occurred, someone had indeed been watching this from a tree with a pair of binoculars. It was Kukaku Shiba, who was watching the fires as well as the imposing wall taking shape in the space between the mountains and the thick forest. Kukaku did not put away her binoculars. She simply dropped them out of shock, not caring that they got broken. The busty woman even dropped her pipe in her mouth, not caring about it either. All that she cared about was the fact that Hell had finally been able to enter the Soul Society, or more like become a part of it.

"My god…" Kukaku uttered out those words lowly by what she had seen. "This isn't happening…" she uttered out words lowly again, before she angrily exclaimed in outrage. "THIS ISN'T FUCKING HAPPENING!" she yelled out in shock and anger at the same time.

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Author's note: That was Hell for now. I just wanted to take a break from the Shinigamis and Quincies and make sure that Hell gets into the story as well. I feel that Kubo somewhat neglected to include all races in this final arc, so I have taken the opportunity (I fully respect the work Kubo had done). So in this chapter, the Togabitos gets delved right into the conflict. Now the next chapter WILL focus on the Sternritters and their rebellion, as well as a backstory to some of the Quincies mostly Bazz-B and Haschwalth.**

 **Here are some of the new terms that we learned in this chapter.**

 **Liántōng – Chinese for "Connection/To Link Together": These Togabitos have been with Wang Yanluo for as long as they can remember. They are also rumored to have been imprisoned to the darkest depths of Hell, alongside their leader. But now that they have broken free, the Liántōng have emerged as the Eternal Emperor's personal bodyguard. Rumors has it that he saw himself as the Soul King's equivalent and therefore, named each of them after his body parts. What is known is that these Togabitos along with the Fahai possesses enormous amounts of power, equal to those of Captan-level Shinigamis, Dechado-level Arrancars and Sternritter-level Quincies.**

 **Màncháng – Chinese for "Very Long / Endless": This wall has become a symbol and testament to the might of the Diyu Empire. To reach the imperial city, let alone the imperial palace, one must cross the giant wall that separates the Togabitos from their enemies. With Hell having been brought into the Soul Society, the Souls and Shinigamis are terrified of the fact that a new threat has emerged for them, not just Arrancars and Quincies.**

 **Here are some of the voice actors that I have chosen for the Togabitos introduced in this chapter. (Fun fact: for Fan and Yao, I was inspired how each of these voice actresses voiced Wednesday and Pugsley Addams from the 1992 animated version of the Addams Family. In my opinion the relationship between Fan and Yao are similar to those siblings)**

 **Meng Fan - Debi Derryberry**

 **Han Yao - Jeannie Elias**

 **Chan Chu - Kirk Thornton**

 **Chiang Kai - Doug Stone**

 **See you all next time!**


	33. Friend 1

**Author's note: This chapter will be the first of the Friend-chapters, that explains the rebel Sternritters' attack on Silbern, as well as a backstory to some of the Sternritters. Follow the story of two friends, Bazz-B and Jugram Haschwalth, as they grew up in a time when the Quincies began mobilizing themselves for war. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 33: Friend 1**

 _Inside the corridors of the icy palace named Silbern, Wahrwelt, Soul Society_

Having formed a brief truce with the 13 Court Guard Squads in an effort to reach the Royal Realm, the rebel Sternritters had used the Gate of the Sun to reach Silbern long before the Shinigamis did. They decided to finish Yhwach on their own and had already begun their assault on Silbern. For Jugram Haschwalth, the timing was not perfect. The night was coming and he was then the substitute-emperor while Yhwach was asleep. Furthermore, things only made complicated for him when Uryu volunteered to stay back in Silbern, only to reveal his own handpicked Schutzstaffel. Haschwalth was furious. With all members of Yhwach's Schutzstaffel sent out to the frontline, he found himself cornered and left without allies, especially since the Sternritters stationed at Silbern favored Uryu above him.

Things only got more complicated for Haschwalth when he discovered that Uryu had gone to one of Silbern's many laboratories. Frustrated, he dispastched three officers to follow Uryu and report back to him should the crown prince try anything suspicious. However, they were all killed by someone the blonde-haired man had in the least expected to see in Wahrwelt: Sternritter H – The Heat: Bazz-B. Apparently, the hotheaded Quincy had used the chaos in Silbern's courtyard to his own advantage and sneak past the defenders and enter the palace where he then stumbled upon Haschwalth and his men. After exchanging some talks over what had happened, Bazz-B, knowing that Haschwalth and Yhwach's powers were swapped during the night, decided to fight him. If the green-eyed Sternritter with the Mohawk could kill Haschwalth, it would also destroy Yhwach's powers as well. That was an opportunity Bazz-B was willing to take.

Bazz-B charged straight towards Haschwalth, getting ready to swing his Burning Finger 2 at the Sternritter Grandmaster. But in the nick time, Haschwalth avoided it by jumping into the air. However, Bazz-B caught wind of what he was trying to pull and pulled out his Reishi Crossbow. Aiming steadily at his opponent, Bazz-B fired a couple of Heiligh Pfiels at him.

But Haschwalth was not slow with his reflexes, and the moment his blue eyes caught a glimpse of the two arrows of Reishi. Using his Reishi Sword, Haschwalth cut the arrows with ease, starting to feel bored about his opponent resorting to use arrows. In his eyes, firing a Heilig Pfiel against a Quincy was technically useless.

Despite seeing him fending off his arrows with ease, Bazz-B was not done yet and he decided to fire another arrow at the blonde-haired man. As Haschwalth landed on the floor, the punkish Quincy fired an arrow, it's target being the blonde-haired man. Haschwalth was not amused by what he was seeing.

"Hmm, I grow tired of these toys" the blonde-haired man noted in his head and was about to swing his sword to cut the arrow in half once again.

Bazz-B grinned cockily by seeing this. "Heh, I got you now!" he noted in his head in a delighted mood.

The blonde-haired man's blue eyes widened in shock as he could see that the arrow Bazz-B had just fired not any ordinary Reishi Arrow. It was actually a bomb. Haschwalth desperately thought about throwing the arrow back at him, but that such option was too late for him. In slight desperation, Haschwalth used his Hirenkiyaku to back away from the incoming bomb, but he was actually taken by the explosion. Haschwalth was sent flying against a wall and hit it by his back. This caused blood to come out from Haschwalth's mouth slightly, and he even let go of his sword as he landed on the floor.

Bazz-B mused to himself and began approaching the sitting Sternritter. "Hah! How was that Jugo? It's a good thing that I never told you that I have some special arrows that I have" he said and suddenly made an arrow with the help of his flames and heat. "By using my ability, I am able to create arrows infused with fire and heat. The moment they come into contact with anything, they explode. Kinda functions like a bomb. Hell, I even call them Burning Bomb Arrows" the man with the Mohawk explained as he went over to his sitting opponent.

Haschwalth was only trying to catch his breath and he had indeed been listening to what was being said, especially with the way these arrows functioned. He soon knew that he had to get up and continue with the fight. It was his duty to stop him after all.

Bazz-B was about to physically attack Haschwalth, but stopped as his eyes caught something that made him snap. It also made him stop any movements. The man with the Mohawk was currently fixing his eyes on the hilt of Haschwalth's Reishi Sword and he could not believe what he was seeing. On the hilt lied a small emblem attached to it in the middle. And that emblem carried the letter B. True, Haschwalth was in fact Sternritter B – The Balance, but for Bazz-B it made him drift back into the past.

"No….it can't be….." Bazz-B uttered out lowly, as his green eyes stared at the small emblem on the hilt. He then watched as Haschwalth got up on his feet, brushing off dust on his coat, dragging up his blade in the process. "Jugo…" he then uttered lowly at his former comrade.

Haschwalth merely glanced at him with his stern eyes. "I have to admit, you really fooled me there, Bazz-B. However, I will not repeat the same mistake" he said while brandishing his Reishi Sword, only to notice how different his opponent was behaving. "Why are you looking at me like this?" he then requested him.

The man with the Mohawk simply pointed his finger at the hilt Haschwalth was currently holding. "Jugo…...that emblem on the hilt of your blade….you…." he was at loss of words.

"Don't be so delusional! That emblem represents my Schrift, as well as the titles, duties and responsibilities I carry by His Majesty's orders!" the blonde-haired man immediately snapped back in slight anger at his opponent.

Despite hearing this, Bazz-B's spirit was not broken, and he simply gritted his teeth in anger while clenching his fists tightly. Apparently, he did not like what Haschwalth just said. "I told you not to give me such bullshit, Jugo…" he spoke up lowly before angrily facing the Sternritter Grandmaster. "You really think I'm THAT stupid!? I know a thing when I see it! After all…that emblem used to be mine…..until I gave it to you" he spoke up with both anger and realization.

Haschwalth continued to glance at him with dispassion in his eyes. "What happened in the past, stays in the past. Never forget that, Bazz-B" he sternly reminded the punkish Sternritter while readying his fighting stance. "Now then, what's this I hear about you and the other traitors co-operating with the Shinigamis to come to Wahrwelt? Have you really lost your sense of…" before Haschwalth could even continue, he saw Bazz-B shoot his fire-empowered arrow at him. This time however, Haschwalth was prepared and used Hirenkiyaku to vanish right before he was hit by his arrow.

The Reishi Arrow made a large hole in the wall and it went over towards the next building, which was one of the many icy towers located by Silbern. Haschwalth merely stood and glanced at his fellow Sternritter with dispassion, although Bazz-B did not seem to give much thought about it.

Bazz-B was angrily glaring at him. "You dare calling me a traitor!? Now that's rich! Wouldn't abandoning your knights on the battlefield be classified as such!?" he then barked at the blonde-haired man, who so far did not seem to be willing to answer, forcing Bazz-B to simply shrug his shoulders in return. "And you call this place Wahrwelt now? I thought this was Silbern. What's with the sudden change?" he then asked Haschwalth, who was still not willing to give him an answer. "Are you gonna tell me that I don't need to know again? That was always your favorite excuse. It really irritates the hell outta me" the hotheaded Quincy then remarked.

"I have no obligation in answering you, traitor" Haschwalth responded plainly, much to the anger of Bazz-B. "Now let us take this fight outside. I can't afford to damage the palace any further…." the blonde-haired man was once again interrupted by his opponent.

"What the fuck gives you the reason to degrade me!?" Bazz-B angrily snapped in return. "You think you're special just because you were handpicked by Yhwach!? Hell no, you ain't that important, and I'm gonna show you why!" he spat and began putting three fingers on his left hand on a nearby wall. "BURNING FINGER 3!" he yelled as lava began enveloping around him, starting with the wall.

At this rate, Haschwalth realized that talking some sense into his opponent was fruitless, and he knew that the only way to deal with this intrusion, was by resorting to bitter fighting. Brandishing his Reishi Sword, the blonde-haired man prepared himself to face off against Bazz-B. The man with the Mohawk also knew on the inside that the man standing before him was no longer the boy he had once known. But were there more reasons for him be challenging Haschwalth? What was it not just him joining Yhwach that led Bazz-B to hold a grudge against him. The two former friends began to slowly reminisce of their past, including the first time they met.

* * *

 _Flashback, 1000 years ago, in the woods outside a small village called Hasenwald, Northern Lands_

In the many smaller realms that existed between the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo and the Human World, many various races lived inside of them. There were small pockets of Hollow and Souls living in them, but they were nothing but a minority compared to the enormous populations of Quincies that dwelled in these realms. While many lived in the Human World, the majority of the Quincies at that time lived in these smaller realms, considering the fact that they had unlimited access to Reishi. Many of the Quincies lived in small villages and towns, ruled by a noble family.

But in this dangerous realm, a friendship was born between two young boys. In the forest outside the village of Hasenwald, a young blonde-haired boy with a shy persona was hunting rabbits. In fact, he managed to spot one and slowly hid himself from the rabbit. The boy aimed his bow and arrow and fired an arrow, but it didn't hit its target. The arrow landed right beside the rabbit, who immediately took notice of the danger it was in and ran off. The young boy was disappointed and watched as the rabbit ran away, only to be surprised when he saw an Heilig Pfiel pierce it, thus leaving the rabbit dead. The shy boy could not believe what he was seeing.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing!?" a young and robust voice suddenly called out to the young boy and it caught his attention. "Man, your archery sucks!" the voice called out to him again.

The young boy looked up to a tree and saw another young boy at his age standing on one of its branches. This boy had a peculiar choice of clothing. He wore a white shirt and black pants similar to the blonde boy, but he also wore a golden armor, helmet and a red cape that seemed very Roman-inspired. He also wore black gloves and in his left hand, a small Reishi Crossbow could be seen.

The blonde-haired boy had never seen this boy before and was very curious to know, although he was also somewhat suspicious and uncertain about the boy. "Who are you?" the he asked shyly and curiolsy at the same time.

This caused the boy in armor to get on the defensive. "Hey, hey, hey! Hold your horses! Why should I, the great Bazz-B, be telling you my name first!?" he snapped at him. "How about you introduce yourself first, ya damn spring onion!" he then said, expressing so much vulgarity and profanity at such young age.

Despite hearing this, the shy boy didn't seem to mind. "So your name is Bazz…" he spoke up, much the surprise of the boy named Bazz-B. The shy boy looked up to him, finding it hard to talk to someone else. "My name is Jugram….Jugram Haschwalth" the blonde-haired boy introduced himself to Bazz-B.

This was the beginning of a new friendship between young Quincies such as these two. Neither of them at that time, later realized that they would later be fighting against one another to the death many, many years later. But this was the first time they met each other. Two children, who had never seen each other before.

"Aw maaaan!" Bazz-B exclaimed in defeat and put off his helmet, thus exposing his spikey and unkempt reddish-purple hair. He then jumped off the branch and glanced at Haschwalth. "To think that the mighty me ended up introducing myself to you…...how very sneaky!" he then remarked while starting to follow the shy boy.

Haschwalth slowly turned around and watched Bazz-B with a somewhat surprised and dumbfounded glance. "I didn't ask for your name, you told me that yourself" the pointed out to the brash boy.

"But hey, you've got potential though!" Bazz-B then exclaimed at him, still following Haschwalth.

The blonde-haired boy stopped in his tracks and faced Bazz-B. "Why are you following me, anyway?" Haschwalth then asked him out of curiosity.

This made Bazz-B stop in his tracks and he glanced dumbfounded at the shy boy. "Why? Well there's no way a lame-ass like you could possible hunt anything on your own, so I thought about keeping you company!" he then responded as impulsive as he could. Bazz-B suddenly noticed a somewhat downed and melancholic look in Haschwalth's eyes and it made him confused. "Hey, what's with that face!? Aren't you gonna say something!? You're seriously making me feel like a bully right now!" the punkish boy then demanded an answer, not getting what the blonde-haired boy's deal was.

"I guess you're right….." Haschwalth finally answered and let out a deep sigh before facing the ground with shame in his face. "Someone like me can never compare to you. I can't even make my own Heilig Bogen yet…a lame-ass indeed" he said, as Bazz-B only stood and listened in surprise of how depressed this boy just sounded right now.

"You're wrong, Jugo! That's not even it!" Bazz-B surprisingly said back to Haschwalth and walked up to him and began to repeatedly patting his back. "I'm a genius, that's why I can do it so well. Hell, you're not even as lame-ass as you say you are. So don't worry about it!" he then assured Haschwalth, who continued to stare at him with little enthusiasm.

"But you were the one that called me that in the first place" Haschwalth pointed out, yet Bazz-B didn't seem to care much about his statement.

In fact, he began doing a performance with his Reishi Crossbow, as it could simply disintegrate in his hands. To Bazz-B, it was piece of cake. "Listen Jugo, nobody else could make something like this at my age" the brash boy insisted to him. "And I'm sure you can agree with me if you look at those around you, right?" he then asked.

Haschwalth was uncertain about how to respond to this, yet he knew what Bazz-B was trying to come up with. He forced a slight smile before answering. "I guess you could say so. Truth is, I never bothered finding out, so I have no clue…." Haschwalth said while clutching tightly to his right arm, something which Bazz-B took notice of. "And could you stop calling me Jugo? I don't like it" he then asked, although he was smiling a little when he requested that to Bazz-B.

The brash boy in armor was starting to get very interested in him. "Why? I mean, what do your parents call you?" he then asked.

Haschwalth faced him. "I don't have parents. I live with my uncle now" he said lowly.

"Okay, what does your uncle call you then?" Bazz-B asked him.

"What does it matter to you? You don't have to know either" the blonde-haired boy replied in a surprisingly reserved manner even looking away from Bazz-B and clutching his right arm. "Now will you please leave me alone? I need to hunt at least one rabbit today" Haschwalth then said before taking off.

Bazz-B had begun to notice how quite protective Haschwalth was when it came to personal matters. He could see it on his right arm. Obviously, he did not get that injury from hunting. It may have had something to do with his uncle. The young boy could not help but to feel sorry for Haschwalth's frail condition, as well as his lack of confidence in himself. Without hesitating, Bazz-B picked up the dead rabbit and threw it at the back of the shy boy's head.

"Ouch! What did you do….." but Haschwalth was stunned when he saw both the dead rabbit before him.

"Just take it. It's not like I'm hunting for necessity anyway" Bazz-B said, thus surprising the shy boy even further. He could not believe what Bazz-B had just said. "I'm a genius so I do that for showoff" the brash boy said while removing one of his buttons that held his red cape. It was written the letter B on it. He then threw it before Haschwalth. "Jugo, you will be my underling starting today" Bazz-B said.

Haschwalth was surprised by what the brash boy was saying. However, he did in act pick up the button and looked at it briefly before watching Bazz-B climbing up a tree. The boy in armor put on his helmet and turned around to fix his gaze upon Haschwalth one last time.

"Don't listen to what the adults have to say. I'll teach you whatever you want to know" Bazz-B said before he even formed a confident smile while glancing down at the blonde-haired boy. "So let us become the strongest Quincies together, Jugo" he responded before vanishing off the branch.

This left little Haschwalth alone in the forest. As he stood and watched the brash boy disappear from branch to branch, he reflected on something. He even watched the button that Bazz-B had given him. The young boy could not help but to form a slight smile, as he had actually made a friend for the first time in his life. It made him feel confident over himself as a person. Haschwalth even looked forward to see him again.

"Oh Jugram…." the shy boy snapped as he could hear an intimidating voice coming to him from behind. He could see a man dressed like a German woodcutter. It was a tall man with slick, black hair, a thick, black moustache and blue eyes, similar to the young boy. The men even held a bottle in his left hand, while taking some slurps in the process. He formed a smirk as he watched the boy get uncomfortable. "I finally found you. Going so deep into the forest all alone is just unforgivable!" he spoke up, showing some hints of being intoxicated.

Haschwalth had fear taken in his eyes as he could see who this man was. "Uncle Günther…." The little boy uttered out the name in shock. This man was indeed his uncle: Günther Haschwalth. The shy boy suddenly found the dead rabbit and immediately picked it up for him to see. "Look…..I caught a rabbit…..just like you asked me to" he said while lying, although he tried to make it sound that it was his catch.

Despite seeing this, Günther was not particular amused by what he was seeing. "What the fuck is this!?" he asked out in anger and began approaching the little boy, who almost fell on his back. The drunken man angrily grabbed the boy by his collar and lifted Haschwalth up in the air. "You're supposed to be someone who can't survive without me!" he yelled at him.

Haschwalth resisted the urge to cry with tears, although he was sad on the inside. "But uncle, I just happened to catch a rabbit by coincidence…I….." the young boy was punched in his face and he was sent flying and landed on the ground. He could see that his nose was bleeding and he began covering it while rubbing his face.

Günther angrily grabbed the rabbit and glared down at his nephew. "How many times must we go this through!? You're nothing that special!" he spat at him.

Haschwalth was on the verge of tears as he got up on his feet. "You're just a waste space that has become a giant pain in my ass! I curse upon the day that you were even born! The one thing that led to your parents' deaths was you!" he then went on explaining.

Haschwalth only faced the ground and felt sadness build within himself. Sometimes, he really hated himself. Why did he have to be so frail? He had sometimes also wondered the cause of his parents' deaths. Did they actually die or did they abandon him when he was born? So many thoughts swirled inside the troubled boy's head.

Günther grabbed the dead rabbit and walked away, but not before looking over his shoulder to face his nephew. "Jugram, get your scrawny ass moving! We're going home!" he commanded the young boy.

Haschwalth's eyes widened in surprise and even began following his uncle. "Will you share the food with me…..uncle?" the blonde-haired.

Günther merely grunted. "Fine! But if you keep bugging me with any of your whiney shit, you won't be getting any!" the man with the moustache said and he continued walking through the bushes, with Jugram following him suit.

As months passed, Bazz-B and Haschwalth kept seeing each other, with Bazz-B trying to toughen him up to be a better fighter, despite the latter not being able to make an Heilig Bogen yet. However, something else overshadowed their friendship, particularly the way each of these boys lived in.

While Bazz-B was the son of the local lord who governed Hasenwald, Haschwalth lived with his uncle Günther in a cottage outside the village. Whereas Bazz-B was living in a particular comfortable life (even though he was a rebel when it came to aristocratic matters), Haschwalth's life with his uncle was horrendous.

Günther Haschwalth was the village's local woodcutter. Despite this, he was not a pleasant man as people thought he was. Günther was an envious, miserable and abusive alcoholic, who would frequently come home late either drunk or intoxicated. Every time he laid his eyes upon his nephew, he would beat him senseless, feeling some resentment towards the boy's parents for leaving him in charge of his upbringing. Jugram was a disgrace in his eyes. However, there are some rumors that exists around Günther being a pervert and that he actually took advantage of his nephew's weaknesses. Therefore, young Jugram was sexually molested by Günther. All the abuse only led to the young boy in doing the unthinkable and that was one and a half year later.

During that time, Yhwach sought to conquer the smaller realms, including those where populations of Quincies dwelled. He was on the move to expand his empire: the Lichtreich. He wished to conquer was the Northern Lands, where there existed both towns and villages of Quincies. But of all these villages, Hasenwald suffered a terrible fate during his campaign. When Yhwach and his followers marched into the Northern Lands, he demanded that all towns and villages submit themselves to his rule. It was either that or face annihilation. Most towns and villages immediately swore loyalty, given the emperor's destructive powers. But the Lord of Hasenwald: Hazzard Black, refused to allow his lands be taken over by some stranger. He went as far as to condemn Yhwach as a false prophet. Angered at such insolence, the emperor decided to punish Hasenwald and its people by making an example of them. Therefore, they would show the consequences of anyone who refused his leadership.

With his powers, Yhwach burned Hasenwald to the ground, thus killing most of the inhabitants. Among the casualties were Lord Hazzard and his family, but only his son Bazzard Black managed to escape the incineration in the nick of time. The young boy was filled with sadness over seeing his village being burned to the ground. Bazzard Black, who was best known as Bazz-B, swore revenge against Yhwach, and vowed to avenge his family. However, Hasenwald was not the only target of Yhwach making an example of. Even the nearby forest was burned to ashes, taking along the flora and wildlife with it. Among the dead Quincies was Günther Haschwalth. But unlike the animals and the flora, he did not die in the forest fire. No, it was something else, even though Günther would succumb to the flames later.

"The fuck's going on here!?" Günther asked out in anger as he stepped out of his cottage to see how the trees were burning. The slick-haired man was drinking and he even failed to notice his surroundings. "THERE'S FUCKING FLAMES EVERYWHERE!" he then exclaimed in anger. "JUGRAM! GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE WITH A BUCKET OF WATER! THIS FIRE NEEDS TO STOP!" he yelled out at his nephew, but noticed that he was not responding. After two minutes, Günther was about to turn around and angrily drag Haschwalth out, only to see something else.

Before he could even react, he was met with a throwing axe and it hit his face perfectly. The drunken man yelled in agony as the axe was stuck in between his face. The old man could not move, as he felt too much pain, not to mention the effects he was given by drinking alcohol. His face was bleeding seriously. However, Günther could see who it was that had thrown the axe and he was standing there, watching him with surprisingly empty eyes. The one who had just thrown the axe at him, was his own nephew.

"JUGRAM! YOU…FUCKING…...BRAT!" Günther cursed in anger, as he could notice some form of sympathy in his eyes. Seeing this only made Günther angrier. "YOU'RE A DAMN MONSTER! YOUR WHORE OF A MOTHER SHOULD HAVE ABORTED YOUR WEAK AND UGLY ASS! HOW CAN YOU EXPECT TO SURVIVE IN THIS WORLD WITHOUT ME!?" he then demanded an answer.

Haschwalth continued to stare at him with his usual expression. He was now wearing a jacket and carried his bow and arrows. So far, the blonde-haired man had not said a single word in reply. But the blonde-haired boy slowly turned around and was about to actually move through the burning forests, but not before taking a brief glance at Günther. This was the last time he would ever set his eyes upon the man that had abused him.

"How my journey continues is not for you to decide. I walk down that path on my own" Haschwalth responded, his uncle still bleeding seriously. "No one can decide my fate, not even you. Now, lay down and let the flames consume you. And give my regards to whatever hell lies before you. Farewell…uncle. May you find peace in the afterlife" the blonde-haired boy told him before moving on.

Haschwalth ever looked back to see his uncle. He had no reason to even mourn that man's death. However, he could hear the angry scream of Günther as the flames began to consume him and the entire forest. Yet despite this, Haschwalth kept moving forward, never looking back to see what had become of the place he had spent for the last few years. Now, it had all vanished in the flames and would never again be remembered by the young boy. The abuser had already been given the punishment.

Haschwalth joined up with Bazz-B, who had only been watching the buildings burn before him. While other survivors of the genocide had fled far from Hasenwald, the brash boy was the only one standing there. But beneath the sadness that covered Bazz-B's face, also lied a burning hatred for Yhwach. Bazz-B was bent on revenge against the emperor and requested that Haschwalth accompany him. However, Bazz-B would also support his friend finding some other place to live with his uncle. But Haschwalth told him that his uncle had also perished in flames, even though that was not entirely accurate.

The two boys found some money from the burned down palace where Bazz-B had been living in, and vowed to kill Yhwach. To do that, they would have to become stronger. More importantly, to accomplish something like killing Yhwach, they would have to get to closer to him. But that time was not yet. For now, all that mattered was to train to their limits.

* * *

 _5 years later, outside the town of Eisenschild, Lichtreich_

The first thing that the boys would need was to get away far from their former home as possible. The nearest town they stumbled across was the town of Eisenschild. There, the two friends had settled a camp outside the town in the woods, hoping to not draw attention from the town's authorities. Eisenschild was strictly under the control of the Lichtreich and all opposition was violently put down.

But Bazz-B and Haschwalth had made new friends in the town. While walking out in the streets, they had managed to stumble across a trio of orphaned kids much like themselves. Each of them came from different towns and villages, but whether they were from the Northern Lands or not the two friends were not sure of. The stern-looking boy with short, black hair was called Cang Du, who was not much of a talker, only responding to questions whenever he felt like it. He claimed to have come from the mountains in the Eastern Lands, and was the last survivor by an attack from Hollows. That possibly explained the vertical scar running across the left side of his mouth. The sassy, pink-haired girl was Berenice Gabrielli, who claimed she was the daughter of a lord in the Western Lands. The tallest of the kids was the bullying, black-haired boy named Driscoll Berci, who was known to pick on everything he came across. Whenever he was asked about where he was from, he simply responded that he was from the Southern Lands, yet he was banished from his village for being too violent and reckless around the villagers.

Together, they formed a group that would become stronger together, in hopes of killing Yhwach. Bazz-B was considered to be the leader of the group, as he was always the one who spoke much and expressed his opinion. His hotheaded personality annoyed almost everyone, expect for Haschwalth. But many years had now passed and they were all teenagers now.

Deep in the forest outside the town, Bazz-B and his group was sitting around an empty campfire that they often used to cook food. But in this case, since it was day, there were now having a meeting about what they should do today. As usual, Bazz-B was filled with energy and confidence in himself.

"Alright, you bums! This is what we're gonna do!" Bazz-B declared while holding a stick in his right hand. He began drawing this on the dirt. "According to some sources of mine, some weird shit is taking place inside the tavern later" he said while drawing the tavern on the dirt. "We're gonna sneak into it!" he then insisted to them.

While Haschwalth listened closely by what he was saying, the others did not do the same. Cang merely glanced at the brash teen with disapproval in his eyes, Driscoll only began yawning while poking his left ear and Berenice simply huffed while crossing her arms.

Bazz-B could see this and became angry by the minute. "Damn it, guys! Can't you pay attention for a second or two!? This could be important for us!" he scolded them.

"But what does that even matter to us?" Berenice quizzed him while cooking an eyebrow. "And for the record, you're not allowed to drink alcohol yet" the pink-haired teenage girl told him.

Bazz-B slumped when hearing this before facepalming. "We're not going there to get wasted, you dimwit. We're going there to find some valuable information about how to reach Yhwach's palace" the brash boy insisted.

Driscoll only grinned when he heard this. "So you're saying you can defeat him? You have some ambition there, I tell ya" the tall teenage boy exclaimed with a cocky grin.

Haschwalth, who had been listening so far, decided to speak up his mind about the matter. "Well, that seems reasonable enough, Bazz. Do you know who we will meet in the tavern?" the blonde-haired boy nervously asked his friend.

Bazz-B could not help but to smile, as he knew that Haschwalth was the only one who took things seriously enough. The other three teenagers had different opinions on the blonde-haired boy and his timid personality. Driscoll had a tendency to mock Haschwalth's inability to use Reishi, Cang often viewed him as a liability while Berenice was often annoyed by the blonde-haired boy's shy personality. However, they still respected him as a friend and member of the group. In fact, they saw him as more kinder than Bazz-B.

"I'm glad you asked, Jugo. Apparently, we are to meet some guy who works at Yhwach's palace" Bazz-B revealed as a grin crept on his face. "He'll tell us everything on how to get close to Yhwach" he added to his answer.

Berenice merely stroke one of her pink bangs on her hair. "And you expect him to be willing to give you such information?" she asked him with a hint of disbelief in her voice. "You obviously have a bad sense of trusting in people, Bratty Bazz" she added, while giving him the usual nickname.

Bazz-B only shrugged his shoulders while glancing at the girl with nothing but boredom. "Tch…..what a bitch" he noted in his thoughts.

"When do we leave?" Cang sternly asked Bazz-B while his eyes were solely fixed upon the brash teenager. "I expect us to be entering the town in the evening, when the tavern usually gets customers" the black-haired boy added to his statement.

Hearing this caused Bazz-B to grin cockily in return and he even held out his Reishi Crossbow. "Damn straight. But in the meantime, let us all make some preparations by training. Tonight's showtime!" he then told the gang and they each headed into different directions.

When the evening descended upon the town of Eisenschild, there were fewer people out in the streets. Most of them had gone inside their buildings to either socialize or do other things they enjoyed. But if it was one place where Quincies loved to go and meet people, it was the tavern. The building looked like a real-life German tavern with many decorations and plants on the outside. There was lights on the windows and it only confirmed that there was activity inside the tavern.

As the group stood right outside the tavern's door, Haschwalth could not help but to feel slightly insecure about doing this, especially in the evening.

"Are you sure this a good idea, Bazz?" the blonde-haired teenager asked his friend. "They may throw us outside if they see that we're not adults" he then added to his statement.

Bazz-B turned around and fixed a reassuring smirk on his face while glancing at Haschwalth. "Relax, Jugo. As long as you got a badass like me at your side, safety is guaranteed" he insisted to his friend.

Seeing how assuring the reddish purple-haired man sounded, Haschwalth clenched his right hand and nodded his head at him in return. "Yes…..understood" he said with complete confidence in Bazz-B.

Berenice giggled while seeing this. "I have to admit, you are kind of cute when act this way, Jumpy Jugo" she told him, as Berenice was known to come up with nicknames to people she came across. To Haschwalth, she referred to him as "Jumpy Jugo" due to the fact that he was always so insecure and quick to speak up his mind whenever he felt like it.

The blonde-haired boy only chuckled nervously in return, not knowing whether he should take it as a compliment or something. But then again, except for Bazz-B, Berenice was the only person Haschwalth had a good chemistry with, given that Driscoll was kind of a bully and Cang was not much of a talker.

"Can we get on with it!?" Driscoll asked in an impatient manner while crossing his arms. "Seriously, it's getting cold out here, my ass is freezing!" the tall teenager said while he was shivering.

But while Driscoll froze, Cang seemed perfectly composed and simply narrowed his eyes at the oafish teenager beside him. "You shiver by merely feeling the cold? Idiot, I can perfectly withstand it" the black-haired boy pointed out to him, much to Driscoll's slight anger.

Bazz-B began slightly pushing the door before him and he and his friends entered the tavern one by one. The moment they entered the tavern, they found themselves being surrounded by laughter, alcohol and music. So many men and women were having so much fun while drinking to their hearts content. The young Quincies were stunned by what they saw. The tavern's interior was based upon wood and bricks. Lights could also be seen and the hall even had a big fireplace at the end. Along the walls, various decors could be seen, including swords, shields and heads of animals, like deer and boar. This was without a doubt a place of activity for Quincies during the night.

"So many people…" Haschwalth noted, feeling somewhat stunned to see so many adults located in one place.

Berenice only scoffed while stroking one of her bangs. "Well I'm not necessarily surprised. If you were the son of an aristocrat, you would get used to it" the pink-haired teenager said to Haschwalth before fixing her eyes upon Bazz-B. "Well, now where do we go?" she then asked him with slight annoyance.

Bazz-B simply ignored her question and focused his eyes on the thick-bearded bartender who was cleaning some mugs. He simply walked up to the counter and rested his right elbow on it. This even caught the bartender's attention and he looked surprised.

"What are you kids doing in my tavern? Can't you see that this is for adults only?" the bartender asked as his mouth underneath the beard moved, but Bazz-B suddenly held up a small piece of paper in his right hand. This forced the bartender to cook and eyebrow. "What the…a piece of paper?" he asked in slight disbelief.

"Cut the crap, old man!" Bazz-B snapped before leaning closer. He then handed the paper over to the bartender who began reading the paper. "We came here searching for this man, whom we believe is currently in your tavern. He wouldn't tell us his real name, but he gave us this pseudonym…." The young teenager was interrupted by hearing what the bartender just said.

"BG9….the BG9…" the bartender snapped and faced the group of teenagers with a look of disbelief on his face. "You kids can't be serious…...do you even know who you're dealing with!?" he asked them as if he wanted to know whether the kids really sought out this person.

"Stop calling us kids, you fat turd!" Driscoll barked while crossing his arms. "Now just tell us where we can find this dude and be on our way. I swear, this place smells as if a pig just crapped out a dead fetus or something!" he then added, while starting to notice how disgusting and smelly the taverns was.

But Berenice was waving her hand before her face while looking at Driscoll sternly. "Maybe that's because YOU'RE the one who stinks! I mean…..I can even smell it from your armholes!" the teenage girl told him.

Driscoll merely flipped off his middle finger at the teenage girl, thus forcing Berenice to stick out her tongue at him in return. This forced Driscoll to grin mischievously. "Heh! Your retaliations with gestures sucks, Berenice!" he mocked her in return.

The young girl only crossed her arms and blew out her irritation in return. "Whatever you say, Dicky Driscoll" she murmured in return.

"Just tell us where we can find him" Haschwalth suddenly asked the bartender nicely. "If you tell us I promise we will leave you alone" the blonde-haired boy assured him.

Seeing how surprisingly kind the young boy was, the bartender sighed in defeat. He then began pointing his hand upwards, where the second floor could be seen. "Alright, he sits by himself on a table at the end of the second floor. Now there you have it! So, get the hell out of my sight!" he relied before snapping in anger, telling them to leave him be.

The group of teenagers did as he requested and set their course towards the stairs that lead to the second floor. While going upwards, Bazz-B couldn't help but to compliment Haschwalth.

"Nice work there, Jugo. I couldn't have said it better myself" the brash boy praised him, although Haschwalth was uncertain about how to respond to this.

But Cang only sighed in annoyance. "Everyone could have pulled off that easily, even me" the stoic boy pointed out to him.

This caused Bazz-B to turn around to face down at Cang with angry eyes. "If you're so much of a showoff then why don't you contribute to us, dollface!?" the brash teenager asked in his usual insulting tone.

Cang's black eyes only narrowed further and he even began activating his Reishi Claws. The young man did not particularly welcome Bazz-B's rude remark and he faced him with a killing intent on the inside.

"I dare you to came and say this right in front of me!" Cang said coldly, which was odd for a teenager like him. However, he found himself being restrained by Berenice, which made him outraged. "What the hell, Berenice!?" the black-haired boy snapped in anger as the pink-haired girl held him back.

Bazz-B felt the same thing happen to him as Haschwalth held him back. "Jugo…..what are you doing?" Bazz-B asked his friend.

"Stop wasting your time fighting. If you two start a fight in here, it will definitely get us thrown out of the tavern" the blonde-haired boy insisted to him. "Just do the right thing, Bazz" he added to his statement.

Hearing this, Bazz-B immediately came back to his senses and grinned cockily at his friend in return. "Thanks Jugo. I'm glad that you're the one who knows the right way" he applauded him and the two friends continued their way up.

Cang only glared at Bazz-B angrily, resisting the urge to actually kill him. However, he was suddenly grabbed on his right ear by Berenice, who looked at him with dispassion in her eyes.

"Just let it go, Cranky Cang. You should know better than to let a sour loser like Bazz get the best of you" the pink-haired teenage girl told him before walking up past him to follow the two boys, as did Driscoll, who merely grinned as he passed by him.

Cang took a deep breath and came back to his calm manner once again. He then proceeded to follow his fellow young Quincies to the second floor.

As the group of teenagers reached the end of the second floor, they were stunned to see someone sitting by a table for himself. It was a young man with curly, brown hair and azure blue eyes. He even wore glasses while reading a book, which was actually a book of engineering. The kids could see that the outfit he wore was that worn by officers of the Lichtreich, which included a tie and a cape. He even owned a cap, which lied on the table before him. Apparently, he had not been reading instead of drinking. When Bazz-B and the gang took their seats at the table, it caught his attention.

"Ah, you must be the so-called avenger I have heard so much about" the young man said with slight humor in his voice while putting his book away. He then reached out a hand to greet each of the teenagers, although he was specifically speaking to Bazz-B. "Quite a gang you have there, Bazzard Black" he then remarked.

Bazz-B suddenly snapped in realization as he heard the Quincy state that name. Although he was angry on the inside, he somehow restrained his anger and found calm within himself. But the brash teenager glared at the smiling officer. "Don't call me that! From now on, I am simply Bazz-B!" the young boy sternly insisted to him in his usual angry tone. "You must be BG9, the one I've heard so much about. Tell us what you know" he said while even demanding an answer from the gentle man.

Haschwalth put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't be so mean to him, Bazz. We have just met him" the blonde-haired boy insisted to him.

The four-eyed man could not help but to chuckle in amusement by what he was seeing. "So, you begin to refer to me by my codename, eh? Well, now that we have just met, I would of prefer to be called by my real name. My name is Bernard Gabor. A pleasure in meeting you all" he then introduced himself by telling them his real name. But Bernard then began fixing some cunning eyes upon Bazz-B specifically. "Now then. Let's just skip to the part where we talk business. So, you wanna join the military of the Lichtreich, is that it? My, I say that is very ambitious of you" he said while making sure the other teenagers listened as well.

Bazz-B remained unfazed. "Look, I could care less about the hardships. All that matters is that I…..we get closer to Yhwach" he said.

"And what do you intend to do when you get close to him?" Bernard then asked sternly. "Do you honestly believe that mere arrows and harsh language will be enough to kill His Majesty? You are way over your head, boy" he added to his statement in disbelief.

Hearing this made Cang, Driscoll and Berenice grin with satisfaction. "Tell me about it. That little squirt allows his mouth to be his weapon" Driscoll said.

Bazz-B angrily glanced at the tell teenager. "You're one to talk, you overgrown gorilla! I mean, don't you badmouth anyone you come across, even those you've never seen before!?" the brash boy pointed out.

Driscoll glared at while even cracking his knuckles. "Say that to my face one more time, I dare you!" he said while even noticing that Bazz was beginning to feel confrontational.

Berenice rolled her eyes by what she was seeing. "Why do I get stuck with the idiot squadron?" she wondered while even mentioning every member of the group. Cang glanced at her sternly, which the pink-haired girl could notice. "What, you got a problem, Cranky Cang?" she asked him once again with her nickname for him.

"Stop calling me that!" Cang said as he began a word of words with the teenaged girl.

Bernard simply made a coughing sound and this caused all the teenagers to focused their attentions on him, except for Haschwalth, who had been paying attention all the time. They could see the four-eyed man viewing the group with great displeasure in his eyes.

"You must be joking. You really believe that you're mature enough to join the Lichtreich's military?" he asked them all in disbelief before slamming his handpalms on the table. "My answer is FOUR words: GET THE FUCK OUT!" he then snapped in anger over what he was seeing.

The teenagers were stunned to hear this answer, yet Bazz-B seemed to be the only one who took this as a personal insult to his pride. "What!? THAT'S BULLSHIT! I HAVE THE TALENT!" he then snapped back in anger, resulting in him spitting on Bernards's glasses.

The officer polished his glasses before putting them on again. "What you did just now, is NOT talent. Listen to yourself! You sound like an orphaned monkey on crack. The same goes for your three pals that you've brought with you" Bernard remarked, but suddenly fixed his gaze upon Haschwalth, who had so far been acting as quiet and gentle as possible. In fact, Bernard smiled as his eyes met Haschwalth's. "You on the other hand. I have noticed that you act somewhat reserved, given that you never dared to intervene in this kafuffle between your friends. Who are you, young boy?" he then asked the teenage boy.

"My name is Jugram Haschwalth" the blonde-haired boy replied while feeling unsure about whether he was doing the right thing. "I…I am only good with the sword. I can't even make a Heilig Bogen yet…even after all these years" he answered while telling about himself, although he was facing the table with a hint of shame on his face.

Driscoll laughed out loud when he heard Haschwalth tell him this and he even landed himself on the table. "You gotta be kidding me! Five years have passed and yet you still can't even control Reishi around you! I mean, what's the point of even…..AAAAAARRRRRRRGHHHHHHH!" Driscoll yelled in agony as Bernard had to the shock of the teenagers stabbed the teenager's left hand with a knife and it was painful for Driscoll to feel.

The kids were surprised as Bernard pulled out his knife and glared at Driscoll in a threateningly manner. This surprisingly intimidated the bullying teenager. "One of the many things I despise most, is a loudmouth without a clear brain! So while I'm talking now, I do NOT wanna hear another word from you disgusting mouth…...are we clear?" he threatened Driscoll, who was actually too scared to even focus on his bleeding hand. But the black-haired boy did not open his mouth to say anything back, thus convincing Bernard that he had gotten his message. The four-eyed man fixed a kind-hearted glance towards Haschwalth, who was starting to become slightly afraid of him, due to his actions. "I see. So you can't harness the Reishi around you, even after growing so much? Then that means you must be…..an incomplete Quincy" Bernard revealed to the young boy, who was stunned to what he heard.

"An incomplete Quincy…what the heck is that?" Berenice asked while scratching the back of her head.

"I've heard this one before" Bazz-B said while glancing at Bernard. "It is said that every 200 years, a Quincy who was completely unable to harness Reishi would be born. But I don't get it, those are just urban legends" the young boy said and even began facing Haschwalth, who was stunned to hear this.

Bernard nodded his head at him in return. "Indeed. Nobody really believes in such. In fact, it has been centuries since the last incomplete Quincy was born. We Quincies are having difficulties in believing it. However, what was common for those Quincies born incomplete was that they were killed at a young age due to their uselessness" the four-eyed man kept on explaining, only to notice how uncomfortable Haschwalth was behaving right now. Sensing the disharmony within him, Bernard put his hand on the top of Haschwalth's head in a gentle manner. It astounded the teenagers, including Haschwalth. "Listen, young boy. If you really are what you say you are, then I must congratulate you…..congratulate you for coming so far. Despite the fact that you cannot harness Reishi, I believe there lies a greater destiny ahead of you, Jugram Haschwalth. Yes, I can feel it. In the future, you will become something greater than what you are now. In fact, maybe you should continue in mastering your swordsmanship. Only then, will you be able to achieve your goal of never becoming weak" Bernard told the young boy, who only listened and kept watching the four-eyed man with widening eyes.

Even as Bernard put his hand off Haschwalth, the blonde-haired boy never looked away from him. He couldn't help but to be slightly inspired by what he was hearing. As Bernard rose up from his table, Haschwalth's blue eyes followed him.

"Well, I best be on my way" Bernard said while putting on his cap and grabbing his book. "Being an officer in His Majesty's guard really is demanding. However, maybe I will see you children around town someday" Bernard said and was about to walk away.

"Hold it!" Bazz-B snapped and aggressively grabbed Bernard's right arm, only for the officer to swat his hand, and then then deliver a slap right at the boy's face with the book he was carrying. It was so hard that it made the brash boy fall off his chair. Bazz-B's nose and mouth were bleeding, yet he fixed his angry eyes upon Bernard. "THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!? WHAT HAPPANED TO OUR DEAL!?" he demanded angrily from him.

Bernard glanced at the hotheaded boy with nothing but disdain. "Did you not hear what I told you, imbecile? I said that you and your friends were not welcome, especially based upon the behavior I have seen from you. Now as for your second question, we never had a deal to begin with" he responded while Bazz-B angrily gritted his teeth while wiping off the blood on his face. "And to be blunt, some of these people sitting by the tables here would be much better candidates than you and these…...ruffians. Now don't touch me again! Or else, I will make you look like an accident" he then warned the teenager before moving down the stairs.

Bazz-B was furious over what he had heard the young man say to him and he just wanted to go after him and teach him a lesson. However, he was being helped up by both Haschwalth and Berenice, and they would surely not let him do as he please with throwing a tantrum over something as stupid as this. Even so, Bazz-B felt embittered over him being underrated by an officer of the Lichtreich.

In fact, Bazz-B began looking at some of the nearby tables where he saw different Quincies sitting by the tables eating and enjoying themselves. Apparently, they had all chosen to ignore what had just transpired between Bernard and him. At one table, saw a tall, muscular man with shoulder-length blonde hair and moustache sitting with a chubby man with glasses. This man's eyes were brown and he was dressed like a German blacksmith. At another table sat a slim man with light eyes. His hair was black and it reached down to his shoulders. He wore a white coat but what was noticeable was that he was reading a book, which closely resembled a bible. But whether it was about Christianity remained to be seen. And on another table, he could see a very young black-skinned man dressed in dirty and filthy clothes. Even though he wore a hood, his face could be seen. What was noticeable on him was the eyepatch that ran across his left eye.

Bazz-B felt anger on the inside, vowing that the next time when he set his sight on someone as arrogant and judgmental as Bernard Gabor, he would challenge them to a combat. Only through a fight did he believe he could convince them that he was worthy to join the military.

While the group of teenagers were trying to get Bazz-B out of the tavern, Bernard was already headed towards an alleyway in the town. It was dark outside, yet the officer managed to find his way to someone he knew. Leaning against the wall was another officer in the Lichtreich, serving in Yhwach's guard. Like Bernard, he was also a young man and wore glasses, only that he had his light hair swept back. As Bernard approached him, the officer smiled smugly.

"Hmm took you long enough, Bernard" he said while holding onto a cigarette in his right hand. "I was beginning to wonder whether I should just go on ahead without you" he then added with sarcasm in his voice.

Bernard chuckled in return. "Don't be so ungrateful, Robert. Remember that you didn't want to take this mission, so I stepped in for you" he said while addressing the officer by his name, which was actually a younger Robert Accutrone.

"I take it you didn't find anything worth of interest in that tavern. That like all places in Eisenschild is nothing but filled with ruffians" Robert then said while stumping the cigarette on the ground.

"You're right. None of the brats I met seemed worthy…except for one" Bernard said, much to Robert's surprise. The curly-haired man nodded his head as a yes in agreement. "Yeah, it appears that His Majesty was right all along. We all first believed that it was just a bunch of lies but it is true" he added to his statement.

Robert was stunned by what he had just heard from his comrade and even fixed a smile on his face. "If what you saw is true then we must….." Robert was interrupted by the voice of his comrade.

"Yes, Robert. We must inform His Majesty at once. We must let him know…..that his other half exists in the Lichtreich" the curly-haired man pointed out to him.

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Author's note: This was a flashback chapter that explained the past of Bazz-B and Haschwalth. However, there will be more parts to this story. I have made some adjustments, like including Cang, Driscoll and Berenice in the gang, as they would be perfect additions to Bazz-B's group. Even other Sternritters were mentioned, such as Robert Accutrone and of course…..BG9. Before he became a cyborg, he was a humanoid Quincy called Bernard Gabor. And those Quincies siting in the second floor of the tavern, well you may have guessed who they are. I also wanted to go into details about Haschwalth's true relationship with his uncle (whom I named Günther). The next chapter may also take us back into the present where Bazz-B and Haschwalth are still clashing. Now let us see the places we were introduced to in this chapter.**

 **Hasenwald – When I came up with the name of the village where the two friends came from, I combined two German words: Hasen, which is Rabbit and Wald, which is Forest. I must admit that l liked the name, as it sounded very appropriate to the Quincies' German motif.**

 **Eisenschild – German for "Iron Shield": Instead of Bazz-B and Haschwalth being stuck in their hometown, I wanted them to take their training to some other place. I also enjoyed coming up with this name, as it fits well with the Quincies.**

 **I liked writing this chapter. It reminded me of the Disney movie: The Fox and the Hound. Even though manga series and Disney movies are completely different, I can't help but to see similarities with the friendship between Bazz-B and Haschwalth and the friendship between Tod and Copper. But then again, Bleach was not the first manga to write such conflicting friendships (just look at Naruto and Sasuke in the Naruto series). See you all next time**


	34. Friend 2

**Author's note: This chapter will continue the past of some of the Sternritters. And also, Yhwach will be included in this chapter. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 33: Friend 2**

 _Flashback, 1000 years ago, inside the majestic palace of Eiskrone, Lichtreich_

The main headquarters of the Lichtreich was the majestic palace of Eiskrone. Although not as imposing as how the future Silbern and Wahrwelt would become later, Eiskrone was a sight to behold, as it lied on the top of a rugged hill surrounded by forests. In fact, the white building actually resembled the real-life Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany. The only noticeable differences were the fact that the palace itself was pale white as the ice itself and that the surrounding trees were covered in snow. Yes, these were one of the many reasons why the palace had been given the name Eiskrone.

Inside the personal quarters of the Lichtreich's emperor: Yhwach, a meeting was now taking place inside the palace. Three members of Yhwach's imperial guard were now standing behind their superior, kneeling before him as he kept gazing out the window to the snowflakes that fell down in the dark. Near the emperor stood a table in which a map of the entire Lichtreich could be seen. What was the meaning of this meeting.

"I am glad that you could come, Viktor Zeidritz" Yhwach said in referring to the elderly man with a white eyepatch on his left eye. He was dressed in the Lichtreich's uniform, indicating that he was in officer. "And I welcome you two as well, Bernard Gabor and Robert Accutrone. We have much to discuss" the emperor added, still gazing out the window.

"We humbly exist to serve you, Lord Yhwach" Zeidtritz said in return while looking up at his superior. The emperor wore his black cape, while his hair only reached down to his shoulders. "Is there something on your mind that you would like to share with us?" he then asked with formality in his voice.

"As a matter of fact, there is" Yhwach responded. "My empire's influence is gradually starting to increase throughout the smaller realms. Quincies flock into my fold, all the Hollows that we have stumbled upon has been eradicated, and the minority of Souls have been imprisoned and placed under our authority. But even so, I don't think that our challenges are far from over" the emperor told his subjects as they listened closely. "Therefore, I have come to a conclusion. It is time that the Lichtreich forms a new vanguard that will play a key part in keeping order in my army" Yhwach concluded, thus surprising his subjects.

All of them was left stunned at his words and Zeidritz was the first to speak up his mind. "A new vanguard, you say?" the man with the white eyepatch asked while standing up on his feet, resting his hands behind his back. "Excuse my insolence for saying this, Your Majesty, but there are no longer smaller realms that needs to be conquered. A vanguard would appear to seem unnecessary" Zeidritz added to his statement, making sure to speak to Yhwach a conciliar tone.

"It is not for these realms, Zeidritz" Yhwach then spoke up, thus shutting the officer. Apparently, there was something else on the emperor's mind right now. "The next place we shall be conquering….is the Soul Society" the emperor revealed.

All the officers were stunned at what Yhwach's proposal was. They had never expected him to say something like this in front of them. "My lord…what are you saying?" Zeidritz asked while being stunned at hearing his liege's plans.

"We cannot accomplish this unless we have some new means of power and military" Yhwach said, finally turning his head to face him, as well as Robert and Bernard. "This vanguard shall come to be known as the Sternritter" the black-haired man then added to his declaration.

"Your Majesty, this is absurd! There must be some misunderstanding to…." Zeidritz was suddenly held back by Robert. The young man with glasses simply shook his head lightly, trying to make him refrain from openly questioning Yhwach's orders. Sighing, the elderly man bowed his head in shame before his emperor. "Forgive me, my lord. I meant no offense" he then apologized with formality.

Yhwach merely glanced at him with eyes of slight disapproval, yet he did not make a move to punish his subordinate. "Zeidtritz, go and inform Hubert, Algora and the others about my plans. I will brief you more about our plans later" the emperor commanded him and Zeidtritz left without delay. But he then motioned for Bernard and Robert to remain in the room. "But you two on the other hand, I would like a word with you. Now tell me, how did the search go?" he then asked the two young officers.

Bernard fixed a smile upon his face as he bowed his head in a formal manner. "Your Majesty, your long search has finally ended. Your other half really exists in the Lichtreich" he said before reaching for something in his pockets. He then held up a picture of a young blonde-haired boy, which was without a doubt Jugram Haschwalth. The curly-haired man held up the picture for his emperor to see. "This is the chosen one. I stumbled upon him in a tavern at Eisenschild. He did not have the ability to harness Reishi around him. Jugram Haschwalth is his name" Bernard went on explaining.

Hearing this made Yhwach form a smile with his mouth, indicating that he was pleased. "Excellent, just as I foresaw" he remarked with satisfaction in his voice. "Well, Bernard. What do you think about him? Does he have the potential to be my right hand?" Yhwach suddenly wanted to hear his opinion on Haschwatlh, given that he had seen him.

"For now, he may sound very confused and lost. He doesn't know where he really belongs" Bernard responded while adjusting his glasses. "However, with enough training and guidance under our supervision, he could become the perfect majordomo you have long desired" the curly-haired man with glasses told him.

Seeing this forced Yhwach to chuckle in return. Apparently, he was pleased about hearing the opinion of Bernard and the two officers could see that on his face.

"I appreciate your opinions, Bernard. It is quite similar to my own, since I also believe that with enough instructions, he could become a valuable asset" Yhwach told him. "Therefore, this Jugram Haschwalth shall become more than my right hand. He shall also become the leader of the Sternritters: the Sternritter Grandmaster" he then made a declaration in a delighted mood.

Once again, the two officers were intrigued about the declaration of their liege. However, Robert wanted to know more with regards to the creation of this new order of knights. The four-eyed man made a formal bow towards Yhwach before asking him.

"Your Majesty, if I may interrupt you for a second. How do we get recruits to these Sternritters?" Robert asked while adjusting his glasses.

"I will dispatch recruitment officers to all corners of the Lichtreich. All shall know of the upcoming invasion of the Soul Society. Any young Quincies brave enough to partake in the examination will be of great use to our military" Yhwach said as he looked upon a map of his empire at the table beside him. "In the meantime, I will personally lead a squadron of soldiers to the town of Eisenschild in search of my other half" the emperor went on explaining.

"Speaking of new recruits" Bernard spoke up while facing Robert with a smug look, something which Robert noddingly returned. "Do you think that me and Robert could become part of these Sternritters?" he then asked while adjusting his glasses.

Yhwach fixed his gaze upon them with unfazed eyes, as if he was not surprised when hearing this. "Certainly. However, you too must also partake in the examination and I can guarantee you that it will not be easy, even for experienced officers such as you" the emperor assured them.

"Well that is fine by us" Robert answered smugly in return. Bernard glanced at him in amusement. "I am always up for a challenge" the four-eyed man insisted to his superior.

Yhwach chuckled in amusement in return. "Glad to hear it. Now, you two may go and return to your posts. I will let you know if I require your attentions" he then said as he sent off the two officers out of his personal quarters. However, from where Bernard and Robert had entered, someone else suddenly came in. Yhwach took notice of this and smirked in return. "Ah, I see that you have returned from your hunting trip, Quilge Opie" he remarked while taking his glance at the young, Quincy.

Yes, Quilge Opie was among the youngest of Yhwach's officers in the armies of the Lichtreich. In fact, he only looked like a teenager, with two bangs of black hair running down across his ears. Instead of wearing reddish-orange shades as he would later as an adult, he merely wore red glasses. This gave him a somewhat bookish appearance, a stark contrast to his more flamboyant personality as an adult.

"I have returned, Your Majesty. Safe and sound. I swear, I'm never going outside in the snow, because my nuts were almost frozen and I didn't even get to drink cocoa, so I…" Quilge spoke up in his usual complaining and bookish voice as he was known to have at that time. However, the teenaged officer could hear some laughing outside the room and it made him furious. "GODAMNIT! I TOLD YOU LOSERS TO STOP EVASDROPPING ON ME!" he angrily yelled at the door, knowing that Bernard and Robert were outside laughing with some other soldiers.

Yhwach merely glanced at Quilge's outburst with annoyance. The emperor made a coughing sound and by that, the young Quincy immediately came back to his senses and fell onto his knees bowing before his superior.

"Have mercy, Your Majesty! I was got carried on! Please don't turn me into anything unnatural…." Quilge continued begging for forgiveness until Yhwach spoke up his mind.

"Spare me your blabbering, Quilge. I have no time for these foolish games" the emperor sternly reminded him as his eyes pierced through the teenage boy. Quilge was somewhat intimidated by that stare, as he knew well what kind of ruler Yhwach really was. The young boy stood as his superior was about to tell him something. "Now on your hunting trip, did you and your men ever stumble upon Arrancars?" the emperor then asked him.

Quilge scratched his chin as he tried to think about it. "Well, all that we found was nothing but primitive Hollows. Apparently, they were still lurking around the smaller realms, only in fewer numbers. But we dealt with those suckers easily" the teenaged Quincy answered him. "So we really did not find any signs of Arrancar activity, not the mention that those Hollows we found weren't even Adjuchas" he then told Yhwach.

The Emperor of the Lichtreich seemed to be pleased about hearing the news. And that was fairly obvious, considering the fact that he openly resented Hollows, as well as their more intelligent "cousins". And yes, the fact that there was no Arrancars spotted in his empire, only gave him to opportunity to plot one of his most devious actions ever committed: the defiling of the Vida. That was the source of power and stability in the once peaceful and flourishing Hueco Mundo.

"I see. You have done well with your work, Quilge" Yhwach commended the teenager, who felt some sense of relief within himself. "Now, return to your post and leave me be. I have much to ponder with regards to the future of our civilization" he then commanded Quilge, who saluted in return before exciting the door.

"Your wish is my command, sire!" the teenager said as he left his superior alone.

Yhwach was all by himself in his own room. He returned to gaze out from the window as the snowflakes kept falling down from the dark and cloudy skies. For some reason, the emperor was thinking about something, and this had absolutely nothing to do with his subordinates or his empire for that matter. Rather, it was something personal that only he himself knew.

"You think I perished back after that explosion, Soul King? You are a fool. Even as I stand here in my own palace, I know that you can even hear me speak to myself like this" Yhwach said, not caring that he was actually speaking with his mouth. His eyes narrowed as they glanced out at the snowy trees. "Just you wait, Soul King. I will spit upon you when I have managed to cut you in pieces. So for now, enjoy your final months for now…my father" he added to his explanation.

* * *

 _In the forest outside the town of Eisenschild, Lichtreich_

The spring had arrived in the Lichtreich. Bazz-B and his group of friends were still holding up in the woods, training to become stronger Quincies. The hotheaded teenager still possesses the guts to find and kill Yhwach, despite Bernard Gabor humiliating him in during fall. However, Bazz-B was past that episode now. He along with Jugram Haschwalth, Berenice Gabrielli, Cang Du and Driscoll Berci were now practicing in their usual camp outside town.

Sweating and chuckling at the same time, Bazz-B admired the work he had done at a target hanging by a tree. He had fired multiple Heilig Pfiels and they hit the spot. This only strengthened the confidence within the impatient teenage boy.

"Hah! Bullseye!" Bazz-B exclaimed while looking up at the target placed so high. The young boy then turned around to look at Berenice, who had so far been unable to land a few targets with her Heilig Bogen. It forced Bazz-B to laugh at her in return. "Is that all you got, Berenice? Heh, your archery really needs an improvement!" he taunted her.

The pink-haired girl angrily grumbled to herself as she listened to what he said. "Screw off, Bazz! I'm only taking my time!" she snapped at him in return while struggling to aim with her Reishi Bow properly. However, the pink-haired girl snapped as she could see a Reishi Arrow suddenly being shot straight towards her target and it stunned her completely. But Berenice soon erupted into anger and turned around to face Bazz-B. "YOU JACKASS! THAT WAS MY TARGET!" the teenage girl snapped at him.

Bazz-B only grinned cockily in return. "If you're just gonna keep bitching about not being able to master your archery then you might as well leave that job to me! I'm a genius, so I know how this works!" he insisted to her while showcasing his Reishi Crossbow.

Berenice only huffed at him in return. "Here's an idea: how about you shove an arrow up your own ass? Now THAT sounds like a perfect target practice, eh Bratty Bazz?" she mockingly questioned him while addressing him with a nickname.

Bazz-B grumbled in irritation and decided to simply walk away. However, he did not shy away from making a rude gesture towards his friend. "I've no time to listen to these childish antics of yours, so I say it we call it a quits, Bitchy Berenice" he then said while making a nickname for the pink-haired girl.

Berenice was furious over what she was hearing and restrained herself from actually firing a Reishi Arrow at the brash boy. "The nicknames are my thing, you blockhead!" she snapped at him, although Bazz-B simply walked towards a stump that he sat on. Seeing how he ignored her only infuriated the sassy girl. "Bazz, you're an asshole, for real!" she thought in her head in anger.

The hotheaded boy was feeling sweaty and reached for a bottle of water that he began drinking up with. While doing that, he then observed how his other friends were coming along with their training. At first, he could see that Cang and Driscoll were having a duel, with Driscoll trying to throw his Reishi Lances at the black-haired boy. But Cang managed to avoid them with his remarkable speed and even tried using his Reishi Claws to fend off the lances.

Driscoll only grinned as he watched this. "HOW LONG ARE YOU GONNA KEEP THIS UP, WIDE-EYES!?" the muscular teenage boy asked out loud with a taunting voice directed at his opponent. "YOU CAN'T AVOID MY LANCES FOREVER!" Driscoll then spat out, never stopping throwing his lances.

Cang was a quick boy for his age and he had managed to develop his reflexes. By using Hirenkiyaku, the black-haired teenage boy dodged the long Reishi Lances and headed straight towards his opponent with his claws ready. Cang was determined to attack his taller opponent.

"YOU ARE TOO SLOW!" Cang said in return and was about to slash. However, Driscoll suddenly jumped into the air and did a flying kick at him. Cang was flown back as a result, only for the black-haired boy to land perfectly with his Reishi Claws. The young teenager gritted his teeth in frustration as a drip of blood ran from his lips. However, that grit soon turned into that of a smug grin, as if he was not afraid of Driscoll. "Heh….those kicks of yours are nothing to the horrors I had to endure I the Eastern Lands!" he then taunted the buillying teenager.

Driscoll was not amused and he cracked his knuckles before forming a psychotic grin. "So, you're ready to get real, is that it!?" he exclaimed in anticipation. The big teenage boy then ran straight towards his opponent. "THEN LET ME SERVE YOU KNUCKLESANDWICH!" he then exclaimed out loud.

"Niú Jìn Zhǎo!" Cang exclaimed and he suddenly banged his Reishi Claws together, in which a blast was formed out of them. This blast formed the visage of a bull as it charged straight towards his opponent. Cang's hand-to-hand combat and usage of Reishi was very unique in the eyes of his friends. He tended to use Reishi to support these blasts and his fighting skill.

Although impressed, Bazz-B quickly turned his attention on someone else. He began watching Haschwalth train with his sword by himself. From what he could tell, the blonde-haired boy was pushing to his limits. Haschwalth preferred to train by himself, as he felt like the others would only get in his way. But another reason was the fact that he could not emit Reishi to himself.

Yes, even though five years had passed since they had first met one another, Haschwalth was still unable to make a Heilig Bogen. Bazz-B couldn't help but to wonder whether the theory about incomplete Quincies being born was actually true. Perhaps Bernard was right, Haschwalth was indeed this incomplete Quincy, incapable of emitting Reishi to himself and use it. Yet despite this, Haschwalth never stopped training to master his swordsmanship.

However, Bazz-B knew that Haschwalth could become a liability in his quest to kill Yhwach and he had thought about kicking Haschwath out of the group. But by seeing how determined the blonde-haired boy was on mastering his sword, the brash boy could not bring himself to leave his best friend behind. There were other things that led to Bazz-B deciding this. He remembered Bernard's encouragement to Haschwalth and the reddish purple-haired boy could not help but to have some form of respect for what the officer told his friends back in the tavern. Bazz-B also believed that Haschwalth could still be beneficial to him and his group, even as he was uncappable of harnessing Reishi. That was probably the only thing Bazz-B could agree with Bernard, because the next time they met, he would fight him and make the curly-haired man pay for the humiliation he suffered in the tavern.

Berenice, Cang and Driscoll joined up with Bazz-B and drank from their bottles while leaning against the trees. They also noticed how Haschwalth was still practicing his swinging and it made at least one of them intrigued.

"I don't understand" Cang uttered out lowly while fixing his eyes upon the blonde-haired teenager. "How long can Haschwalth keep up with training with a mere sword?" the black-haired boy wondered, starting to get slightly interested in Haschwalth's increasing stamina. He was the only one in the group who addressed the blonde-haired boy as Haschwalth.

Driscoll only grunted in reply. "I really don't see any relevance in keeping this pipsqueak in the group! I mean, come on!" the bullying teenager exclaimed, still not getting the whole deal.

But Berenice could not help but to smile smugly at the blonde-haired boy was he was training. "Jugo really has been acting kinda jumpy since we met that guy in the tavern. He's been so focused on mastering his swordsmanship. I've never seen him like this before" the pink-haired girl remarked while watching Haschwalth train by himself.

As he heard the different opinions on Haschwalth, Bazz-B could not help but to wonder whether Haschwalth himself knew about the fact that he was not abandoned by his friends. From what the brash boy could tell, Haschwalth was now training to his limits in order to make up for his inability to use Reishi. But little did Bazz-B know that the next day would change the lives of all these friends forever.

* * *

 _1 day later, in the streets of Eisenschild, Lichtreich_

The people of Eisenchild was living their daily lives as usual, regardless of what profession they had. However, the townspeople were interrupted by the sound of horses and trumpets being sounded at the town's entrance. All of them stopped with what they were doing and looked to see a cavalry of Quincies ride into Eisenschild carrying banners of the Lichtreich's symbol. The cavalry was led by two officers in Yhwach's personal guard. The one facing the villagers was a man who looked quite feminine in his eyes. Furthermore, if it not had been for the fact that he was male, he would have probably been mistaken for a woman. He was one of the Quincies holding a banner. The other Quincy holding a banner was a tall, muscular man. He seemed pretty calm for someone his size. But a couple of other officers were accompanying them and it was Robert Accutrone and Quilge Opie. While Robert was mild-mannered and focused, Quilge was clumsy and had a tendency to not take things enough seriously.

Even now, Quilge's own horse was behaving so rashly that the young officer almost fell off. However, the four-eyed teenager tried his best to calm things down, even though he was no animal whisperer either.

"WOAH! EASY THERE, HORSIE!" Quilge freaked out while some of the villagers and fellow riders chuckled by seeing his stupidity.

The back-haired man facepalmed by seeing this, only for his taller comrade to laugh. "Well Hubert, your cousin sure is a handful" he noted smugly, never wiping off the smirk off his face.

"Just shut up, Algora. I really have no time for this foolishness" the officer named Hubert muttered out in return, before refocusing his attention on the townspeople gathering before them.

Bazz-B and his gang had caught wind of the trumpets and quickly rushed out of the forest and into the town, where they blended into the crowd of townspeople. Eventually, they managed to force their way through until they currently stood in front of the crowd, thus being given a clear view of who it was that just arrived in Eisenschild. The teenagers were surprised and could even hear the townspeople whisper it among themselves.

"Those banners…...don't they belong to the…." A curious villager asked the one he was standing beside.

"Yes" the man answered in return. "These are the Lichtreich's banners. And those guys riding the horses are part of Yhwach's military brigade. I know two of those men: Hubert Opie and Friedrich von Algora. What the hell are they doing here?" he explained while expressing his opinion.

"Attention, abiding citizens of Eisenschild! I am Hubert Opie and these are my fellow officers in the imperial army! Now listen carefully to what we have to say! We bear an announcement directly from Lord Yhwach himself!" Hubert spoke up loudly as he and Angora held up their banners so high in the air. "Lord Yhwach has declared his intention to establish a new vanguard! This vanguard shall be known as the Sternritters!" he said as he and Angora slammed their banners onto the ground.

The majority of the townspeople were astounded by this announcement and once again they began whisper amongst themselves. But for the group of teenagers it was something else. They were surprised to hear about Yhwach planning to form a vanguard or some sort. They continued listening to Hubert's declaration.

"The Sternritters will be a prestige group of knights, charged with carrying out the invasion of the Soul Society!" Hubert went on explaining, causing some shocking reactions amongst the townspeople.

"What did he just say?" one townsman asked in slight disbelief.

"Invading the Soul Society?" another townsman asked. "Why in the world would we be…." His stammering was interrupted by the strict voice of Hubert interrupting him, as well as other townspeople whispering in the crowds.

"Lord Yhwach has a feeling that if we leave the Soul Society to its own devices, it will certainly become a threat to us in the future" Hubert went on explaining to the crowds gathered before him. "Now for those of you who wishes to enlist yourselves, there will be extremely strict requirements that must be met before one of you can be admitted into the vanguard" he then reminded the townspeople before him.

While listening to this, the five teenagers were having different reactions to what was being said. And they all began whispering amongst themselves with regard to this announcement.

"Extremely strict requirements?" Driscoll asked while crossing his arms with a grunt. "This queer can't be serious. How in the hell did he ever become worthy of making such announcement?" the muscular teenage boy asked while using homophobic slurs at Hubert.

Cang only glanced at the towering boy with narrowed eyes. "That is one, ignorant statement, Driscoll. Appearances have nothing to do with what type of strength you have" the black-haired boy sternly told him.

Berenice only stroked one of her pink bangs with a huff. "You two are constantly boring me with your personalities" she noted and began facing Haschwalth who stood beside her. "So I ask you, Jugo. What do you think?" the pink-haired teenage girl then asked the blonde-haired boy beside her.

"Well, I don't know how to answer this, but this sure is big news" Haschwalth responded to her in his usual nervous manner. He then glanced sideways to face his best friend. "What do you think, Bazz? Doesn't this seem kind of…." Haschwalth stopped asking, as he could see a delightful expression being spread across Bazz-B's face. It was obvious that the young, hotheaded boy was very interested in hearing this. To him, this was another perfect chance to prove himself before the officers and convince them to let him join the Lichtreich's military. Bazz-B continued to listen to Hubert's speech.

"Those of you who have a strong desire to fight for the sake of us Quincies shall be given the honor to serve in His Majesty's military in the Lichtreich" Hubert then went on explaining the ordeal.

This filled Bazz-B with satisfaction, as the young boy knew that joining the Sternritters would without a doubt enable his vengeance against Yhwach and make him suffer for what he had done to his family. Haschwalth and the rest of his group could see how determined he looked in joining this group.

"Let's go, Jugo, Berenice, Cang, Driscoll" Bazz-B said and suddenly grabbed Haschwalth's hand and dragged him along. This forced the other three to come after him. They headed straight towards the Quincies on horses with Hubert not necessarily enthusiastic about seeing them.

"What do you brats want?" Hubert rudely asked them, not caring about the fact that he was speaking to teenagers in such degrading manner.

Bazz-B fixed a smug look at the officer while his friends stood beside him, with Haschwalth looking sort of timid while glancing up at the cavalry. "I'm Bazz. And these guys are my friends: Jugo, Berenice, Driscoll and Cang. We all want to join these Sternritters of yours" the punkish boy said.

Despite hearing this, Hubert was not impressed by hearing Bazz-B's words. Nor did he even seem to hold a high opinion on the teenager's enthusiasm. Meanwhile, the townspeople were stunned to see what the group of teenagers were doing, particularly Bazz-B.

"Is that moronic kid even serious?" one of the townsmen asked as he looked at Bazz-B. "He's definitely gonna get himself and his friends killed" the man with a hat added to his disbelief.

"Well, what do you expect?" another townsman asked with sarcasm in his voice while rubbing his face. "It's Bazz. You know, the bratty son of the former Lord of Hasenwald" he then went on explaining to the man who that kid was.

Meanwhile, Bazz-B was getting impatient about not getting an answer from the officers. "Well, say something, already" he rudely told them.

"Hold on! Wait a sec, Bazz. Maybe it's not such a good idea to….." Haschwalth was trying to calm Bazz-B down, only for him and the other teenagers to be surprised when the officers suddenly turned around their horses and began moving.

"We're finished here. Let's move on!" Hubert told his fellow officers and commanded his horse to move.

But both Bazz-B and Driscoll were both furious to see what the Quincies were doing and it only fueled anger within themselves.

"Hey! Where the hell do you think you're going!? Wait up!" Bazz-B asked out angrily to them. "I just said that we wanted to join this vanguard!" the brash boy continued speaking up.

"Yeah, what's the big idea, you faggot!?" Driscoll joined in, once again directing a homophobic slur at Hubert, even though he was angry with the entire cavalry as a whole.

Brushing off the insult easily, Hubert looked over his shoulder to face the teenagers with his dispassionate eye. "The exam will be held on a later date. There will be an official notice circulated. You ought to hone your skills up till then" the black-haired man answered while the teenagers listened to what was being said. "And just to be clear, this won't be some childish diversion or distractions. So don't get your hopes up, runts" Hubert then concluded before taking off with his horse.

Berenice simply brushed off one of her bangs. "Sheesh, what a grouch" the teenaged girl remarked by what she had heard Hubert told them. "Not very professional of him, I must admit" the pink-haired girl added to her statement.

"Honestly, I saw some truth in his words" Cang simply replied, a stark contrast to that of his comrades.

Haschwalth chuckled nervously and looked at his close friend beside him. "Well, Bazz. Not what we expected but we better do as he says. Shall we call it a day?" he then asked the reddish purple-haired boy.

But to the surprise of his comrades, Bazz-B fired a Reishi Arrow up in the air and it landed right before Hubert's horse, thus scaring it. His friends were surprised but Bazz-B only grinned cockily while holding his Reishi Crossbow like a pro. Ever since his encounter with Bernard in the tavern, the brash boy could not afford to be underestimated and dismissed again by the Lichtreich's military officers. That is why he was willing to challenge Hubert.

"Why don't I just show you some of my skills now?" Bazz-B asked and did a typical "come at me" gesture towards Hubert with his fingers. "Just you and me, one on one. How's that, Mr. Officer? If I win, you'll forfeit and position to me!" the hotheaded teenager taunted him.

Berenice smiled smugly when hearing this. "Oh, this could get ugly" she remarked by what she was seeing.

While Haschwalth become concerned about this fight and Cang only staring at this unfazed, Driscoll began cheering loudly for Bazz-B as he was up against Hubert. "Way to go, Bazz? Peg the living shit out of that fudge-packer!" the bullying boy encouraged him.

Hubert got off his horse and faced Bazz-B with an angered glance. But from what people could tell, he also seemed quite satisfied with drawing his sword. His patience had ended. The black-haired man glanced at the young boy deadly.

"What an insolent, little monkey. I have met your types before! Nothing but inbred halfwits who don't know their place in the world until lying on their deathbed!" Hubert spoke up, voicing his anger and satisfaction in being able to draw his blade against someone like Bazz-B.

But his fellow officer took an issue to this, and they tried their best to stop him with some form of encouragement or advice.

"Drawing your sword against a mere punk? Are you insane?" Robert asked in disbelief while adjusting his glasses.

Algora only sighed deeply in return. "Just let it go, Hubert! You're only making a fool out of yourself!" he urged his comrade, who did not listen.

"Yeah, Cousin Hubert! You know the code of rules we follow: no harming….." Quilge was interrupted by an angry shout coming from the young man himself.

"SHUT UP, QUILGE! AND ALL YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!" Hubert snapped at both his comrades and his cousin before fixing his grin upon Bazz-B, brandishing his sword in the process. "I'm not gonna put up with such disrespect. Especially if it comes from a spineless, little monkey like you!" he then said to the boy.

Despite his threats, Bazz-B kept pushing on, feeling confident that he could challenge someone like Hubert. "So, you call me a monkey, huh? Hey, listen to this: "A faggot in a military official's uniform got his ass handed to him by a monkey". You think that your comrades will pass the exact message on to Yhwach for me?" the brash teenager taunted him once again, this time, using a homophobic slur like Driscoll was known to use.

Hubert was furious and charged towards Bazz-B with his sword. "WHEN I AM DONE WITH YOU, I WILL SLICE YOUR CORPSE IN HALF AND SPIT UPON THEM!" he declared gleefully as he prepared to strike.

Bazz-B only charged towards Hubert in return and held his Reishi Crossbow tightly. Cang continued to watch the upcoming fight unfazed while Driscoll and Berenice cheered for Bazz-B. But Haschwalth was starting to feel very worried about what danger his friend was putting himself into and tried to intervene.

But before Bazz-B could even land at his opponent, he suddenly felt the entire area around him shake. As a result, he fell onto the ground, thus losing his Reishi Crossbow as it disintegrated. It was something so powerful that it forced the young boy down unto the ground.

"What happened!?" Bazz-B asked in his head, only hear the sound of a horse approaching him from behind. Barley looking to his side, he could see none other than Yhwach sitting on a horse. At the same time, he noticed that the townspeople were all lying on the ground, emotionless. "It's Yhwach!…then that means…I see. This must be the thing called Spiritual Pressure. He literally makes everyone kiss the ground he walks on with it…that damned monster" the young boy added to his thoughts while seeing Yhwach sitting on his horse riding into the street unfazed.

The Emperor of the Lichtreich suddenly fixed his stern glance upon Hubert, who snapped in shock as his eyes met his. "Explain yourself, Hubert Opie" he sternly requested the officer.

Hubert immediately kneeled before his superior while sweating intensively. "Your Majesty! Forgive my recklessness! I got baited into a personal duel with that ignorant monkey lying over there! He said so many….." Hubert was silenced by the emperor.

"It is fine. I have heard enough from you" Yhwach simply replied before motioning his horse to move. "I came here to find what I was looking for: to pick up the one who shall become my right hand in the entire Lichtreich" Yhwach told Hubert and the other officers in return.

Bazz-B snapped when he heard Yhwach's intentions for coming to Eisenschild. He could hear the sounds of Yhwach's horse making steps. "Now's my chance! You wanna have a right-hand man? Well he's right here!" Bazz-B thought while slowly getting up with his arms, even though he was struggling. "The one you're looking for is me! I'll become your right hand and when the time comes….YOU'LL BE SLAUGHTERED BY MY VERY OWN HANDS…YHWACH!" he added with a burning determination built inside of him.

But the moment, Bazz-B lifted his face up, his green eyes widened in shock. The view he currently had was unimaginable. Yhwach and his horse currently stood right before Haschwalth. Yes, Haschwalth was standing perfectly still, facing up the emperor with widened eyes. While Cang, Berenice and Driscoll had fallen onto the ground beside him during Yhwach unleashing his Spiritual Pressure, Haschwalth was still standing. Despite his imposing appearance, the blonde-haired boy did nothing, not even drawing his sword. He was stunned as Yhwach looked down to face him.

"You there, young boy. I know your name. Jugram Haschwalth…my other half" the emperor spoke up.

Haschwalth was filled with disbelief over what he was hearing and so were his friends, who could not believe what Yhwach had just said. The blonde-haired boy smiled nervously in return.

"Ummm…..what exactly am I?" Haschwalth asked. "I really don't understand this…." the young boy was interrupted by Yhwach speaking.

"You do not need to understand. From this day forth, you will stay at my side and become an integral member of the Sternritters" Yhwach told him, much to the utter surprise of not just Haschwalth and his friends, but the military officers as well. "In fact, you shall become the Sternritter Grandmaster" he emperor added to his statement thus stunning the people around them even more.

Hubert was filled with disbelief, as was his comrades. "This has to be some kind of joke. This kid can't possibly be the….." Algora stammered out, only for him to be interrupted once again.

"It is" Robert's voice came as he stood alongside Hubert and Algora. The young man then faced the young boy while adjusting his glasses. "Just take a look at the faces and hairs of His Majesty and this boy. If you look closer, you will see the facial resemblances between them" he then urged them.

Fortunately, Quilge had already done that, and he was stunned by the results. "Oh my gosh! That guy over there really is His Majesty's other half!" the teenaged officer exclaimed while putting his hands onto his cheeks in awe. He then glanced over at Haschwalth. "That means he will become our underboss or something, right?" he asked Robert.

The four-eyed man simply chuckled in return. "Indeed he will, clueless one" he responded to the teenager's question.

But inside Haschwalth's own head, many thoughts and questions were swirling around him. Yes, he and Bazz-B had indeed vowed to kill Yhwach by training to their limits and get close to him. But how did the shy boy suddenly end up becoming appointed by his supposed target himself? Could this be one of the things that Bernard told him back in the tavern? He did not know how to find the answers.

"Well, gee…..this sure is surprising" Haschwalth noted nervously and faced Bazz-B, as he was the closest friend he could trust in. "What should I do, Bazz?" he asked, only for him to see Bazz-B's green eyes pierce through him. This only makes the blonde-haired boy wonder why. "Bazz….." he says lowly.

Bazz-B was currently having so many thoughts inside his head, and so did Cang, Berenice and Driscoll. The three friends were lying beside Haschwalth and were all stunned to see how he was simply untouched by the Spiritual Pressure. But for Bazz-B, his thoughts were conflicted and confused at the same time.

"Why. We were both supposed to get close to Yhwach and assassinate him. I had the talent, you had not. In the off chance, only I could manage to pull it off instead of you. The right hand was supposed to be me. So why did it end up being you….Jugo!?" the brash-headed boy wondered in his head angrily. He did not understand why his friend was currently standing so high, and not him.

Haschwalth could notice the glare he was being given by Bazz-B and it made him feel slightly uncomfortable. "Stop staring at me like this, Bazz. Why are you doing this?" the blonde-haired boy wondered in his head. "Aren't you happy for me?" he then added another question into his mind.

Yhwach faced his subordinates while sitting on the horseback. "Prepare a horse with carriage to return to Eiskrone. This young boy will come with me" he told them and they saluted to him in return, indicating that they would obey his order.

"Wait! Hold up!" Haschwalth told Yhwach to stop. This forced the emperor to look over his shoulder and saw the young boy hold onto his elbows while facing the ground. "I think…..I think you may have made a big mistake" the young boy told him.

Hubert did not like the tone in the young boy's voice and even reached for his sword. "What did you just say? Excuse me, but I really can't let that comment slide, brat. What nonsense are you sprouting?" the black-haired man told him while drawing out his blade.

Algora could notice this and tried to intervene once again. "Behave yourself, Hubert" he lowly encouraged him, though his pleas fell on deaf ears.

"Shut it, Algora!" Hubert snapped and faced Haschwalth with his strict glance. "You dare you question His Majesty's judgement?! The nerve you have!" the black-haired man added while speaking to Haschwalth.

But the blonde-haired boy continued to speak up defiantly. "I don't have the abilities and powers other Quincies possesses! I can't generate a Heilig Bogen or fire a Heilig Pfiel! Instead of me, you should choose Bazz instead" he told them much to the stunning of his close friend. "In my opinion, he or those three lying around me are better suited better in serving at His Majesty's side" the young boy added to his reasoning.

Hubert could not take it any longer and charged towards Haschwalth in anger. "One more word out of your mouth and I will…" the young man stopped when he could hear someone dismounting his horse. It was Yhwach, who began taking small steps towards the young boy. While doing that, he fixed his gaze upon Hubert, who only snapped in surprise. "Your Majesty…..I…." he uttered out words.

Before he knew it, Hubert received a hard punch on his left cheek by Yhwach himself, and the young man was sent rolling onto the ground. The emperor formed a deep frown while glancing at the young man, who had his mouth and nose bleeding.

"You have tried my patience for the last time, Hubert. During my announcement, I strictly told you to not cause any physical harm to him!" Yhwach berated the young officer.

"B-But I…" Hubert stammered, only for his superior to shut him down.

"No more buts! The next time you disobey a direct order, I will personally execute you with my bare hands! Are we clear!?" the emperor snapped at the young man. Hubert was bleeding endlessly, and he quickly cowered before his liege and begged for mercy. Yhwach quickly dismissed Hubert and moved on to face Haschwalth and talk to him. The blonde-haired boy was stunned as their eyes met. "It is just as my eyes foretold" the emperor said to him.

Haschwalth was filled with confusion inside of him. "What do you mean?" he uttered out lowly.

"I see that you are still oblivious to the true nature of your powers. It's only natural that you are unable to make a Heilig Bogen. You are the same as me. You have powers that are distributed to you" Yhwach revealed to him, the young boy listening closely and not saying anything to interrupt his explanation. "I have searched the likes of you for quite some time. You see, not a single Quincy with the same ability as me, have been born in the past 200 years. Jugram Haschwalth, unlike other Quincies, you cannot absorb the Reishi around you and make it your own power. You can only "give" to your surroundings. In can only nurture the power that I give out, and then take it back as my own. You on the other hand, are not even capable of such" the emperor pointed out to the young boy.

As Yhwach went on filling in the details into the blonde-haired boy, Bazz-B and the other young Quincies currently began recalling the conversation Bernard had with them in the tavern. Even Haschwalth began thinking about what that officer had told him, as well as the encouragement he had been given to by Bernard. All the young Quincies finally understood it. The "incomplete" Quincies were different for a very unique reason: they possessed the same powers and abilities as Yhwach. In that way, they were almost a part of him. That is what Haschwalth was.

Bazz-B was pondering about the same thing, only to be interrupted by hearing Yhwach's voice calling to him. "You, the red-haired boy over there. Tell me, I am sure you felt your powers swelling daily, just by being in this young boy's presence. Did you really believe it was due to your own prowess and abilities?" the black-haired man suddenly asked the young, who snapped as he was asked about this question. True, Bazz-B had been very close to Haschwalth over the past five years. However, could this mean that all the source of his success had come from Haschwalth's unique abilities? The young boy was filled with disbelief. "You ought to be kneeling before this kind soul, this prodigy who fostered and nurtured the impotent you" Yhwach added to his explanation, while the young boy looked at him.

Bazz-B just refused to believe what he just heard. If he had never met Haschwalth, would he still be a genius as he currently was? This was only one of the many questions that swelled inside the young boy's head. No, he refused to believe that the blonde-haired boy was the source for his progress as a Quincy. Bazz-B would never swallow his pride to accept such facts. Anger and resentment grew inside the young boy.

"Now come with me, Haschwalth" Yhwach said while patting the young boy's head. "I need you by my side right now" the emperor added, and Haschwalth simply responded without hesitation.

However, Bazz-B would never let this stop his quest to avenge his family. The young boy howled in anger and aimed his Reishi Crossbow at Yhwach. "GO TO HELL, YHWACH!" he yelled in anger and fired a Heilig Pfiel at the emperor. But something transpired and Bazz-B was stunned to see Haschwalth suddenly grab the arrow by his hand. The reddish purple-haired teenager could not believe that Haschwalth was currently defending the man they had previously sworn to kill. "Jugo….WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" he asked out in anger.

The young boy faced his childhood friend with surprisingly serious eyes as he held onto the arrow before throwing it away. He even made sure to face his other three friends, who were stunned to hear what he was even capable of. The blonde-haired boy formed a deep frown as he glanced at everyone around him.

"I am sorry, but I can't let anyone harm His Majesty" Haschwalth said in a surprisingly cold tone. His friends were stunned to hear the change of tune in his voice, as it sounded so mature. "I appreciate for what you have done for me and wish you only the best from now on" he said before finally fixing his glance on Bazz-B. Haschwalth began nodding his head towards him. "I thank you for what you have done, Bazz-B. But now, I must go and fulfill my destiny" the young boy said, before joining Yhwach and his officers.

Bazz-B could only stand and watch as his childhood friend disappeared with the enemy out of the town, where they eventually met a carriage. The young boy felt no sadness however, only anger and resentment. This was the last time he would ever see Haschwalth as the good friend he once was.

* * *

 _A couple of days later, in the woods outside Eisenschild_

Ever since Haschwalth had left the group to join Yhwach and his military, Bazz-B had been training to his limits. He still refused to believe that the blonde-haired boy had been a source for his progress. It only hurt his pride and confidence. Even now, he found himself shooting many targets in high trees. The punkish boy was still determined to become one of the strongest Quincies, as well as the one to kill Yhwach. Personality wise, he had grown quite miserable, and even his other friends could see that.

Driscoll, Cang and Berenice sat on a long log and watched as Bazz-B kept striving to become better with his Reishi Crossbow. None of them seemed to get a clue on what was going on. Although they too had been stunned by seeing Haschwalth leaving them, they weren't as affected as Bazz-B was. This was due to the fact that the two boys had known each other for quite long, unlike them.

"What's his deal? He no longer has that pipsqueak to take care off. Why does he keep thinking about him?" the muscular teenager asked while scratching his hair.

Both Cang and Berenice glanced at Driscoll with disapproving eyes, something which the muscular boy himself didn't take notice of. But they did in fact continue watching Bazz-B practicing his skills.

"All I can say, is that Bazz pretty much felt betrayed by seeing Jugo being appointed to being Yhwach's right hand. And didn't he say something about Jugo leading the Sternritters as well?" Berenice asked while pointing out what she could tell.

"Perhaps we all foolishly underestimated Haschwalth's powers" Cang suddenly spoke up. The black-haired boy then closed his eyes. "That unique ability of his, it must have not only affected him, but maybe us as well. We did after all spend many years being close to him" he then pointed out to his fellow young Quincies.

Driscoll felt very insulted about hearing this, so he quickly stood up from the log and angrily glanced at Cang. "Are you saying that he was the source for my progress!? Hell no! My progress existed way before I even came to these Northern Lands!" the tall teenager rebuked him, but he was not finished. "And by the way, I know that you only say this because you're afraid that pipsqueak is gonna beat ya!" he then added with a taunt directed towards him.

Cang narrowed his eyes while facing Driscoll. "Shut your mouth, oaf. Otherwise, I will be more than happy to do that for you" he warned him coldly.

While seeing this kafuffle, Berenice only sighed in annoyance and decided to see if Bazz-B was actually doing okay. True, she had seen him acting quite reserved since Haschwalth had left them. Maybe he could not some encouragement from a friend? The pink-haired girl approached Bazz-B and give her a thumb up gesture, although it seemed rather fake.

"Nice work out there, tough guy. I'll admit that you've really become better with your crossbow" the teenaged girl complimented him.

Bazz-B eyes her with his annoyed eyes, and he did not seem so appreciative of her compliment. "What the fuck do you want, Berenice? Can't you see I'm busy?" he rudely asked her.

Hearing this caused Berenice to cross her arms and look in another direction. "Careful with your language, Bratty Bazz. You're lucky that you're even surrounded by the likes of me!" she snapped at him. Bazz-B merely shrugged his shoulders and didn't necessarily seem to give much thought. He began refocusing efforts on mastering his crossbow. Berenice sighed in annoyance. "Are you still butthurt about what Yhwach told you the other day? I mean, how is it even possible that Jugo was the source of your success? I mean, it doesn't' make any sense" she then asked her friend.

Hearing this caused Bazz-B to grit his teeth in anger and he turned around to face the teenage girl with a furious expression on his face. "LIKE I WOULD EVER LISTEN TO WHAT THAT BASTARD SAID TO ME!" he snapped out in anger. "I COULD NEVER FORGIVE MYSELF IF I EVER LET THAT HAPPEN TO ME!" he added with anger in his voice.

Berenie seemed unfazed by seeing this, and was joined by both Cang and Driscoll. The three teenagers continued to watch the slightly betrayed glance on the punkish boy's face. It was obvious that he could never let go of the fact that Haschwalth would join Yhwach as his right hand. It only made his blood boil.

The group of teenagers were stunned when they heard a clapping sound coming to them from behind. Turning around, they were surprised by seeing Bernard Gabor leaning against a tree in a relaxing mode. The young man with curly hair had appeared to be standing near them for a while. He stopped clapping his hands and adjusted his glasses while glancing at them.

"We meet again, punks. I knew I would find you in these woods outside town" Bernard said while stopping leaning and started facing them smugly. "But I see there is one of you missing. Then that means Jugram Haschwalth has joined with His Majesty, am I right?" he then asked them, although it sounded quite sarcastic.

"Wait! You're that doofus from the tavern!" Berenice exclaimed while pointing a finger at him.

"BG9….." Bazz-B spoke up lowly, although a hint of anger and resentment could be heard in his voice. The green-eyed boy surprisingly began aiming his Reishi Crossbow at the military officer and it surprisingly stunned his comrades. "YOU…...THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" he yelled out in anger while aiming his weapon.

Bernard simply glanced at him with a deep frown, and he began scratching his curly hair. "What? Oh, I see that you're still angry with me, which is why you call me by my codename. Well, don't get your hopes to high, kid. Your friend was destined to join His Majesty's side. We all know that" he told them and began facing Bazz-B with a cunning glance. "And besides, aren't you at least happy for your friend? I mean, weren't you the one who felt sorry for him the most?" he then asked the young teenager.

Hearing this caused Bazz-B to snap in surprise, and he recalled back to the first time he and the blonde-haired boy met outside Hasenwald. He was lost in thoughts and wondered whether there was some level truth in Bernard's statement.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Driscoll asked dispassionately while crossing his arms. "I thought you just said that we were unworthy of joining the Sternritters!" he barked at him.

The young man brushed off the bullying teenager's question and faced every young Quincy with a cunning smirk. "Look, just forget what I said to you back at the tavern. It was four months ago. But enough of that! Do you kids remember about Hubert saying something about the examination of recruits?" the young man then asked them as the teenagers listened. "Well, I came here to tell you that the examination will happen in about….3 years from now on" he then revealed, much to the surprise of the teenagers.

"Three years…" Cang asked lowly.

"How is that even possible!? Why are they waiting so long!?" Berenice asked loudly at him.

"The answer to that is simple" Bernard responded while scratching his hair a little. "Now that your pal is under His Majesty's wings, it will take some time for him to be trained and educated properly. His Majesty is determined to make Jugram Haschwalth his second-in-command, as well as the Sternritter Grandmaster and Captain. That does require three years" he said to them while explaining the situation.

Bazz-B merely narrowed his eyes further as he heard that. "So, you're saying that we should do the same? Train before we enter the vanguard?" he spoke up lowly, still not trusting Bernard completely.

"Off course he means that, genius! What else do you think!?" Driscoll asked him with dispassion. He then glances at Bernard. "Okay BG9, where do we find this place?" he asked him.

Hearing this caused Bernard to glare at him in anger and it surprisingly intimidated the bullying teenager. "Idiot, my name is Bernard Gabor! Get it through your thick skull!" he told him.

"BG9…what kind of codename is that, anyway?" Berenice quizzed him, finding it very odd.

The young man simply smiled with confidence in his expression. "I'm glad you asked, young lady. You see, the B and the G stand for my name: Bernard Gabor. However, the number 9 is there for another reason. I suspect that none of you have ever heard the Kaiser Gesang" he answered.

"I heard it being sung once" Cang suddenly stated out of the open. "It is a song dedicated to His Majesty. It tells us of a sealed king who regains the entire world in 9 days. You must be speaking about the final lyrics" the black-haired boy answered while stating what he knew.

Bernard smiled at Cang. "Wow, you are quite knowledgeable there, I give you that!" he commended the young boy, who did not even bother saying anything in return, not even thanks for the compliment. "Anyway, let's move back to what fatboy here just asked me about. Well, you wondered where it would be, eh? When you feel like you're ready, head to the town of Antiquität. It lies before the rugged hill where His Majesty's palace of Eiskrone. That town will be where they welcome all recruits of the Sternritter. But I have to warn ya, there may be no way back" the young officer reminded them, but he could see how determined these teenagers were.

"Don't think that I'm about to go back on the vow I made when my family died" Bazz-B told him, a burning passion being born within him. "I will go to Antiquität and become a Sternritter. Once I have done that, I will begin something I should've done many years ago…..fight Jugo and defeat him" the young boy signaled his determination, as he would not be willing to back down from this challenge.

"Well said, Bazz. I may start to actually like you for real" Driscoll said, while a grin was formed across his face. The bullying teenager was also determined to join these Sternritters.

Cang began cracking his knuckles, indicating that he also wished to join the Sternritters and go to Antiquität. "I will begin to develop my skills once I have joined the Sternritters. Therefore, I shall go there as well" the black-haired boy said. But there was something else on his mind right now. "When I get there, I expect you to have become stronger than before, Haschwalth" he added to his thoughts, thinking about the blonde-haired boy.

Berenice only stroke one of her pink bangs and huffed. "Don't think that you boys can go out and do all the fun by yourself!" the teenaged girl reminded them while facing the three boys in a smug manner. "I also have some ambitions as well. So don't even think about leaving me behind, boys!" she sternly told them.

None of the boys seemed to take her words seriously, yet they understood what she was trying to tell them. The teenagers then fixed their eyes on Bernard, who had begun turning around and moving away. The young Quincies were surprised by why he did that. However, he even waved his right hand at them in a manner of saying goodbye.

"Well then, now that I know of your answers, I may as well take my leave for now. The mission I was received from His Majesty was to spread his announcement throughout the Lichtreich after all" the curly-haired man said but then stopped. He slowly began looking at the group of teenagers over his shoulder, thus showing them his smug look through his glasses. "Listen, I don't care what your plans are. But know this: no man can defeat Yhwach…...not even a Quincy…do not forget…..all of us have his blood coursing through our veins" Bernard said before he quickly vanished from the forest, with the help of his Hirenkiyaku.

This left the teenagers alone in the woods. Know, they had a new goal. First train to become better and experienced and then head for Antiquität to join the Sternritters. Once there, they would without a doubt be able to see Haschwalth again. But was he still the same shy person as he was known to be? All four teenagers doubted that.

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Author's note: And here we are! Another great chapter about the past of the two friends. With Haschwalth joining Yhwach, Bazz-B and his comrades are now making preparations to join the Sternritters, in hopes of getting close to both their former friend and Yhwach. I have given some of the lesser known Quincies full names (Viktor Zeidritz, Hugo Opie and Friedrich von Algora), as I think they were also former members of the original Sternritters. And yes, Quilge Opie was at that time just an awkward teenage boy. Due to their close resemblance and personalities, Hubert is his cousin. The next chapter will probably reveal more of the Quincies that would join the Sternritters. I am thinking about including Lille, Jerome and NaNaNa in that story. And who knows, maybe Luddenwig will be included. But that I have to think about.**

 **Now let's look at the new terms!**

 **Eiskrone – German for "Ice Crown": This was the palace where Yhwach personally resided, as well as the HQ of the Lichtreich and its military. Situated on a rugged hill and surrounded by frozen trees, Eiskrone was built as a testament to the influence and power Yhwach carried.**

 **Niú Jìn Zhǎo – Chinese for "Bull-Strong Claws": In addition to having standard Quincy techniqes, Cang is also known to possess uniqe abilities that combines Reishi with hand-to-hand combat.**

 **Antiquität – German for "Antique": At the base of the rugged hill where Eiskrone stands on, lies the town of Antiquität. Asides from having many white buildings, it is also known to have structures from the Ancient Greece, including pillars and pavilions. Due to its close location to Yhwach's palace, this town is without a doubt the richest in the entire Lichtreich.**


	35. Friend 3

**Author's note: This third chapter will continue the fight between Haschwalth and Bazz-B before delving into the past to some of the Sternritters. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 35: Friend 3**

 _Inside the palace of Silbern, Wahrwelt, Soul Society_

In the halls of Silbern, Bazz-B was still battling against his childhood friend: Jugram Haschwalth. Amidst an uprising in the Sternritters' ranks, the punkish Quincy was currently battling the blonde-haired man inside the palace's halls. To Bazz-B, this fight was more than to just kill Yhwach's powers. He also wanted to prove to Haschwalth that he was the strongest of them both by defeating him in combat. Even to this day, Bazz-B still refused to accept the fact that his growth as a Quincy was all thanks to Haschwalth's sharing powers. He was not weak, and the blonde-haired man was never his superior.

Having just fired Burning Finger 3 towards Haschwalth, Bazz-B had expected his opponent to be consumed by the lava he had unleashed. As soon as the lava began moving itself upon him, the blonde-haired man drew out his sword and began slashing the lava in half. The blonde-haired man then charged towards his opponent with his Spirit Weapon.

But Bazz-B was quick to dodge it with his Hirenkiyaku and Haschwalth missed his target. The Quincy with the Mohawk then held onto his Spirit Weapon and aimed the Reishi Crossbow at the blonde-haired man. Without hesitating, Bazz-B fired a Heilig Pfiel at Haschwalth and it was a quick shot. Unfortunatley for him, the Sternritter Grandmaster caught wind of it and grabbed the arrow by his left hand with ease. This caused Bazz-B to snap once again.

"Damn! His reflexes have only increased since last time!" Bazz-B cursed underneath his breath, as he saw Haschwalth throw the arrow away. The hotheaded Sternritter knew what he had to do and gathered fire in his right hand before charging straight towards his opponent. "TRY SOME OF THIS!" he shouted as he was so close in actually landing his attack on Haschwalth.

But Haschwalth was quick to predict Bazz-B's moves and moved his blade to slash the young man's body, thus leaving him a critical injury. However, Haschwalth also used to power to send Bazz-B flying, and he crashed directly against the nearest wall. It caused an explosion in the palace and Silbern had been given a hole in one of its walls. Bazz-B went from flying in the air to rolling onto the ground, until he found himself right at the entrance of Silbern itself.

Even now, the battle in Silbern's courtyard was still ongoing and the rebels Sternritters were just contending to battle Yhwach's loyalists, as well as Uryu Ishida's Schutzstaffel. However, the explosion had caused them all to focus their attention on the ongoing duel between Haschwalth and Bazz.B.

Bazz-B found himself lying on the ground for a brief moment, before slowly getting up on his knees. A small pool of blood had begun forming underneath him as he was struggling to hold onto his injury. Despite how serious it was, the Sternritter with the Mohawk refused to accept defeat. He would not allow himself to be defeated like this.

As he struggled, the steps of Haschwalth could be heard, as he walked out of the hole in the wall and held onto his sword. He only glared at his opponent with his usual cold eyes. "Stay down, Bazz-B. This skirmish of ours will not benefit His Majesty in any way" the Sternritter Grandmaster told him.

Bazz-B was onto his knees, but he suddenly coughed out a big chunk of blood. After that, he panted deeply, and managed to stand on just one feet and one knee. "Not benefit him in any way, you say? Well, that's pretty fucking obvious, considering…." Bazz-B said lowly and managed to lift his head up to face Haschwalth. A defiant look could be seen on the young man's face. "HIS MAJESTY IS THE ONE I'VE COME HERE TO KILL!" he spat out towards his opponent.

Haschwalth only narrowed his blue eyes in displeasure, indicating that he did not like the way Bazz-B spoke about their liege. But then again, he was beginning to grow weary about the man with the Mohawk and the overconfidence that existed within him.

"Burning Finger….." Bazz-B began chanting the name lowly, before stretching out his right hand and gathering fire that was formed as a blade. "4!" he then yelled out loud, demonstrating his will to continue on fighting. He quickly got up on his feet and charged towards Haschwalth.

"Must I always repeat myself….." Haschwalth began muttering out lowly, signaling his weariness of Bazz-B. "BAZZARD BLACK!" he then yelled, addressing the Sternritter by his full name. This was probably one of the few times that he ever addressed Bazz-B with that name.

But Bazz-B kept charging towards Haschwalth and angrily swung his blade of fire at him, only for Haschwalth to jump above it, thereby also moving away from Bazz-B. Despite this, the blade of fire managed to deal quite a damage to one of Silbern's pillars. Regardless, Bazz-B continued pursuing his opponent.

"WHAT'S WRONG!? I AIN'T GOING NOWHERE!" Bazz-B yelled out in order to taunt Haschwalth. He could see the blonde-haired man standing on the stairs to the entrance. "RUNNING AWAY WITH YOUR TAIL BETWEEN YOUR LEGS AGAIN?! DOES THE THOUGHT OF LOSING TO ME SCARE YOU THAT MUCH!? JUGO!" he yelled out and dived straight towards his opponent, indenting on slicing him with his blade of fire.

But before he could even reach his opponent, Bazz-B felt something very unusual as Haschwalth simply moved his sword at him. Before he even knew it, Bazz-B's right arm with the blade of fire flew off into the air, eventually managing to cut one of the nearby towers in two. It was obvious to Bazz-B that Haschwalth had cut off his right arm and he was now preparing to attack him once again. But before he could even land his final attack on him, Haschwalth slashed him once again on his body, landing another critical injury. But the blonde-haired man simply stood on the other side. The man with the Mohawk was bleeding endlessly and he slowly fell on his knees.

Haschwalth never looked back to see the condition he had put his opponent in, only staring out into the distance with his usual cold eyes. "You still don't get it, do you?" the blonde-haired man asked him lowly. "No matter what kind of powers you have, the level of my power is far beyond yours. I am the one closest to His Majesty as his other half. Now let me ask you something, Bazz-B. If you so desperately wanted to kill His Majesty…...why start now?" Haschwalth said before he finally started asking his former friend a question.

Bazz-B was still on the ground panting, even starting to realize that his power was slowly drifting away. But he still held onto himself in spite of this condition. "Why….it's because my goal was more than to just kill that smug bastard!" he replied lowly, yet bitterly. However, he even managed to look over his shoulder and watch Haschwalth have his back at him. "My goal was also to become the strongest Quincy there is! But for me to finish that, I will need to do the unthinkable: prove my superoiriy….by killing Yhwach…...ALONG WITH YOU!" Bazz-B yelled and all of a sudden, Reishi gathered around him.

Haschwalth quickly turned around and watching in surprise as string of Spiritual Power suddenly gathered around Bazz-B. The strings were controlled by his brain and the strings began to take control of his body parts, even starting to form a new replica for a right arm. The Spiritual Power even began healing the most critical injuries on the young man's body. Slowly and steady, Bazz-B rose up on his feet, showing his back to the blonde-haired man. Haschwalth was stunned by what he was seeing and could not believe in what he was seeing with his own eyes.

"That technique…...it can't be…..." Haschwalth uttered out lowly as he saw the strings control the young man's body.

"It is" Bazz-B lowly replied and slowly turned around to face his opponent. There was no blood that could be seen on him, and he only had small bruises on his face. Somehow, the Spiritual Power had cured him of those. "This is the Ransōtengai, one the many techniques that all of us Quincies are able to perform. How weird of you to not remember that fact" the young man with the Mohawk said as he faced at his opponent.

Haschwalth held the hilt of his sword tightly. "I don't understand any of this" he muttered lowly while glancing sternly at Bazz-B. "Your powers were taken away by His Majesty. Therefore, you shouldn't be able to perform techniques such as the Ransōtengai. But yet you still manage to perform it with ease" the blonde-haired man said as he could not understand how this could possibly happen. Without warning, Haschwalth pointed the tip of his sword at Bazz-B. "Tell me, how were you able to regain your powers!?" he then demanded an answer.

Hearing this question forced Bazz-B to smirk as he liked seeing Haschwalth feeling kind of distressed for once. "How I got it back? Well, that's simple. Since me and the other Sternritters felt that our powers were needed, we decided to regain them by any means necessary. The Soldats stationed at the Sereitei were more than happy to help us with that" he then answered smugly.

This cause Haschwalth's eyes to widen in shock and surprise at the same time. At first, he had refused to believe what he had been told by Uryu. But now that he got the answer directly from Bazz-B himself, he knew that Uryu's hypothesis was real. The blonde-haired Sternritter glared at the young man furiously. "You fiend! You and the rebels stole the life-source from the Soldats and made it your own!?" he asked in outrage at him. "How could you have committed something so despicable!? Do you have any idea what you and those fools have done!? You have all broken the strictest laws of…" the blonde-haired man was interrupted by an angry outburst coming from Bazz-B.

"SHUT YOUR ASS UP!" Bazz-B yelled at him in anger, thus shutting Haschwalth completely. "WE DID WHAT WAS NECESSARY TO SURVIVE! AND WHY THE FUCK DO YOU STILL SPEAK TO ME AS IF I'M YOUR LAPDOG!? THAT BASTARD YHWACH LEFT US TO DIE ON THE BATTLEFIELD! WHY SHOULD I KOWTOW TO HIS WILL!?" he then asked out loud in anger.

Despite being asked about this, Haschwalth quickly gave Bazz-B his usual disapproving glance at his former friend and a silence interrupted them. The punkish Sternritter quickly shrugged off his recent outburst and pointed a finger at Haschwalth, who remained unfazed in return.

"You anger me, Bazz-B. Our lordship over the Soul Society has just begun, yet you insist on destroying everything we Quincies have worked for?" Haschwalth spoke up and brandished his blade. "Your fate has been sealed, fool. There is no way going back now, because His Majesty will not be so merciful towards your insubordination" the blonde-haired man then said, much to the irritation of Bazz-B.

"His Majesty this, His Majesty that! I'm sick of hearing your constant bullshit, Jugo!" the man with the Mohawk snapped back at him while narrowing his green eyes further. "One of us will die tonight! And we can only end this with one thing: A FIGHT TO THE DEATH!" Bazz-B yelled and suddenly showed a necklace that carried the Quincy Zeichen as its amulet. The amulet shined brightly and Haschwalth was forced to cover his eyes.

Haschwalth could barely see what was happening to Bazz-B, considering how bright the light was. "Damn it…...what is happening now?" he muttered underneath his breath and noticed that the light stopped shining. The young man was surprisingly stunned by what had happened to Bazz-B.

Right before Haschwalth stood Bazz-B, with a spiky Heiligenschein in the shape of the Quincy Zeichen and two wings in the shape of long, thin rods floating above his head. For some reason, the entire man's head was on fire and the Mohawk could no longer by seen. His entire torso was exposed and a big tattoo of a skull with bones could be seen on his chest. His Reishi-wing was that of two fiery wings that blazed with Reishi and flames. There was no mistaking it. This was Bazz-B's Quincy: Vollständig.

"This is it…." Bazz-B said lowly as he fixed his eyes upon his former friend. "This is the result of all the hatred and anger that I have brewed inside of me! This the true form of my Quincy: Vollständig! This is…Infernalixx!" Bazz-B added while saying the name of his form, which was actually Hatred of God in the Quincy tongue.

Haschwalth had to admit that he was surprised, yet he didn't seem to be impressed by Bazz-B's new form. The blonde-haired man prepared himself to fight his friend once again. "You leave me no choice, Bazz-B. If you insist on fighting me, then I shall happily oblige. But know this:" Haschwalth spoke loudly as he held up his sword while facing his opponent. "I WILL SHOW NO MERCY!" he then yelled out loud.

Hearing those words coming out from Haschwalth's mouth, Bazz-B angrily charged towards his opponent while gathering fire in his hands. "BURNING FINGER 2!" he then yelled as he then slices flames at his opponent.

As the two friends fought against each other, they both started to once again reminiscing about their past, but not as children or teenagers. Rather, it was when they were both young adults, as well as members of the Lichtreich's military.

* * *

 _Flashback, 1200 years ago, the town of Antiquität, Lichtreich_

Three years had passed since Haschwalth had been recruited into the Lichtreich by Yhwach himself. The emperor had personally taken him under his wing and taught him all kinds of knowledge that was needed for a leader. And as expected, Haschwalth had emerged from a shy and weak-minded boy, to a cold and firm commander and leader. The young man was now Yhwach's second-in-command, Sternritter Grandmaster and its captain. Haschwalth was no longer recognizable, even to his former friends, who had also become Sternritters.

Following the advice Bernard Gabor gave them, Bazz-B, Berenice Gabrielli, Cang Du and Driscoll Berci headed to the town of Antiquität in the Lichtreich's central areas. The town was more than the location of Yhwach's palace of Eiskrone. It was there where the examination for Sternritter-recruits took place, inside the military academy, also known as Kriegsschlacht. And as expected the four youngsters managed to pass the exams and become members of the Sternritters, alongside many other Quincies.

Furthermore, Bazz-B and his comrades had managed to reunite with Haschwalth, but their reunion was hardly anything worth celebrating. Haschwalth had grown more distant and colder from his former friends, even towards Bazz-B. The hotheaded man was still determined on proving himself to be better than Haschwalth. But to his surprise, the blonde-haired man never drew his blade against him when he tried to provoke him. He only used his blade to fend off the Reishi Arrows that Bazz-B fired at him.

Outside Kriegsschlacht, one such episode was just taking place. Ever since joining the Sternritters, Bazz-B had grown angry and irritated over being commanded and easily dismissed by Haschwalth. It was something that the hotheaded man could not take. After Haschwalth was done having a meeting with one of the academy's instructors, he left the building and walked right into the nearby park, where there were many pillars, as well as a pavilion.

But Haschwalth suddenly stopped and drew out his Spirit Weapon. The reason he did that was because of an arrow that was headed for him from behind. However, the blonde-haired man did not take this seriously and simply drew his sword and fended off the arrow. The arrow was then stuck on the ground.

Sighing in irritation, Haschwalth turned around to see the one who had just fired the arrow. It was Bazz-B, who merely stood and glanced at him with narrowed eyes, holding his Heilig Bogen in the left hand. Since joining the vanguard, he now wore a Lichtreich-uniform, which was required by all Sternritters to do so.

"You need to cease this foolishness. Personal fights between Sternritters are not only forbidden, but also punishable by death" Haschwalth simply told Bazz-B, with no emotion detected in his voice. The blonde-haired man then turned his back on the reddish purple-haired man, who snapped in surprise over seeing his former friend's rejection of him. Haschwalth continued walking. "Provoke me all you want, you won't get the reaction you seek" he then added to his explanation while continuing moving.

Bazz-B only stood and watched as his friend simply chose to ignore him instead of fighting him. Anger slowly began boiling inside of him, as he could not take it anymore. He got furious over being rejected and underestimated as a weakling, he really hated it!

Haschwalth continued moving on, and he entered one of the town's many streets. As the Captain of the Sternritters walked, he could hear a sarcastic chuckle coming from nearby. It came from a Quincy, who was leaning against a nearby building. Apparently, he had seen Bazz-B's attempt to challenge Haschwalth.

"What a shame. Constantly getting picked on by some newbie must suck, don't you think?" the voice came from Hubert Opie, who merely glanced at the blonde-haired man with smug-looking eyes. "Perhaps you're not cut out to be captain material" he then told Haschwalth with sarcasm in his voice.

Haschwalth stopped on his tracks and glanced over at Hubert. "That may very well be true. Which is why I will be sure to follow your example, Vice-Captain Hubert Opie" he told him.

Hubert only glanced at him with no enthusiasm in his eyes. That's right, since the Sternritters were created, Hubert was now currently the vanguard's vice-captain, thus being Haschwalth's second-in-command. However, neither he nor Haschwalth shared any particular good relationships with one another, as Hubert often found Haschwalth's authority to be too soft. Yet despite this, Haschwalth had himself been given permission to appoint his vice-captain, and he chose Hubert over all the other alternatives, including Bernard Gabor. Why he did that remains a mystery.

Hubert looked to his left side and spotted Bazz-B standing by the pavilion. "Speaking of which, this newcomer. He's the monkey from Eisenschild, right?" he asked his captain with a slight smirk forming across his face. "Leave him to me. I'll smack some sense into that bum and remind him where he stands on the food chain" the vice-captain insisted to him.

The blonde-haired man merely sighed in annoyance by hearing this. "Personal fights among Sternritters are forbidden. Is someone like him really worth giving up your life for?" Haschwalth then asked the black-haired man.

"Heh. If I do this when no one's watching, then His Majesty will be none the wiser" Hubert pointed out to him smugly

"But I am always watching, never forget that" Haschwatlth told him in return, much to the irritation of Hubert. "I am the Captain of the Sternritters. Therefore, I am in charge of making sure that none of you are dead by something as ridiculous as infighting" the blonde-haired man added to his explanation.

Hubert only got angrier over hearing Haschwalth speak to him as if he knew more. Yes, ever since Haschwalth had joined the Lichtreich, he had always resented in the blonde-haired man getting more respect and devotion from Yhwach than him. Three years ago, he was only a mere powerless kid. Now, he was suddenly the second strongest man in the empire, right next to Yhwach.

"You sanctimonious brat! Don't you ever speak to me as if you're His Majesty!" the black-haired man snapped at Haschwalth, who had already begun walking away, thus infuriating Hubert even more. "Hey! Don't walk away from me when I…" Hubert was interrupted by a familiar voice calling to him.

"Hey faggot! Shut up for a minute!" the bullying and rude voice came from Driscoll Berci, who had been entering the street just now and watched Hubert arguing with his captain. He had grown in size and had gained some facial hair along his cheeks. Like Bazz-B, he also wore a Lichtreich-uniform.

Hubert glared at him angrily. "What did you just call me!?" he yelled at him.

Driscoll merely grunted in return while poking his left ear with one of his fingers. "Oh, you want me to call you it again? Your call, faggot" he then said in his rude and disrespectful tone as usual.

Hubert's patience had run out and he reached for his sword and was about to attack his fellow Sternritter, only to have two Sternritters appear before him by using Hirenkiyaku. It was his younger cousin Quilge Opie and the mild-mannered Robert Accutrone. Quilge was still the same bookish and awkward guy as a Sternritter, even as he had reached adulthood.

"Gosh, Cousin Hubert! You really need to chill out" Quilge told his cousin while trying to block his path.

"Move your ass aside, Quilge! I'm not gonna stand by and let this beast insult me like this!" Hubert snapped in return.

"Listen to yourself, right now!" Robert scolded him. "You are supposed to be the Vice-Captain of the Sternritters. Don't allow this newcomer to get the best of you!" the young man then went on scolding his comrade.

"What's going on here?" all three Sternritters turned to the right side and could see a young woman dressed in a Lichtreich-uniform with a hat on her head and a skirt instead of pants. Her eyes were pale as the white itself and her shoulder-length hair was bright as the fields of gold. This was another of Yhwach's military officers, who had been inducted into the Sternritters. Her expression was that of calm and reserved, similar to that of Haschwalth. "I am sorry for interrupting you. But I could not help but to overhear you three making so much noise" she apologized while bowing her head in a formal manner. She was speaking in a slight English accent, although it sounded different.

Robert smiled by seeing her. "Ah, Imogene Ingleright, so lovely to see you" he said to her like a true gentleman. "Or should I perhaps say Imogene Lloyd with regards to your engagement" he then added with a hint of humor in his voice.

The young woman simply glanced at him with dispassion. "Your charm eludes me, Robert Accutrone. It is hard for me to believe why Floyd still hangs out with you and Bernard. But enough of that, I have a message from Lord Yhwach" she told him in return and began glancing at Hubert. "Vice-Captain, His Majesty demands your presence at Eiskrone this instant. He says it is urgent" she said to him.

Sighing in irritation, Hubert reluctantly agreed to go. "Fine, I will go. I was getting tired of being surrounded by idiots, anyway" the black-haired man said, and he vanished from the scene with the help of his Hirenkiyaku.

When he was gone, Imogene resumed her talk with her fellow Sternritters and she sounded kind of very irritated. "Why were you trying to school Hubert like some brat? He is the Vice-Captain of the Sternritter's for heaven's sake." she asked in dispassion while crossing her arms in dispassion. She then noticed the snickering coming from Driscoll. Imogene sighed deeply. "Let me guess, it was Driscoll trying to provoke him with another homophobic slang" she then guessed to them.

Robert adjusted his glasses. "What else do you think was the reason behind all this?" he asked and suddenly noticed Quilge walking past him and straight towards Driscoll, who merely glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. "For goodness sake, Quilge" he then noted while facepalming.

The four-eyed man drew out his blade and angrily pointed it towards the tall Sternritter. "What's the big idea, you big bully!? How dare you insult my cousin!? He is your vice-captain!" Quilge snapped at him.

Driscoll did not seem to take Quilge's words and behavior seriously, so he rudely flipped off his middle finger at the young man with glasses. The black-haired man even took pride in mocking his dignity. But Quilge got angrier by the minute.

"You goddamn bully! I really hate you!" he said in return, only for Driscoll to simply walk away, something which stunned Quilge. But he quickly came back to his senses. "Hey! Where are you going!?" he then barked another demand at Driscoll.

"Shut your mouth, nerd! I'm going to sleep, so unless you want me to hang you in the locker room and give you a wedgie, go find someone else to bother!" Driscoll replied in his usual bullying tone and expression. Even as a young adult, Driscoll still was the same bully and had almost zero respect for those around him, except for Yhwach of course.

Quilge stood in anger and watched as Driscoll vanished from the scene. But he was calmed down by Imogene and Robert. In fact, Imogene even held on his shoulder, thus preventing Quilge from using Hirenkiyaku to pursue Driscoll. The young man was kind of furious about this.

"Just let it go, Quilge. You know that Driscoll won't waste time on someone like you" the young woman encouraged him with her usual calm voice. A hint of irritation could also be felt by her, as she despised infighting amongst the Sternritter's ranks. "And besides, you know the penalty. His Majesty despises senseless fighting among us Sternritters" the bright-haired woman pointed out to him.

Hearing this, Quilge sighed in defeat before heading towards the military academy. As he walked, he kind of felt somewhat annoyed about the fact that he could not get his hands back at Driscoll. But then again, he knew it was better being alive than being dead.

Robert felt himself tired of speaking about this subject and felt like switching over to something else. And the mild-mannered man knew just the right thing to talk about. He glanced at Imogene smugly.

"So, where is Floyd right now?" he asked her in a charming manner.

The young woman sighed and glanced at him sternly in return. "He's stationed up at Eiskrone. Therefore, I just spoke with him before heading down here. Is that what you want to know?" she replied, albeit sternly and filled with annoyance.

The four-eyed man simply waved his hand at her in a whimsical manner. "There is no need for you to be mean, Imogene. I am just happy on your behalf. Bernard is also that as well. Come now, we have all been good comrades in the past. All of us were terrific military officers of His Majesty" Robert spoke up in a soft tone.

When hearing this, a slight smile crept on Imogene's mouth. This indicated that she felt glad to hear what Robert had just told her. She nodded her head at him in appreciation. "Hmmmmm…I appreciate your blessings, Robert" she told him in return.

While all this had been ongoing, Bazz-B leaned down to where his arrow was stuck and picked it up in a swoop. He sat on the grass to reflect on the words that had been said to him by Haschwalth just now. Somehow, he felt irritated by hearing what was said to him.

"Damn it…why the hell does he keep dodging my attempts?" the young man wondered as he looked at the arrow. Bazz-B had taken notice how vastly different Haschwalth had become since joining Yhwach. Even though he was found by the emperor three years ago, Bazz-B sometimes wondered whether his former friend had always been Yhwach's second-in-command from the start. By that it meant even to the day they first met as young children. He didn't know why, but Bazz-B had in private mourned the loss of the Haschwalth he knew. "Why are you doing this…...Jugo?" he wondered in his head.

Bazz-B could hear someone approach him, yet he didn't bother to see who it was. He could tell who was approaching him and he merely closed his eyes in irritation. A familiar voice was spoken to him.

"So, there you are! I've been looking all over the town for you, handsome" the voice came from Berenice Gabrielli. She still had pink hair with bangs. She also wore a Lichtreich-uniform similar to that worn by Imogene. Furthermore, she also wore a cap on her head as well as skirt instead of pants. The young woman smiled smugly. "I was starting to feel kind of lonely by myself, so I decided to go and see where you had run off to" Berenice added.

But as she got a closer look at him, Berenice could see the somewhat downed look on Bazz-B's face. The pink-haired woman sat down beside him and watched as he kept staring at his Reishi Arrow. This made it clear for Berenice what had just happened.

"Are you still butthurt over the fact that Jugo refuses to fight you?" she asked him in disbelief and began groaning before she facepalmed. "Come on, you can't focus your energy on him forever. He's not the same shy guy anymore, Bazz" she insisted to him.

"And what would you know?" Bazz-B suddenly asked lowly, not even looking at the young woman sitting next to him.

Berenice only glanced at him curiously and raised an eyebrow in return. "Excuse me? You're really starting to make me feel like a dimwit, right now. I'm just saying that you shouldn't waste time with…." Berenice was interrupted by seeing Bazz-B fix his angry eyes on her right now.

"What the hell do you know!?" he suddenly snapped at her. "I get it! I know you, Cang or Driscoll could care less about Jugo! But for me, who grew up in the same village as him, it's drastically different!" Bazz-B told her sternly.

Berenice simply made a gesture with her hand to calm him down. "Easy there, buster! No need to get hissy with me!" she told him before sighing deeply in annoyance. "Sheesh, you're still as impulsive as you were back in Eisenschild. And even as a Sternritter, you're still the same brat" she then told him.

Hearing this caused Bazz-B to grunt in return, and he even began facing up towards the blue skies. "Well you're still the same bitch as usual" he rudely relied back to him.

The young woman merely huffed and looked into another direction as well. "Whatever, Bratty Bazz" she responded with her nickname for him.

* * *

 _Inside the military academy of Kriegsschlacht, Antiquität_

In one of Kriegsschlacht's many classrooms, one of the Sternritters: Viktor Zeidritz, was having some form of education in front of a class of Quincies. Apparently, the elderly man was teaching something to them. It involved around the Quincy's ideals and goals. Zeidritz was showing this on a blackboard, where he had drawn a Hollow right in the middle of a group of Quincy archers.

"Now as you can see, the importance of us Quincies eliminating Hollows is absolute" the white-haired man told them all and they listened carefully while taking some notes as well. "Hollows are creatures born out of the darkness. They live to devour anything, just to satisfy their hunger for souls. As such, creatures like them never deserve any form of sympathy" he sternly told them while showing them this.

Among those who sat in the classroom listening was Cang Du. Yes, ever since he became a Sternritter, he had constantly grown calmer and focused on the tasks he had. As such, he attended lessons such as these, as they gave him more information about how to be stronger and prepared for killing Hollows. Yes, the young black-haired man had never forgotten how Hollows slaughtered his family. Therefore, he felt more encouraged to fight as he listened to Zeidritz's explanation

"The Shinigamis believe that lost souls such as those deserve to be in paradise. Such utter nonsense!" Zeidritz snapped and even threw the stick he held on the ground. The man with the eyepatch then faced the students who were seated before him. "This is what separates us Quincies from those delusional dwellers in the Soul Society. They follow a fake ideology…a fake king…and a fake theory about the so-called end of the world. Oh, how I despise their…stupidity!" he then expressed his open distaste about the Shinigamis, as well as the Soul Society.

But as he was trying to compose himself, a shy voice suddenly interrupted him. "But aren't the Shinigamis' theory true?" it came from a young white-haired teenager. All the other students then focused their attentions on him, each of them glancing at him with raised eyebrows. "I mean, I know that Hollows are dangerous and that they need to be stopped. But what about the balance of the world? And Hollows were once Pulses. Are they really that evil?" he then asked the teacher with a kind of curious voice.

Zeidritz only walked towards the young boy's desk, his eyes narrowing at the sight of him. The white-haired boy with shoulder-length hair simply glanced at him with slight worry in his eyes. Eventually, Zeidritz slammed his right hand on his desk and fixed his eyes upon the student. Like many others, the young boy was also a Sternritter.

"Luddenwig Van Gogh. How many times have I told you to never question the philosophy of His Majesty?" Zeidritz sternly asked him, thus making the young boy slightly worried. "Tell me, have you been poisoned by someone?" he then asked the young boy named Luddenwig.

"No sir, absolutely not!" the young boy insisted and stood up from his seat saluting him in the process. "My loyalty belongs to His Majesty and His Majesty alone!" he then said while doing his best to not look like a fool in front of everyone. "My membership in the Sternritter alone proves it" he then added while facing the man with the white eyepatch.

Zeidritz continued to narrow his eyes further, yet he did not do anything to Luddenwig. However, he grabbed a paper that was lying on the desk belonging to a black-skinned man who was quite obese. He wore sunglasses while he was drawing some hearts on one of his papers. The young man could see what Zeidritz was doing and reacted harshly.

"Hey! That's one of my papers! I need them to make love letters!" he pouted while seeing Zeidritz take it away from him.

The man with the eyepatch glared at him strictly. "Shut your trap, PePe Waccabrada! You're supposed to be taking notes, not drawing! Now get your senses together! Otherwise, there will be two Dummkopfs sitting on the corner" he strictly berated the chubby man, who immediately started to behave like an angel. Seeing this, Zeidritz began making a dunce hat with the paper and he even wrote a D on it. But it did not stand for "dunce". Rather it was something else. As soon as he was finished, Zeidritz put the hat on Luddenwig's head and then pointed his finger towards a corner in the classroom. A stool was standing there. "Okay Dummkopf! Now got sit in the corner until class is over!" the elderly man then commanded him.

Luddenwig rose up from his desk and walked towards the corner in shame, where he sat on while wearing the dunce hat. The young teenager felt humiliated and simply faced the ground, not having enough guts to look at the many students that were laughing at him.

Zeidritz went back to the blackboard and got everyone's attention by poking his stick on it. He then resumed the lesson. "Alright everyone. Know that we all are past this episode, we may as well continue from where we left off. Now I want to test your knowledge about the Shinigamis. If the time comes and we are to invade their home, knowing their weaknesses and strengths might come in handy" Zeidritz explained while he brushed away the Hollow-drawing on the blackboard. He then held out the chalk in his hand and eyed all the students in the classroom. "Now I want one of you to come up here and write down the name of the place where the Shinigamis dwell in the Soul Society. What is it called? Can one of you come up here?" he then asked while surveying the students.

One of the Sternritters rose up from his seat and approached the blackboard. It was a tall muscular man who had black skin. His black hair was shaven and he also seemed to possess some teeth that almost looked like fangs. Even so, the tall man slowly drew the name of the place Zeidritz was asking about and he did it phenomenally. The chalk was small, yet his hands were big. As soon he was finished, all the students could see the word Sereitei being written on the blackboard. Zeidritz smiled while giving the tall man some applause for his work.

"Quite phenomenal, Jerome Guizbatt. You really are smart" the elderly man commended him. Jerome simply bowed his head in appreciation before returning to his seat. Once again, Zeidritz surveyed the students once again, indicating that he was not yet finished. "Well, Jerome has demonstrated his intelligence. Now I want another volunteer. Which one of you are brave enough to come up here and write down the name of that accursed man who leads the 13 Court Guard Squads?" the man with the eyepatch then asked, making sure that all the Sternritters got it through their heads.

This time, a young black-skinned man with shaved white hair stoop up and approached the blackboard, eventually snatching the chalk from Zeidritz's fingers. This young man was dressed in a Lichtreich-uniform and like the Zeidritz, he also wore a white eyepatch. But this one covered his left eye. He quickly wrote down the name easily before nodding his head at the teacher.

Zeidritz was pleased to see the result. The name Shigekuni Yamamoto was written on the blackboard with large letters. He gave the young man some applause for his work. "Excellent work, Lille Barro. I must say, you and Jerome are becoming quite good Sternritters" he praised him and Jerome, although Lille was already headed towards his desk.

Someone was silently muttering to himself as he heard what was being said at the blackboard. It was a very young teenager with slick black hair. He did not have the strand hanging down across his face at that time. No, he would get it many years later. He was probably at the same age as Luddenwig.

"This sucks, how come I don't get much love?" the young Askin Nakk Le Vaar asked in his head while resting his chin on his right hand. But something hit in the young boy's head. "But then again, I should've taken the initiative and written the answer…...but I didn't even know them!" he then exclaimed with a hint of stress and anger in his head.

At another table, a lean brown-skinned man with afro was drawing something on his papers. Like PePe, he also wore sunglasses and they were bigger than usual. In the future, he would have different hairstyle and teeth, but at that time, he was having a cool appearance. This was NaNaNa Najakhoop. He was currently drawing women on the papers instead of taking notes. He grinned cockily.

"Ah hell yeah! Just that hits the spot!" NaNaNa thought while continuing drawing the women. "Dem girls gotta have it all! Jugs, booties, hips, lips and even eyes! Dayum they look hot!" he added to his perverted thoughts. Yes, NaNaNa was known to be the womanizer amongst the Sternritters. Whereas PePe was interested in men, NaNaNa was interested in women. They were opposite personalities.

Zeidritz realized that the lesson was now over and he had to end the class. "Alright. That's all for today's lesson. I will see you all tomorrow" the elderly man said and all the Sternritters rose up from their chairs and left the classroom. However, Zeidritz wanted some two of them to remain for a particular reason. "PePe Waccabrada and NaNaNa Najakhoop! You two are in charge of cleaning the classroom!" he sternly told them while bringing forth the mop and bucket.

Both young Sternritters snapped by seeing this, especially NaNaNa. "WHAT!? AH, HELL NAW!" he cursed out in anger by seeing this.

"How come we have to clean up the mess!?" PePe asked Zeidritz while pouting. "Can't you like, let others do it!?" he then asked in his usual sassy manner.

Zeidritz glanced at them dispassionately. "You know why. Because you are a couple of damn imbeciles who never takes my lessons seriously!" the elderly man snapped at them, thus forcing the two young men to take their responsibilities seriously.

Luddenwig exited the classroom, still wearing the pointy hat. As soon as he was in the hallway, he threw it away. The young boy always resented being stuck as the laughing stock in the classroom. He was on his way back to his room. At Kriegsschlacht, all Sternritters slept in a room in which was suited for two or three people. Luckily, the young boy had to share room with only one roommate, although they never got quite along well.

"Hey Dummkopf! How's it going?" the smug voice came from Askin, as he joined up with Luddenwig. The white-haired boy only sighed in irritation. Askin tried to hold back his laughter. "Come on, you gotta admit that it was funny! I mean, you always tend to make an ass of yourself in the classroom" Askin pointed out.

"I don't do that intentionally!" Luddenwig snapped before stroking his white hair. "It's just that sometimes, I wonder if killing Hollows without remorse gives us a meaning in life. Maybe we should reconsider eliminating them and start purifying them instead" he young boy added, only to have his mouth muffled by Askin's hand.

The black-haired boy shushed him and carefully looked around to make sure that they were not heard or followed. "Are you seriously deluded!? You can't stuff like that here! Hell, if Captain Haschwalth were around here, he would've had your head on a plate!" Askin then told Luddenwig, who listened closely.

Luddenwig removed Askin's hand and proceeded towards the room they shared together, eventually sitting on his bed. "I have a right to express my own opinion as a Quincy! My family taught me that" the white-haired boy said while facing Askin, who sat on the bed across from him.

"Oh yeah? I dare you to say those things in front of His Majesty himself. Then we'll see if you still wanna hold onto this individuality-crap or whatever you call it" the slick-haired boy said while lying on his bed. "Anyway, I'm gonna catch some z's for now, so will you try to keep it down?" Askin then requested of him before shutting his eyes to rest.

Knowing that speaking to his roommate was no longer an option, Luddenwig decided to read instead. He reached for a book that he hid underneath his pillow and began reading it peacefully. The book itself was all about Hollows and Pulses, as well as the legend about the Soul King. Even though books such as these were forbidden to rid for Quincies, Luddenwig insisted on holding onto those. The book told him about many things.

In another room, Jerome was currently sleeping on his bed. On the other hand, his roommates were reading books. Jerome shared room with PePe and NaNaNa. That was in his mind, quite a living hell, considering how his two roommates could be quite annoying at times. Among those three, Jerome seemed to be the one who was most serious and calm. The muscular man was sleeping so sweet, until he could hear a loud fart in the room and it was quite long.

Apparently, PePe had let out a large fart and it awoke Jerome from his rest and interrupted NaNaNa from his reading. But the chubby man did not seem to care what he just did and proceeded to read his book about men.

"Oops…..silly me!" PePe said with a slight hint of embarrassment in his voice. "I never expected my stomach to like have so much gas inside" he then added to his statement.

But NaNaNa was quite agitated and put his book about women away. "Bruh! Can yo fat ass calm the fuck down!?" he angrily asked before he could smell something and it felt horrible. The lean-skinned man covered his nose. "Dayum PePe! Why do you have to open up yo ass whenever you're around us!?" he then asked.

Jerome did the same thing and angrily glared at PePe as well. "Yeah! We HAVE a bathroom as a matter of fact!" the muscular man told his roommate.

PePe took a break from his reading and pointed his finger at the door in the corner in which lead to the tiny bathroom that existed in this room. "That so-called bathroom you're talking about is too small for me to fit in, darling! You know that well, since you're too tall to fit in the bathroom! Only NaNaNa fits in there!" he spoke up with sarcasm in his voice.

NaNaNa was not impressed by PePe's excuse. "Well if you started losing some weight then maybe you would've fit in nicely!" the afro-haired Quincy told his fellow Sternritter.

"I lose weight when I feel like it, bitch! Shut your bitch-ass mouth!" PePe hit back at his words.

As he watched NaNaNa and PePe continue back and forth, Jerome felt like not getting himself involved in this kafuffle. He basically laid sideways so that his back was showing them. He then put the pillow over his head, in hopes of not being able to listen to whatever foul words that was exchanged between his two lousy roommates.

In another room, Bazz-B was currently sitting on his bed. He was in deep thought about the episode that had transpired earlier. But his moment of silence was interrupted when the door to the room opened and in came his roommate, Quilge. Yeah, Bazz-B was sharing room with the vice-captain's cousin, a fact he did not like. Nevertheless, the reddish purple-haired man didn't necessarily pay much attention to the four-eyed man, as he was kind of a geek not to waste time with. In fact, he rather much preferred Quilge over either Driscoll or Cang.

"Gosh, I really hate Driscoll so much!" Quilge said out angrily before noticing Bazz-B sitting on his bed. "Oh, hey" he then said with no enthusiasm in his voice before walking over to his own bed.

Bazz-B laid down and rested his hands behind his neck. He then looked over to his roommate with lazy eyes. "You look kinda frustrated" he then noted to his fellow Sternritter.

"Speak for yourself, Bazz-B!" Quilge hit back at him before crossing his arms and muttering to himself. "If only that stupid law didn't exist amongst us Sternritters, then I could've given Driscoll a piece of my mind!" the four-eyed man then exclaimed in irritation.

The brash man merely grunted in return. "Ya know something. I'm thinking about the same thing as you do" Bazz-B admitted to him, although Quilge did not seem to take much notice of his statement. "I really wanna beat Jugo. Hell, I just hunger to kick some ass right now" he then added to his words.

Quilge glanced over at him with a raised eyebrow. "Are you planning on fighting Jugram Haschwalth?" the young Sternritter asked his roommate before starting to pick up a book that lied at the nightstand beside his bed. "Man, do you even realize how delusional you sound right now? I mean, what makes you think you can defeat Captain Haschwalth in a duel?" the four-eyed man then asked him with a stunned expression.

"Well if he was that strong, he would've accepted my challenges and fought me. But so far, he has only dodged me like some kind of a pest. It pisses me off!" Bazz-B said in return, not taking Quilge's words seriously.

The young man took off his hat, thus exposing his black hair with two bangs reaching to his ears. "Hmmm….don't say I didn't warn you" he then told his roommate before opening his book. But as he read, he could suddenly see Bazz-B get off his bed and head towards the door. "Where are you going?" he then asked the hotheaded man.

"Since when did you become so concerned about me?" Bazz-B asked with a scoff before forming a cocky grin at his roommate in return. "Now about where I'm going. Well, I'm heading out to town. Rumors say there's a brawl taking place in the local tavern's basement. I'm definitely gonna go there and test my skills" he said to the young man.

Quilge's glassed eyes widened in disbelief. "Whoa, are you serious? You know the rules about sneaking out during the….." he stopped as Bazz-B exited the room, thus leaving him alone by himself. The four-eyed man could not help but to wonder whether he should actually join his roommate. But then again, he never had any interest in fighting like Bazz-B had.

Bazz-B was in the hallway and he immediately went to the door next of his. It was the room belonging to his "calm neighbors". With a smirk, the hotheaded man banged his fist on the door, doing it repeatedly.

"Hey assholes! I'm here!" he rudely spoke up until the door itself opened and Cang was standing there with his usual cold and unfazed expression on his face. Despite being given this glance, Bazz-B still smirked. "Hey there stoneface, ready to go?" he then asked with an insult directed at him as usual.

The black-haired man was not impressed. "Why go now? The sun hasn't gone down yet!" Cang sternly told Bazz-B.

"Screw that sunset-bullshit! You know how crowdy that place gets when evening comes" the brash man pointed out to him. "And besides, if lucky, we may be able to pick some fights earlier" he then added, trying to persuade Cang.

"Then what the hell are we standing here for?" the voice came from Lille, who was actually Cang's roommate. They were both among the most silent of the Sternritters and the fact that they shared the same room only made it edgier. The man with the white eyepatch glanced at Bazz-B. "This place better be worth visiting. Otherwise, I'm gonna whoop your ass" Lille then told Bazz-B.

Bazz-B merely scoffed at him in return. "Whatever. Now hurry up! Berenice may be over there as we speak! She may take the spot from us!" the young man then urged his comrades to follow him. The two silent types did that without hesitation.

* * *

 _Outside the local tavern, the streets of Antiquität_

Antiquität was a town that was relatively larger than Eisenschild. In fact, it could be considered a city, given the appearances of many taller structures that didn't exist in Eisenschild like forts and towers. But as the sun went down, there were lesser people in the streets and the trio of Sternritters were now standing outside the tavern. But the tavern itself was built at the edge of a long structure which also housed many other forms businesses. But right beside the entrance to the tavern stood a giant waterwheel, which was running along the river. What also separated Antiquität from other towns was the fact a river ran through the town.

Bazz-B, Cang and Lille entered the door and it lead them to a stairway that took them downwards. Apparently, this tavern had its mess hall downstairs and it proved to be correct as the trio of Quincies arrived at it below. The mess hall itself had like many taverns in the Lichtreich, interior which was German-inspired. Even now, the mess hall was crawling with customers and they both drank and ate to their hearts' content.

"Okay genius. Where to now?" Lille asked Bazz-B, who merely scoffed at him in return.

"Well, that's obvious. We ask the bartender and tell him about our objectives. Then he will show us the way" the brash man replied and pointed his finger at the counter where the bartender was currently cleaning some glasses.

The trio walked over to the bartender, who was a man with black hair and dark eyes. Somehow, he looked quite familiar to Bazz-B as he had seen that man once in the tavern in Eisenschild. The man had a somewhat melancholic appearance, as his eyes looked very empty. However, as soon as the trio of Sternritters approached him, the bartender faced them with his dark eyes.

He fixed a slight smile when seeing this. "Ah, Sternritters. I humbly welcome you" he welcomed them in a slight empty manner. Truth is, his voice sounded so empty, as if he was a living zombie. "How can I be of service to you mighty knights of the light?" he then asked them with formality in his voice.

Bazz-B only grunted in return, indicating that he did not care much about the man's formality. "Forget the formal crap, barkeep. We just wanna know where the brawl is taking place" he then rudely told him.

Despite being told this, the bartender didn't seem to mind. In fact, he was slightly amused about what he heard them say. "So you are here for the brawl? Then you have arrived too early, my friend. It doesn't start before midnight" he then told him while making sure Cang and Lille got that as well.

"WHAT!?" Bazz-B angrily snapped as he was about to slam his fist on the counter, only for Cang and Lille to restrain him. "Damn it! Let me go…" he then told them.

"Idiot! I told you we should've waited until later to come here" Cang told the brash-headed man.

Bazz-B only gritted his teeth in anger by hearing this. "Don't you dare say that to me, you stonfaced son of a…" before he could continue, a familiar voice called out to them.

"Hey there, boys! Fancy seeing you here" the voice came from Berenice, as she stood there facing the trio smugly. However, her eyes were specifically fixed upon Bazz-B. "Missed me, handsome?" she then asked him while before winking at him with her left eye.

Bazz-B sighed deeply as he heard this. "You know the answer: hell no" he replied back with no enthusiasm in his voice. "What are you doing here anyway?" he then asked her.

Berenice them motioned her head backwards towards a table where a group of Sternritters sat and enjoyed themselves with leverages. Imogene Ingleright was sitting beside a young man with messy blonde hair and facial hair. That young man, who seemed kind of intoxicated was a member of the Sternritters, as well as Imogene's fiancé: Floyd Lloyd. But apart from them, Robert, Bernard, Luddenwig, Jerome, Driscoll, NaNaNa and PePe could be seen sitting there by a long table at the corner.

"You know why. Imogene and Floyd are getting married and we thought about arranging a bachelor party…well sort of" Berenice said with a hint of confusion in her voice. But she then fixed an optimistic expression on her face. "Hey, why don't you join us?" she then asked them gleefully.

Bazz-B immediately scowled when he heard that. "Yeah, like we would…" he was surprised when he saw both Cang and Lille nod their heads at her before walking towards the long table and take some seats. The hotheaded man dropped his jaw by seeing this, as he could not believe that they would be interesting in joining.

Berenice smiled smugly. "Well, I see that Cranky Cang and Lonely Lille are interested, which is surprising indeed. I mean, they both tend to spend much time by themselves" she then remarked before heading towards the counter and fixing a smile at him. "Excuse me, barkeep. Could you bring three mugs of beer to our table?" she then asked him.

The bartender simply nodded his head at her with a slight smile of his own before starting Berneice's order. The pink-haired woman then headed back to the table, with Bazz-B reluctantly accompanying her.

Driscoll grinned by what he was seeing and fixed a smug look at Bazz-B as he sat across him. "Heh! I knew that you would come here!" he then said to him before taking a slurp from his mug.

"Just shut up, I'm not in the mood for jokes" Bazz-B replied back while resting his chin on his right hand.

Bernard smiled by seeing so many Sternritters sitting at the long table. "Now this is a good sight to behold. I'm glad that so many of you could join us to honor a couple that is about to get married" the curly-haired man remarked before fixing his eyes upon the blonde-haired man. "Now Floyd, how does it feel to be engaged to a fine, good-looking woman like Imogene?" he then asked his long-time comrade.

"Well, Imogene is a gran' lassy. Waaat else can oi say?" the young man spoke up with a strong Irish accent. It was uncertain whether his drinking contributed to this manner of speech of his. "But den again, oi didn't propose ter 'er wi' a rin'" Floyd added while surprising some of his comrades.

"What? You didn't propose to her with a ring?" Berenice asked with widening eyes as she glanced at Imogene. "Is he telling us the truth?" she then asked her.

Imogene sighed deeply by hearing this. "Off course he did not. What do you expect?" she replied with a sweet voice, even though it was fake.

Floyd suddenly held out a clover and showed it to everyone. "Oi proposed ter 'er wi' a clover. Yer nu waaat they say, de luk av de Oirish!" he then told them before hiccupping due to the amount of alcohol that was coursing through him.

"Man, dis bum-ass fool ain't speaking clearly! I can't understand him, for real!" NaNaNa exclaimed while feeling kind of bored. He then looked at PePe, who seemed kind of touched by seeing the couple. "And you find dis shit romantic? Dayum, you need a new hobby" the lean afro-haired man then told him.

"Oh shush with you, NaNaNa. Love is like, the most passionate thing there is!" the chubby man told him in return. He then fixed his gaze upon Bazz-B and Berenice, who sat close to one another. "Even now, I can sense the love building up between the two of you" he then pointed out to them.

Both Sternritters immediately expressed disgust at this and moved away from each other. They both looked to other directions, trying to disconfirm these rumors that had been circling above those two.

"You think that Bratty Bazz is gonna be my man?" Berenice asked PePe in disbelief. "Gross, not happening!" she added with defiance in her words.

Bazz-B only snickered lowly in return. "Well, I could care less about what you think" he then said in return.

Many of the Sternritters were secretly musing to themselves over this fact, as some of them saw Bazz-B and Berenice as perfect for one another, not just PePe. The two Sternritters did not even look at one another after hearing them having fun about this.

"Here are three mugs of beer that you ordered" the Sternritters could see the bartender stand by their table with three mugs and delivered them one by one. "I am sorry for the long wait, but someone required my attention before I could start on your leverages" the long-haired man then apologized with his soft-spoken voice.

Robert smiled at his service. "We really appreciate your services, barkeep. What would we have done without you?" he then commended the young bartender's service.

The bartender looked at Robert and fixed a smile, despite having those empty eyes. "I gladly accept your compliment, sir" he said while bowing his head formally at the Sternritters. "And by the way, since you are the Sternritters, you can call me by my real name. I am Äs Nödt. Pleased to be of acquaintance" he then introduced himself with a nod and was about to walk away, only for Bazz-B to grab the black-haired man by his right hand.

"Hold it, barkeep! You're hiding something from us!" the hotheaded man told him, only for Äs to swat his hand away.

The bartender turned around and fixed a disapproving glance upon Bazz-B. "I believe I just told you my name, fool. It's Äs Nödt" the black-haired man sternly told him before motioning his head towards one of the other tables in the mess hall. This made the brash man look in the direction he was gesturing his head at. From what he could tell, there were three people who sat by themselves. They all wore dirty, hooded cloth, which concealed their identities completely. "Do you see those three over there? Like you, they have a particular interest in the brawl that's taking place around midnight. They will be participating in it. However, I would be careful if I were you. Some say, they are the strongest of Quincies that exists in the Lichtreich" Äs then informed Bazz-B before taking his leave.

Some of the other Sternritters had taken notice of the three hooded strangers sitting at the other edge of the mess hall. Like Bazz-B, they had also been interested in seeing who they really were underneath those filthy clothes.

"So those three are also here for the brawl?" Cang wondered, his stern eyes narrowing further as he glanced at the hooded trio. "Somehow, I think these three may be more than just Quincies" the black-haired man added to his statement.

"Yeah, who are they really?" Lille asked lowly. "I've never seen them around town before. Hell, they may not be Sternritters" the black-skinned man with the white eyepatch spoke up his mind while seeing the three strangers sitting to themselves.

"Heh! Why are you two acting like a pair of sissies all of a sudden?" Driscoll asked them both with his usual bullying grin. "Oh, I get it! Maybe you two want to chicken out" he then tried to taunt them.

Both Cang and Lille merely glanced at the tall man with eyes of displeasure, not even saying something back in return. Neither of them seemed to take Driscoll's words for real. The same thing could be said for Jerome and his roommates.

"My god, Driscoll! Don't you ever shut up!?" PePe rudely asked the tall man.

Driscoll fixed his stern eyes upon the chubby man. "I wasn't talking to you, queer. So stay out of this" Driscoll said before fixing his eyes upon Jerome, who seemed less than pleased to see him. "Say Jerome, are you participating in this brawl or whatever?" he then asked him with a cocky grin.

Jerome sighed deeply in annoyance by hearing this. "What kind of question are you asking me? Of course I am….." before Jerome could continue, a large burp was let out by one of the Sternritters.

To everyone's disgust, it was Floyd who drank up the three mugs of beer that was reserved for Lille, Cang and Bazz-B. The blonde-haired man was acting even more drunk than usual, much to the embarrassment of his fiancé. His fellow Sternritters could not believe their eyes.

"What the…..he just" Lille uttered out in disbelief.

"I….I can't believe he really did that" Berenice said.

"Dayum! Dat fool sure drank a handful!" NaNaNa remarked by what he was seeing.

Imogene facepalmed by hearing this. "Bloody hell, Floyd! You are such a donkey!" she expressed her open irritation of her future husband's drunken habits.

Right now, Floyd was in his own world and his fellow Sternritters could tell it by just looking at the way he was behaving right now. The blonde-bearded man patted his stomach lightly. "Ah, dat felt deadly! It tasted loike a whiskey in de jar!" Floyd spoke up with his Irish accent. He then faced Bazz-B, Lille and Cang, knowing well that he had just drank up their mugs of beer. "Sorry aboyt dat, lads! Me Oirish throat likes de consistence in de jars. Naw 'ard feelings, aye?" he then spoke to them before he lost balance and fell from his chair.

Imogene, Bernard and Robert quickly got to his side and helped him up. "Okay, Floyd. Maybe you have had enough alcohol for now. What about we go back to your room?" Bernard asked his friend nicely, even though he could see that Floyd was not able to listen to what was being said. "Okay you two, how about we three go back to Kriegsschlacht?" the curly-haired man then suggested to them.

"I was hoping you would say that" Robert said in return and the three Sternritters helped up their drunken comrade and went up the stairs to the exit, even though it was challenging in helping Floyd up the stairway.

As Luddenwig saw them leave, he could not help but to wonder whether he should've accompanied them back to the military academy. Without thinking he ran off from his seat and headed straight towards the stairways. But unbeknownst to the young white-haired boy, someone was blocking his way. In the minute he was to turn, someone tall bumped into him. This caused the teenaged boy to fell on his behind and he looked up to see who it was.

It was a tall and muscular man, who was dressed like a German blacksmith. Not only was his slick hair noticeable, but also the long mustache that hang underneath his nose and over his mouth. Accompanying the tall man was a tiny man with a chubby form. Luddenwig felt embarrassed over bumping into a stranger and immediately got up to apologize.

"I'm terribly sorry, sir. I didn't mean to…." The white-haired boy was interrupted by the tall man speaking.

"Hmmm….aren't you a bit too short to be a Sternritter, kid?" the man asked him before walking past Luddenwig. He could not help but to slightly laugh at the young boy. He then fixed his attention on Äs, who was still standing by the counter "Hmmm….I was told that there would be Sternritters coming there, but I did not expect them to look so…..short" he then told the bartender.

Äs only rolled his eyes in return and pointed his finger at the group of Sternritters sitting by the long table. "The REAL Sternritters are sitting over there, you oaf" the black-haired man told him and the man looked at the direction he pointed at.

"Wow! Look at that group, Mask!" the tiny man said to his partner. "They sure look promising, don't you think?" he then asked the man whom he referred to as Mask.

Mask only grinned with enthusiasm in his voice. "Of course, James! I will gladly be able to test my skills upon one of these so-called Sternritters. Perhaps then will I, Mask De Masculine, become the number 1 superstar in the entire Lichtreich!" he then declared while facing the group of Sternritters.

 _To be continued…_

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 **Author's note: Well, the third of the Friend-chapters. The next will be the final of them all. In this case, I want to show you some of the Quincies that would later go on to become Sternritters. And yes, Imogene Ingleright and Floyd Lloyd are the parents of twin brothers: Loyd and Royd, who would later go on to join the Sternritters. I wanted them to have an English and Irish tune, as it matched their personalities. Also in this chapter, Lille, NaNaNa, PePe, Jerome, Askin, Äs and Mask were given a chance to appear. As did Luddenwig, although he's only an OC. The next chapter will tell us about the brawl taking place in the tavern. It will also take us to the present and conclude the duel between Haschwalth and Bazz-B. What will happen between those two friends? Stay tuned. Now let us take a look at the new terms we were introduced to in this spectacular chapter.**

 **Infernalixx – meaning Hatred of God: This is the Quincy: Vollständig of Bazz-B. When he takes that form, his head will burn, including his Mohawk. Also, he has wings of fire, as well as tattoos of skulls marked across his muscular torso. While in that form, Bazz-B's fire capabilities only increases. (Fun fact: When imagining how his form would have looked like, I looked at the design of Firestorm from the DC Universe, particularly when it came to his burning head)**

 **Kriegsschlacht – German for "War Battle": This is the military academy in which all those who wishes to join the Lichtreich's military attend, where they get tons of education and strict discipline.**

 **Dummkopf – German for "Dumb Head": This is a term that is usually used by Quincies to refer to those who does not follow the ideals of Yhwach and instead begins questioning them. Such is common for teachers at** **Kriegsschlacht to do when disciplining students. Being labelled a Dummkopf is the same as a dunce.**


	36. Friend 4

**Author's note: This chapter will be the final of the Friend-chapters. WARNING: This chapter will reveal you something shocking that will take place in Silbern's throne room. Reader's discretion is advised. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

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 **Chapter 36: Friend 4**

 _Flashback, 1200 years ago, inside a tavern, the town of Antiquität, Lichtreich_

As the oafish man named Mask De Masculine made this declaration, many of the customers in the mess hall could not help but to watch him with surprised eyes. Each of the guests had different reactions to Mask's declaration, with some viewing him as clown, while others starting to take an interest in fighting him. No one had seen this man before, except for Bazz-B, who had also seen him in a tavern in Eisenschild. The man with the moustache simply smiled with confidence, while his tiny partner clapped his hands together in admiration of his taller partner.

"Listen up, you fiends! I am Mask De Masculine and I demand some worthy opponents to fight me!" the man with the moustache said while surveying the mess hall for any potential opponents, not just the Sternritters. Mask cracked his gloved fists. "Now then, which of you are tough enough to accept my challenge? Hopefuly some of you sitting in this hall are more than happy to…" as he was speaking so loudly, his eyes caught the glimpse of a Reishi Arrow headed directly towards him. With his quick reflexes, Mask grabbed it and threw it away.

The one who had just fired it was Bazz-B, who had just gotten off his seat at the long table and brought forth his Spirit Weapon. The punkish man grinned as he saw the tall man catch he arrow.

"Hey! Correct me if I'm mistaking, but I heard you say something about worthy opponents, am I right?" Bazz-B asked while blowing off the smoke of his Reishi Crossbow. "Well. You called, I answered!" he then said with a smug look.

Seeing this only made Mask narrow his eyes at him for a brief moment. But he soon smiled gleefully as he was kind of happy to see Bazz-B accept his challenge. "Finally, a Sternritter who wishes to fight me. Let us see if you are worthy of wearing that outfit!" he then said, trying to taunt Bazz-B.

The hotheaded man had no means to continue this talk, so he simply let his Spirit Weapon do the talking for him. Bazz-B fired multiple arrows at his opponent. But to his surprise, Mask grabbed the nearest table he could find and used it as a cover against the incoming arrows. The tall man then lifted the table up in the air, thus revealing a cocky grin at Bazz-B, who got angered by seeing this.

"Is that the best you can do!? Hah! I laugh at your archery!" Mask taunted Bazz-B before throwing the table towards the group of Sternritters, which surprised everyone in the mess hall. This resulted in a dusty bomb. Many of the customers were screaming in shock, as it left quite a ruckus in the tavern. The bartender became furious at Mask's actions.

"You imbecile!" Äs Nödt said to him while slamming his hands on the counter. "You do remember the rules: no fighting in the mess hall! Fighting must take place down in the basement!" the black-haired man angrily reminded Mask.

The blonde-haired man with the moustache simply shrugged him off. "Sorry about that. But I sense a brawl coming, so I might as well start it here right now!" Mask said before he stomped his right foot on the floor, thus making one of the nearby barrels come at him. Mask took hold of the barrel and was ready to throw it once again. He grinned cockily. "Alright, "so-called" Sternritters! Are you ready for some more!?" he then asked, trying to taunt his opponents.

But he snapped as he could feel someone aiming a Reishi Rifle towards him. Mask turned right and saw who was emerging from the dust. It was Lille Barro, whose Spirit Weapon was that of a rifle made of Reishi. The bullets he fired at that time were made out of Reishi, nothing else. The man with the white eyepatch was quick to fire his rifle.

"Try some of this, fool!" Lille berated Mask, who only managed to avoid the bullet by falling backwards, this landing his middle back on the counter. Lille was stunned, yet he did not give up just yet. "Heh, you got lucky! But not this time!" the black-skinned man was about to shoot another round, only to feel himself getting pierced by a Reishi Lance in his stomach. Lille was then thrown against the wall, like a dart.

"Hah! You're not getting him, weakling!" the bullying voice came from Driscoll, who was grinning with satisfaction over seeing Lille being caught by his lance. The black-haired man then fixed his aggressive eyes upon Mask, who was still leaning backwards. "Now as for you…COME HERE AND FIGHT ME FOR REAL!" Driscoll taunted at him.

The moment Mask rose up on his feet, he immediately turned left and aimed threw the barrel at Driscoll. The bullying man was getting it right at his face and it was a barrel filled with wine. The black-haired man fell on his behind and angrily wiped off the wine on his face. Driscoll immediately got back on his feet and angrily glared at the blonde-haired man dressed like a blacksmith.

"Motherfucker! You'll pay for that with your life!" he angrily cursed at Mask, who merely stood there feeling so confident about his abilities.

Mask grinned. "Then why don't you come here and do something about it? Actions speaks louder than words, repulsive fool!" he then taunted the aggressive Sternritter.

As Driscoll charged against the man with the moustache, Mask simply ducked to avoid the black-haired man's uppercut before launching himself at Driscoll in the air and then throw him down towards the middle of the floor. Mask had actually decided to throw him on the ground as he could see Bazz-B, NaNaNa and Berenice charge at him. As Driscoll was thrown, he hit those three Sternritters. Due to Driscoll's enormous size and strength, the floor cracked and a giant hole was formed in the middle of the mess hall. Customers, tables and other furniture were dragged along with it the broken wood. Mask had made quite a mess in the tavern.

"YOU DID IT, SUPERSTAR!" James exclaimed loudly, never ceasing his admiration of the man dressed as a blacksmith. Mask was now standing on the counter and watched the results of his fighting skills. "NO ONE'S BETTER THAN YOU!" the chubby man added to his praising of Mask.

Mask only appreciated it with a bow and even did that towards the other customers, who had not fallen into the hole in the middle. Then again, the whole place was trashed. However, the muscular Quincy did not seem to care about that and continued to put on a show.

"Thank you, thank you and thank you! The Superstar appreciates your support!" he told those he could see. But none of these customers seemed to be willing to give him some applause. He had completely wrecked the place. Mask fixed his attention on the bartender, who merely glanced at him with his arms crossed. "I beg of your forgiveness, barkeep. Hopefully you are capable of fixing this place back to what it used to be, am I right?" the man with the moustache asked Äs.

The black-haired man merely glanced at him with nothing but disappointment in his eyes. "Is that all you have to say?" he asked with annoyance in his voice. Äs then began looking at the damaged mess hall and the giant hole in the middle that that had taken almost every customer with it, with the exception of those standing by the counter or at the entrance.

One of the few Quincies lucky to not have fallen in the hole was Luddenwig Van Gogh. The white-haired boy stood at the stairs that led to the tavern's entrance and looked as Mask continued acting so high and mighty in front of everyone in the mess hall. The teenager was suddenly interrupted by hearing a familiar voice calling to him from behind.

"Hey there, Dummkopf! What are you standing here for?" the sarcastic voice came from Askin Nakk Le Vaar, as he along with Quilge Opie were standing behind him and glancing at the kafuffle currently taking shape in the mess hall. "We heard that a brawl was gonna happen in this tavern and wanted to witness it. It looks like we arrived a little too late" the black-haired teenage boy remarked smugly while putting his hands into his pockets.

Luddenwig only narrowed his eyes, as he did not feel happy to see his roommate whom he usually did not get along with. But Quilge suddenly drew his blade and pointed it towards Mask, who had barley taken notice of his arrival. The four-eyed man glanced at him with determination.

"You there, barbarous oaf! By the order of His Majesty himself, I place you under…" Quilge's declaration to Mask was interrupted as he felt a hard kick on his behind. It was Askin's doing, the smug-looking teenage boy taking pleasure in having kicked the bookish guy's butt. Askin had kicked Quilge so hard that he had fallen into the hole in the ground.

Askin grinned with pleasure. "Why spoil the fun, Quilge? The party's only getting started!" the teenage boy exclaimed as he jumped down in the hole, leaving Luddenwig behind.

Mask had taken notice of the Sternritters entering the fight and he grinned. The man dressed like a blacksmith was ready to join the pummeling. Unfortunately for him, someone had snuck up to the bumbling Quincy from behind by using the hanging lights in the tavern. From there, Cang Du emerged out of hiding and proceeded to deliver a hard kick on Mask's upper back. This powerful managed to force him down and even broke the rest of the floor near the counter. Once again, many new objects including bottles and barrels fell down into this new hole that was created. Together, the two holes made the mess hall completely floorless and only those standing by the stairs were safe. The tavern's interior was really destroyed. Even some of the customers that were standing in the mess hall had fallen down as well.

Meanwhile, Mask's partner James was trying his best to hold onto the counter, but he lost grip and fell down to the basement. The chubby man eventually landed in an opened barrel and he was afraid that he would break his nose. But fortunately for him, there was some kind of liquid in the barrel and he had a safe landing. But this liquid was actually wine, so James had apparently landing in a barrel of wine.

Äs had not managed to fall down into the basement yet, and he took a glance at what was happening. His eyes narrowed in dispassion. "Look at this mess! Those impotent fools have turned this place into a pigpen" he remarked with low enthusiasm in his voice as he stood behind Luddenwig. The young man was also holding onto a book which closely resembled a bible. Äs turned his attention to the teenager. "So, are all Sternritters like this?" he then asked the young boy lowly.

Luddenwig simply shook his head at the bartender. "Not really. These one's must be really battle-hungry. That probably explains why they joined the Sternritters. His Majesty probably knows that men like these could be useful weapons to him" he replied in return.

"Hmmm…..I see" Äs noted while finding himself a chair to sit on and began reading his book. But he did look over to see Luddenwig just one more time. "Now if you excuse me, I am just going to sit here and read my book. I will pretend that I never saw any of this mess. Feel free to do whatever you want with your comrades, but I wouldn't jump down if I were you" the black-haired man told him in a slight bored tone.

Luddenwig got curious as he heard what Äs was saying. "What do you mean by that?" he asked the young man with the book.

"You are about to find out" that was the only sentence Äs could come up with as he returned his focus on reading his book.

The basement of the tavern, which also functioned as a wine cellar, now possessed so many wreckages from the floor above it. Broken tables, glasses and chairs formed piles of wreckages in the once dark and cold basement. Unlike the mess hall, the tavern's basement was made of nothing but stone bricks. It dotted the basement's interior, both on the walls and on the floor.

Emerging out from one of these wreckages was Mask, who had just been attacked from behind by Cang. As he got up, he stretched his neck as he heard some bones crack. "Such cowardice. How dare those fiends to attack me from behind? I shall make them pay!" he said while expressing his dissatisfaction about this. But Mask suddenly snapped as he could notice that James was not with him. "James! Where are you?" the man with the moustache asked his partner while starting to look around for him.

As Mask began his search by lifting up a table, he suddenly felt himself being in danger as someone was trying to attack him from behind once again. It was Cang, who had activated his Spirit Weapons. The black-haired man glared at him deadly, intending on fighting Mask once again.

However, Mask only grinned as he understood the picture. "Resorting to cowardly tricks, I see?" Mask asked smugly while without even hesitating grabbed Cang's left foot and then began swinging him. At the same time, he then noticed Bazz-B and Berenice coming towards them. "Well I think your tactics are….TOO SLOW!" Mask exclaimed loudly in the minute he threw Cang straight towards the charging Sternritters

"WHAT THE…AAAARRRRGHHHHH!" Bazz-B yelled as Cang flew straight towards him and Berenice resulting in those three getting blown away until they reached to one of the giant barrels of wine. It was quite a crash. And once again, Bazz-B and Berenice were experiencing painful results, even as they got covered in wine.

Mask was smirking as he saw those three blasted away only to be caught by surprise, when two other Sternritters emerged from some of the pile of wreckages. To his left was NaNaNa Najakhoop aiming his Heilig Bogen at him and to his right was PePe Waccabrada aiming his Heilig Bogen at him. The man dressed like a blacksmith stood his ground.

NaNaNa grinned as he aimed his arrow at Mask. "Heh! I got yo ass now, fool! Say hello to mah little….ARGHHHH!" the afro-haired man yelled in agony was he was shot on his left hip by PePe. The chubby man with the sunglasses grinned at NaNaNa. "PEPE, YOU BITCH-ASS MOTHAFUCKA!" NaNaNa yelled out as he was forced to land on the floor.

PePe snickered to himself. "Shut up and stay out of this! I'm taking this prey here all by myself!" he said while aiming another Reishi Arrow at his target. "Now! Let me show you the reason why pain is love!" PePe then said as he fired an arrow at his target.

Mask began stomping his right foot and he managed to get hold of a small table that was big enough to act as his shield. He managed to save himself from the arrow, but PePe was not yet finished. In fact, the chubby man had used Hirenkiyaku to appear behind the muscular man and was ready to fire another arrow. PePe grinned while seeing how slow his opponent was to react.

"Heh! You're mine now, sweet-cheeks!" PePe exclaimed and was about to fire, only to be knocked out into unconsciousness as a big brick was thrown at the black-skinned man's face. His sunglasses were broken and PePe felt himself being in his own world as he fell on the floor. The birds began swirling around his head while his nose was bleeding.

Mask was surprised in seeing this, but the moment he turned around to see who had don that to PePe, a Heilig Pfiel narrowly missed his left cheek. However, a small cut was formed and he was bleeding a little. Turning around, Mask was stunned as he could see Jerome standing there whole carrying a giant brick in his hands while Askin was standing with his Heilig Bogen. Apparently, Jerome had been the one throwing the brick at PePe, while Askin was the one who had fired the Reishi Arrow at Mask.

But they were not alone, as more Sternritters began gathering to challenge Mask. Quilge, Lille, Berenice, Driscoll, Cang, NaNaNa and Bazz-B all stood up on their feet, ready to go all out on the oafish man. However, Mask could not help but to feel excited about this, as he was seeing so many Sternritters who wanted to challenge him so badly.

In an effort to taunt them, Mask made the typical "come at me" gesture to the Sternritters. He was determined to take on these Quincies, even if they were 9 and he was one.

"Now this is only starting to get more interesting! How about you "so-called" Sternritters show me more of your talents! In that way, I will be quite satisfied for tonight!" Mask then called out to them.

The Sternritters were about to attack him, only to stop as they along with Mask could hear a loud and boastful laughter coming to them from one of the basement's tunnels. Three figures stepped out of the shadows and it was the same trio of hooded individuals that they had seen on the mess hall. It was apparent they had also fallen down to the basement. The one in the middle seemed to be the tallest of the trio and he continued to laugh so loud that all attentions were on him.

"What a spectacular brawl this turns out to be! I must admit, I never expected so many fighters to show up tonight!" the hooded figure remarked before beginning to remove his hood, thus revealing everyone his blonde hair that reached to his shoulders, as well as the winged helmet he wore on his head. Truth be told, he looked very strange and unfamiliar to the Sternritters. The blonde-haired man grinned as he got their attentions. "A pleasure in meeting all of you, Sternritters. I may look unfamiliar to you, none of that even matters to me!" he exclaimed with confidence in his voice.

Some of the Sternritters like Driscoll and Jerome seemed quite displeased by listening to the tone in this stranger's voice. But they were not the only one. Bazz-B, Cang and even Mask started to prepare their moves on him. Meanwhile, the other two strangers merely stood by the sidelines and watched as the blonde-haired man continued to taunt the Sternritters.

"Who the hell are you, stranger?" Jerome asked coldly, even going as far as to brandish his Spirit Weapon, which was in the form of a giant hammer made out of Reishi. The shaven-haired man narrowed his eyes. "If you're looking for trouble, then you might have found it. I am definitely gonna test you!" he said and began slowly walking towards the blonde-haired man.

The stringer shrugged his shoulders in return. "Normally, I would not respond to a question coming from a rude fellow like you. However, if you insist, then allow me to tell you!" he said and suddenly stretched out his hands in each direction. "You may call me…Gerard Valkyrie. Now which one of you is tough enough to take on the ultimate Quincy? I dare you come at me at once!" he introduced himself while taunting the Quincies.

Drisoll and Mask both grinned and even went to join Jerome in on the charge against Gerard. The three muscular Quinces were determined to test their might on this stranger. So far, the blonde-haired man had only grinned as he saw three people coming towards him. It was apparent that he had a bloodlust for battle. Jerome was the quickest to reach him and lifted his hammer up before preparing to slam it on the stranger.

"ALLOW ME TO PUMMEL YOU, JACKASS!" Jerome exclaimed loudly as he jumped in the air before preparing his attack.

But Jerome was stunned as Gerard managed to block his attack by holding a shield against the hammer. The blonde-haired man held the shield in his left hand and a Reishi Sword in his right hand. Jerome's attack had caused some shockwaves to be formed, yet the blonde-haired man stood his ground. Furtermore, he had loosened himself off the hooded cloth, thus exposing his black Viking armor, as well the silver cloth underneath his armor and on his legs. While Gerard's shoes were white, he actually wore Viking boots, in which the fur above the soles was black. Truth is, Gerard pretty much looked like the combination of a Valkyrie and a Viking.

"What's wrong?" Gerard asked as he gazed up at Jerome with a cocky grin. "Has your Spirit Weapon started to get rusty?" he then asked once again.

Jerome was in for a surprise as he felt himself being blown away from Gerard. This was due to his shield. The black-skinned Quincy was sent flying up towards the ceiling in the mess hall, where he eventually crashed. The tall man with black shaved hair was thus stuck up in the ceiling.

But Gerard still had to contend with both Driscoll and Mask. Driscoll had unleashed his Reishi Lances and was about to pierce his opponent. But Gerard refused to back away and proceeded to clash against Driscoll with his Reishi sword. The bullying man grinned his teeth as he clashed with his opponent.

"Hah! You think that tiny sword can withstand my lance!? You're way over your head!" Driscoll taunted Gerard to boost his confidence, as well as gaining the upper hand in this clash.

Despite this, Gerard was not keen on holding back and even to Driscoll's surprise managed to push him back with enough might. It was astounding, considering Driscoll's enormous size. "Don't judge a book by its color, simpleton! My sword is the power of hope!" the blonde-haired man exclaimed and swung his sword. Driscoll reacted by using his lance to try blocking the incoming attack. However, the bullying man became stunned when Gerard's Spirit Weapon simply tore through the Reishi Lance and even managed to land a few cuts on Driscoll himself. He screamed in agony while Gerard merely smirked to himself. "Do you believe me now!? Never underestimate the power of my Hoffnung!" he exclaimed while stating the name of his Spirit Weapon.

"NOT SO FAST!" Gerard snapped as he could hear a voice coming from above him. The blonde-haired man's eyed widened slightly in his winged helmet, as he had almost forgotten about Mask. The bumbling man with the moustache was heading straight towards him with a wrestling-inspired move. "I AM THE TRUE CARRIER OF HOPE! NOT SOME RUSTY SWORD CAN REPLACE ME!" Mask added to his exclamation as he headed straight towards his opponent.

Gerard merely frowned as he heard those words. "Hmmmm…..you have spoken your last!" he said in return and all of a sudden threw his shield like a boomerang towards the bumbling man, this hitting him straight in the face. Mask's air attack was ceased, yet Gerard suddenly appeared right before him in the air. Before Mask could even retaliate or make a move, Gerard punched him in the stomach, thus sending the blacksmith down to the floor of bricks. "Taste the might of justice, fool!" Gerard said as he suddenly threw his sword and his shield at Mask, who was lying on the ground. One by one, his equipment hit the muscular man on his chest, thus causing some series pain in Mask. But the muscular Quincy felt even more agony as Gerard suddenly landed right on his stomach with his boots, thus freeing his equipment. The blonde-haired man grabbed hold on them and got off Mask.

The group of Quincies were stunned to see what had just happened. Gerard had easily taken care of Jerome, Driscoll and Mask as if they were nothing but mere nuisances. The blonde-haired man grinned at the rest of the Sternritters, as none of them knew how to respond to this.

"Dayum! Dem homies got fucked up bad, dawg!" NaNaNa exclaimed as he watched lying on the floor while Driscoll were on his knees bleeding seriously. The afro-haired man turned his attention to Bazz-B, Cang and the others. "I say we call this a quit for real" the lean man then added while facing them.

"NaNaNa's right. That man's too dangerous to….." Berenice snapped as she could see that Bazz-B and the rest of the Sternritters were still wanting to confront Gerard. Each of them were intending on testing their abilities.

"Hey, you!" Bazz-B called out to Gerard. "I sure am impressed that you managed to take out those bumbling fools! However, don't expect me to let my ass get handed to ya!" the aggressive man said while holding onto his Reishi Crossbow.

"Hold on! Don't leave me out of this! Quilge spoke up in his bookish accent. "I can finally prove to Driscoll that I'm better in defeating opponents" he then added with an exclamation. Quilge had already drawn out his Reishi Sword.

Askin only rolled his eyes as he heard what was being said. "Geez, no wonder why everyone finds you annoying" the black-haired teenager said while holding onto his Heilig Bogen. He then glanced smugly at Gerard. "Hmmmm…..whoever you are, you would make a perfect Sternritter, no doubt about it" he then noted in his head.

Lille aimed his Reishi Rifle at the blonde-haired man. "Stay out of this, all of you! I alone am capable of hunting this prey perfectly on my own. My shots never miss!" the man with the white eyepatch said while standing ready to fire.

"It is too soon to sound arrogant, Lille Barro" Cang sternly told him before narrowing his eyes at Gerard. "That man…his power is incredible…..." he noted warily in his head.

Gerard simply held up his shield and began tapping it with his sword. "Why are you standing there arguing about who wants to go first!? Come and get me at once! I will take all of you down, just like I did with those three buffoons!" he taunted at them. Apparently, he wanted to face them all. But Gerard could take notice of Driscoll and Mask as they were now standing up to their feet. But Driscoll was still bleeding seriously. Gerard only grinned. "Oh, still alive I see? Perhaps I underestimated your resolve" he admitted to himself.

Mask held onto the injury on his chest. "No one hurts the Superstar…..NO ONE!" the man with the moustache exclaimed as he pointed a finger at the man with the winged helmet on his head.

"I'LL SWEAR, I'M GONNA TEAR YOUR APART, LIMB FROM LIMB!" Driscoll yelled out in anger and even managed to run towards Gerard, despite his critical injury.

Gerard could see that the entire group of Sternritters were now headed straight towards him, and the blonde-haired man hoped that this would bring him some satisfaction in combat. He stood his ground with his sword and shield.

"HAH! THAT'S MORE LIKE IT! ARE ALL OF YOUR WORTHY TO BE CALLED STERNRITTERS!? I WILL BE THE JUDGE OF THAT!" he exclaimed with bloodlust rising in his voice.

However, the charging Quincies were in for a great surprise, as a giant hand made out of stone suddenly headed straight towards them. It was actually an arm made out of stone. The arm was coming so fast, and none of the Sternritters were able to perform Hirenkiyaku to avoid it in time. They were all taken by this giant hand, as it continued straight towards the wall of bricks. The rocky arm was strong enough to make a hole in this wall and it took the Sternritters along with it.

In fact, the hole could be seen from the outside, as an explosion erupted by the tavern. The giant rocky hand had managed to reach the giant waterwheel spinning by the tavern. The rocky hand's strength pushed the waterwheel down into the river. The waterwheel then proceeded to float on the water until it was held back by one of the town's bridges, which was made of rocks. The Sternritters were thrown outside as well, as they all landed in the river. But some of them were fortunate enough to get on land quickly.

Bazz-B got up on his feet from the water and watched as his clothes were soaking wet. It made him furious with anger. "FUCK ME! MY CLOTHES ARE SOAKING WET!" he angrily said while seeing how wet they were.

Quilge was shivering as he got up from the river. The evening had come and it was getting colder in the air. The four-eyed man froze as his wet clothes only helped him feeling colder by the minute. "G-GODDAMNIT! M-MY BALLS ARE F-FREEZING!" the young man with the two bangs said as he felt cold.

"THIS IS SO AGONIZING!" Askin exclaimed as he also felt cold in his wet clothes. Even his hair was wet. "NOT THE HAIR TOO!" he then added to his outrage.

Cang only glanced at the two Sternritters with nothing but narrowed eyes, hinting his displeasure about how whiny they were behaving just now. "What a couple of immature cubs…" he spoke up lowly. The black-haired man then fixed his eyes upon the hole in the tavern. "That ability…..what was that!?" he then asked in a slight angered tone.

"Look! It's that blonde-haired loudmouth again! But there is someone standing beside him!" Lille noted as he could see Gerard standing in the hole looking at them, but he wasn't alone.

The one standing beside Gerard was one of the other hooded strangers, and probably the smallest of the trio. He merely glanced out to where the Sternritters were standing. Gerard however, only glanced at his comrade with a deep frown.

"What's the big idea? There was no need for you to intervene, Gremmy!" Gerard sternly told the one standing beside him. The little individual removed his hood, thus exposing his child-like face, messy blonde hair and crimson eyes. This was without a doubt Gremmy Thoumeaux. "I was perfectly capable of handling these ruffians on my own" Gerard added to his statement.

"Spare me your baseless complaints, Gerard!" Gremmy snapped, his hands tucked inside the pockets of his hooded cloth. He then glanced at the group of Sternritters with empty eyes. "What good is there in wasting time with ants, whose power pales before ours? I simply intervened to prove to them why they can never match up to our strength" the young boy added, his voice so mature despite his childish appearance.

Gerard only scoffed at those words. "Tch, whatever" he said, not even giving much thought about what Gremmy just told him.

Meanwhile, Driscoll had only gotten angrier by being humiliated like this. In fact, he even held onto a Reishi Lance and glared at both Gerard and Gremmy standing in the wall. The bullying man could not stand being reduced to this condition. "EAT THIS, COCKSUCKERS!" he yelled as he threw the lance towards the duo.

But before the lance could even hit its targets, something astonishing happened right before the Sternritter's eyes. The giant waterwheel that had previously been pushed out due to Gremmy's attack earlier was back and rolling again, thus protecting them from the lance. It was shocking, considering that the waterwheel was no longer seen standing by the bridge. The waterwheel was somehow used as a cover by Gremmy and Gerard.

"Damn! How the hell just happened!?" Lille asked as he felt discomfort by seeing this.

"Gosh! I think I need some new glasses!" Quilge added to his statement.

Bazz-B only shrugged his shoulders before he began walking away from the group, only to stop as he could see someone blocking the way before him. The other Sternritters took notice of this as well, and they could see that there were certain people riding on horses. As they got closer, the group was in for a shock as Jugram Haschwalth could be seen sitting on a horse, alongside other Quincies. Among them were his vice-captain: Hubert Opie and other members of the Sternritters: Friedrich von Algora and Imogene Ingleright. They were all riding on horses, accompanied by guards.

"What the…..Jugo….." the punkish man uttered lowly as he could see the blonde-haired man glance at him with his usual disapproving eyes. Bazz-B was beginning to hate this glance now.

Hubert chuckled by what he was seeing. "Well what do you know? Here we are on our night patrol, only to find some unruly Sternritters wreaking havoc in the tavern" the black-haired man noted with slight distaste in his voice, especially since he saw Bazz-B and Driscoll being among them. "All of you better have an explanation for this" he added sternly.

"Cousin Hubert!" the vice-captain was interrupted by the voice of Quilge, who ran straight to his horse, before standing by the horse's left side. The four-eyed man was trying to make an impression on his cousin, who so far, seemed less then pleased to see him. "Oh boy, you should've seen me back in the tavern! I was able to kick butt and land some scratches onto my…." Quilge was interrupted by a hard slap on his face coming from Hubert. The vice-captain showed no remorse for his actions. He continued to glare at Quilge disapprovingly, as the slap had caused him to lose his glasses, as well as making his face bleed.

"I don't wanna hear another word from you, Quilge!" Hubert snapped, while Quilge began holding his nose. "How many times do I have to say this? I can care less about you and your….." Hubert was interrupted by someone grabbing him by his shoulders. It was Algora, who only glanced at him with dispassion. The tall man then began leaning onto his comrade while whispering something

"Don't take it too far while around the captain, Hubert. He and His Majesty are two sides of the same coin. The only thing you will achieve in your disciplining of Quilge is nothing" Algora whispered, thus forcing Hubert to reconsider his actions.

The black-haired man focused his attention on Haschwalth, who had so far, only glanced at him with his usual cold eyes. Reluctantly, Hubert lowered his head in shame, trying to show respect to his superior.

"Sorry, captain. I apologize for my outburst" Hubert said, although his gentle voice was in reality a fake one.

Haschwalth proceeded to glance at the Sternritters before him, his frown never vanishing. "All of you are to return to Kriegsschlacht this instant. I thought I gave you all permission to go our just because of celebrating Imogene's engagement to Floyd. Therefore, I expected all of you to come back to the academy" he told them sternly before eyeing the bright-haired woman, who only closed her eyes and lowed her head slightly. "But here I see you wasting your time causing such kafuffle and vandalism inside a tavern. His Majesty shall be notified of your actions. Then, we will decide on a better way to keep you all leashed. But from now on: now venturing into town during the evening! As Sternritters, all of you are supposed to be examples to our empire!" the blonde-haired man strictly berated them before his horse began turning around. But Haschwalth looked over his right shoulder, indicating that he was not finished with the group. "Tomorrow, all of you are to have a full-day class by Viktor Zeidritz. That class is an obligation to you all. None of you may leave Kriegsschlacht. Come along now" Haschwalth concluded his order and his fellow Quincies followed him.

The Sternritters followed their captain, yet Bazz-B was feeling anger and frustration inside of him. Once again, he was forced to kowtow to Haschwalth. He hated that fact. How did he end up from being a good friend and pushy inspiration for him to a bad-tempered underling and doormat in Haschwalth's eyes? The young man would one day prove himself before him.

"Just you wait, Jugo" he thought in his head as he watched Haschwalth riding his horse. "I'm not done with you, yet! We still have a score to settle! That will be our destiny, our fate!" the young man added to his thoughts.

* * *

 _Present time, inside Silbern's courtyard, Wahrwelt, Soul Society_

Bazz-B thought he had done it. By launching his Full Burning Fingers, he wanted to believe that he had managed to defeat his long-desired opponent. He was even in his Quincy: Vollständig right now. The atmosphere in the courtyard was silent and even Bazz-B himself felt strange in this time of hour.

However, he could still hear some steps behind him, and it made the young man widen his green eyes. Before he even knew it, he felt himself being feetless. This only confirmed it, as Bazz-B fell onto the ground, his body feeling so much pain and suffering. Bazz-B could not believe this. He was now at the end of the rope and he even heard steps coming towards him. Briefly looking to his right side, he saw Haschwalth standing there, his face still carrying empty eyes and no emotion.

Despite the condition he was in, Bazz-B could not help but to chuckle by seeing Haschwalth standing and himself not. Apparently, something had come into his mind. In fact, he even began crawling towards his former friend, although he could only reach to his coat. Bazz-B still continued chuckling, which was quite ironic, given his critical condition.

"You got me there…...Jugo" the brash man said while blood streamed from his lips. "Fuck…...things never go the way you want them to, do they…" he then asked, his voice feeling slightly weaker by the minute. However, something happened to Bazz-B's green eyes and they were filled with sadness. He was even facing the ground. "I thought looing to you…would hurt so much more than this…" he then admitted, for the first time having some form of humility in his voice.

Despite hearing this, Haschwalth remained unfazed. He even began taking a step backwards, this making Bazz-B fall onto his stomach once again. The blonde-haired man had no regret for the condition he had put his friend in. "I tried to tell you how vast the gap between our powers were, but yet you didn't listen. Your lack of management was what became your undoing, Bazz-B" Haschwalth coldly told his lying opponent, who managed to briefly look up at him. But Haschwalth was not yet finished with him. He began lifting his Reishi Sword high in the air. It was apparent that he was now willing to finish off his friend for good. Bazz-B had no power to resist or even move. He only watched as the blonde-haired man was preparing to deliver the final blow. "I should have done this before you even became a Sternritter. All this time, you have desired this. Now I grant you it. Look upon me, Bazz-B. YOU WILL NOW RECEIVE THE JUDGEMENT OF GOD HIMSELF!" the blonde-haired man said and began dropping his sword towards Bazz-B's body.

"STOOOOOOOOOOOOP!" both Bazz-B and Haschwalth snapped as they heard someone scream so loud at the two. It was a female voice. Haschwalth turned to his right side and saw none other than Uryu's Schutzstaffel. Berenice was standing there. Her eyes were streaming with tears. The pink-haired woman with the purple bang was crying by what she was seeing. "STOP THIS…...PLEASE!" Berenice added with a pleading tone while sobbing.

While she was in tears, Driscoll, Cang, Jerome and BG9 were acting rather passively. All of them were silent as they could see what Haschwalth was to actually do to Bazz-B.

"What is the meaning of this…" Haschwalth spoke up lowly while watching Berenice and the other Schutzstaffel standing there. "I thought I told you imbeciles to take care of the rebel Sternritters!" the blonde-haired man strictly berated them.

"They have already fled from the courtyard, Haschwalth" Cang pointed out to him lowly. "The explosion you and Bazz-B caused in Silbern made us all lose focus on the rebels. That enabled them to escape" he then added lowly.

Haschwalth scowled as he heard this. "And you let them escape!?" he asked in utter dispassion in his voice. "Damned fools! Do you even realize what you have…" Haschwalth's scolding was interrupted by one of the Schutzstaffel.

"We are Crown Prince Uryu's Schutzstaffel. Therefore, we answer only to his commands alone! You have no sway over us, Haschwalth!" BG9 reminded the blonde-haired man. "Our orders were to protect Silbern from the rebels. But now, they have fled from us. Therefore, we see no merit in going after them" he added with his robotic voice.

The blonde-haired man only narrowed his blue eyes as heard those. "Careful what you say to me…Bernard Gabor" he addressed the Sternritter by his real name…...or perhaps the name he had as a living Quincy once.

"TO HELL WITH THIS REBELLION-BULLSHIT!" Berenice screamed in anger and sadness while facing Haschwalth. The young woman faced him with slight anger in her eyes. "Please….no more bloodshed…..I beg of you, Jugo" the young woman then added as she looked down at Bazz-B.

"He is a traitor" Haschwalth's reply was like a bullet in the heart. "There is no hope for him, Berenice Gabrielli. Now do me a favor and shut up before I…" Haschwalth was suddenly blocked on his path by Jerome, who merely stood there while crossing his arms.

"Grandmaster Haschwalth, let Bazz-B die peacefully instead of executing him like some animal" Jerome lowly requested from him. "He has been a victim of His Majesty's Auswählen. He has had enough suffering for now, you can see that" the tall man then added while pointing out something to him.

Haschwalth was not impressed. "Sympathy towards your enemy? Your philosophy disgusts me, Jerome Guizbatt" he said in return.

"It is not sympathy, Haschwalth" Jerome then spoke up, thus surprising the blonde-haired man. "Executing our enemies like this, makes us no different than our own enemies. Do you wish to imitate the methods of the Shinigamis and Arrancars? If we Quincies are to prove our worth in this world, then we must follow our own way of justice. Executing the enemy, makes us all no different than our foes. Wouldn't you agree with me, grandmaster?" the tall man spoke up in a very mature manner, which even astounded Haschwalth.

"There is more reason for you not to do this to him. Don't you realize how much Bazz-B has done for you?" Berenice said, while drying her tears. "When you were alone and weak, he took you in, trained you, toughened you and even took pity on your suffering. He became the only friend you ever had in this world!" the young woman pointed out to him while stretching out her hands. Even now, she now stood before Bazz-B's lying body, thus preventing Haschwalth from ever attacking him. "After everything he's done for you…...this is how you wish to repay his friendship? Jugo…...I won't sit by and let you ruin this bond…..as a former friend of yours" the young woman added, her voice still feeling a little sad.

But she was also joined by the rest of the Schutzstaffel, even Driscoll and Jerome. Haschwalth was only surprised as he could see how loyal these Sternritters were to Bazz-B, despite his plans and actions. None of the Sternritters knew what kind of action Haschwalth would take now, but he merely glanced at them with his eyes of emptiness.

After 10 seconds, Haschwalth simply decided to walk away. However, he had some final words for the Sternritters. "Very well. I will not bestow punishment upon him. He may die in peace. However, get rid of this piece of trash this instant! His Majesty's courtyard is not to be defiled by his blood" the blonde-haired man simply told them while looking over his shoulder. He then proceeded to walk up the stairs and into Silbern itself. Haschwalth had no regret using this kind of tone in his voice.

The Sternritters continued to watch their fallen comrade, as he was slowly beginning to lose sight of everything around him. However, Bazz-B was currently invaded in his head by voices he had heard since his childhood. For some reason, he began to lightly smile as he heard those voices. It reminded him about something.

"Jugo, you will be my underling starting today. Don't listen to what the adults have to say. I'll teach you whatever you want to know. Let us become the strongest Quincies together, Jugo" Bazz-B's eyes slowly closed as he was taken back to those memories. These memories were something he had wished he could relive. They were probably the happiest days of his life.

As Bazz-B slowly closed his eyes, he could see something bright appear before him, yet he did not have to strength to have his eyes open. He completely shut them and began entering the world of dreams. No longer could he hear anything expect for those days as a young boy. He felt himself standing the woods with his only friend, just as they had done as children.

* * *

 _Inside Yhwach's throne room, Silbern_

While the majority of the Sternritter rebels had fled the courtyard, some of them remained determined to continue on with the mission to topple Yhwach. In fact, two of the rebels had used Bazz-B's clash with Haschwalth as an opportunity to sneak past the guards and use the confusion to their advantage. It made it possible for them to sneak up into Yhwach's own balcony, thus arriving at his throne room.

Liltotto Lamperd and Giselle Gewelle were those two brave enough to infiltrate Silbern amidst this confusion. But they were not alone, as the zombified Bambietta Basterbine and Robert Accutrone were joining them on this daring attempt. But due to the night, when Yhwach and Haschwalth's powers were swapped, the girls felt very optimistic about this mission. As they stood on the balcony, they sat down to catch their breaths. The two zombies only stood still, almost as if they were guards.

"That was a close one! We were fortunate enough to use Bazz-B's kafuffle as a diversion" Giselle told her comrade, while looking over from the balcony. "But the same thing can't be said for Meni and Candi" she added while thinking about her friends.

"It can't be helped" Liltotto said while panting. "We were the only ones who were willing to take the risk. They and NaNaNa were not. Consider ourselves fortunate that no one saw us" she added while facing her fellow Sternritter, who was beginning to sweat.

"Man, flying up here was a pain in the neck" Giselle said while wiping off the sweat on her face. She then faced around with a hint of curiosity on her face. "Wow, we've really made it, Lil! This is His Majesty's balcony" the black-haired girl added as she got up on her feet.

Liltotto did the same thing and followed Giselle and her zombies. "Yeah, which means this is his throne room" the little girl said as the group of four entered the room. "Now remember Gigi, don't be loud" she then reminded her, although Giselle seemed to behave in a whimsical manner.

The moment the group of four entered the throne room, they could see that everything was empty. The only notable exception was Yhwach, who was sleeping so deep on his throne. So far, he had not even opened his eyes, something which even stunned the rebel Sternritters.

"Look! There he is! He's…" Giselle's noisy mouth was shut by Liltotto, as she quickly hushed the goofy girl. Giselle was confused at this, yet Liltotto glared at her with seriousness in her eyes.

"Idiot! Didn't I just tell you to not be loud in here!?" Liltotto whispered onto her comrade angrily. The blonde-haired girl them looked around while holding onto Giselle's mouth. Liltotto sighed in relief before letting go of her friend's mouth. "Well, it seems that Yhwach is here all by himself. There are no guards to protect him" the young girl added while whispering.

The Sternritters and the zombies began sneaking unto the sleeping emperor, who had not opened his eyes. Liltotto and Giselle could see that it was odd for him to be having a deep sleep such as this, as they had expected him to at least take notice of their Spiritual Pressures.

"Hey Lil" Giselle whispered to her comrade lowly. "Is it just me or do His Majesty look…different?" she then asked Liltotto, who only shrugged her shoulders in return.

"Beats me. But that's something I could care less about" Liltotto whispered back and suddenly activated her Heilig Bogen. The young girl then aimed a Heilig Pfiel at the sitting emperor. "Let's do this, Gigi! We'll be the ones to make that bastard pay for what he has done to us!" she added to her face.

Giselle also activated her Heilig Bogen and readied a Heilig Pfiel as well. Now that Yhwach was in a defenseless position, the two Sternritters now saw this as an opportunity to get rid of him once and for all. Even as the girls shot their arrows, the emperor did not awaken. The Reishi Arrows neared their target and both girls were watching this with gleeful smiles, finally being able to carry out their vengeance against the man who had abandoned on his battlefield. However, something was not right as the two arrows suddenly disintegrated before they could even hit Yhwach. Liltotto and Giselle snapped in outrage at this.

"What the hell…..." Liltotto lowly asked as she watched her Heilig Pfiel being reduced to nothing but smaller particles of Reishi. "This has to be a joke…..what happened!?" she then added inside her head.

"Our arrows…they disintegrated…" Giselle noted in utter disbelief. She then began facing Liltotto. "You saw what happened, Lil. His Majesty did nothing. He's still asleep" the young girl then pointed out to her.

Liltotto began taking steps towards Yhwach and she turned around to face Giselle and her zombies. "Come on, Gigi! I think we best do this by killing him with our own hands" she then urged her and the zombies to come after her.

Giselle and her zombies did so without hesitation and they all charged towards Yhwach, who still remained asleep on his throne. Even as they had begun to make loud voices, his eyes were still closed. But as the rebel Sternritters neared him, Yhwach suddenly formed a smirk underneath his moustache. This only indicated that he had indeed taken notice of the rebels being present, yet he did nothing to stop them.

But the rebels were, to their astonishment, blocked by a long wall of ice. It separated them from Yhwach and his throne, as they were given their own room thanks to the icy wall. The group of rebels stopped as they could see the wall of ice blocking them from assassinating Yhwach.

"DAMN IT! THAT WALL OF ICE IS BLOCKING US!" Liltotto cursed in anger by what she was seeing. "THIS MUST BE SOME KIND OF TRAP!" she then added to her frustration.

Giselle only giggled by hearing Liltotto getting so angry. "Chill for a second, Lil. All we have to do is getting rid of this icy wall. I suggest Bambi do the job for us" she said while motioning her head at the zombified girl, who then proceeded to prepare some Reishi Bombs with her own ability. Giselle them motioned for Robert to walk right into the icy wall, as he could do that with the help of his ability. But as Robert was about to enter, something got him blown away, almost as if there was a wind or some sort. Liltotto and Giselle were stunned by what they were seeing. "What!? This doesn't seem right" the black-haired girl said in astonishment.

However, the rebels were shocked as three shadowy figures suddenly appeared up from the ground. They were standing right before the icy wall itself. As soon as the shadows vanished, the rebel Sternritters were stunned to see three hodded individuals, wearing white hooded capes. But underneath those hooded capes, they wore white double-breasted trench coats with black lapels that was fastened by four buttons on either side and which had a badge with a six-pointed cross on its left breast. They each had a black belt with a large buckle around their waists, slightly baggy white pants, and white boots with furry black liners. But what was also astonishing to the Quincies was the Spiritual Pressure that came from them.

"Lil! These guys…they're not Quincies…..they're" Giselle was stunned by what she was seeing.

"Shinigamis….." Liltotto noted warily while saying the word. Yes, she and Giselle could see that by the weapons they were carrying on their hands. These were not Spirit Weapons, but Zanpakutous. "Who are you!? And why are you defending Yhwach from us!? Aren't you supposed to kill him, given the fact he's your enemy!?" the blonde-haired girl then asked them while she was feeling distressed by the fact.

The one in the middle, who happened to be the smallest of the three, took some steps towards them and pointed his Zanpakutou at the rebel Sternritters. From what the girls could tell, he was the one who had created this icy wall. They could even see some tints of ice on his blade.

"Killing him? Why would we kill our one, true king?" the hooded individual spoke up with a very familiar voice. He even then began to remove his white hood, thus exposing his face to the Sternritters.

Giselle's eyed widened in shock, as she immediately recognized who this man was. "NO WAY….YOU!" Giselle uttered out in disbelief. "I THOUGHT HIS MAJESTY HAD TAKEN CARE OF YOUR CORPSE!" she then added as she felt really distressed.

Yes, the one who was responsible for just erecting this wall of ice, was none other than the Captain of Squad 10: Toshiro Hitsugaya. He still looked the same in terms of appearance, expect for one thing: a devious smirk that ran across his mouth. His choice of outfit resembled more of Quincy, yet the white-haired boy never had a Spirit Weapon. He still held onto his Zanpakutou.

"Surprised to see me?" Toshiro suddenly asked Giselle in a smug manner while holding his blade onto the floor. "Apparently, there must be so many questions swirling inside your mind, right now" he added smugly, his smirk never fading away.

"These are the only intruders we have to deal with!?" the gruff voice come from one of the other hooded individuals, who began removing his white hood, thus exposing another familiar face to Giselle. This man was none other than the Captain of Squad 9: Kensei Mugurama. He still had his grey mussed up hair, and retained his same disapproving frown. As he faced the group, he then cracked his fists while even fixing a smug grin. This created loud voices, as he was prepared to beat them. "Either way, I'm always up for a little warm up" he then noted in his usual intimidating voice.

Giselle had her eyes concentrated on the last hooded person, who also revealed himself by removing his white hood. She quickly recognized him and his usual smug smile. It was the blonde-haired and reserved Shinigami named Rojuro "Rose" Otoribashi, also known as the Captain of Squad 3. He along with Kensei and Toshiro was dressed in these white outfits, which made them resemble Sternritters.

"What's going on here!?" Giselle asked in a very uncomfortable manner. "You were all former captains in the 13 Court Guard Squads! Now you're….His Majesty's guardians all of a sudden!?" she then asked out loud.

Liltotto faced them with widened eyes. "Captains! Those three are Captain-level Shinigamis!?" she asked out loud while sensing their Spiritual Pressures. "Their powers…they are vast….some of them even surpasses the Shinigamis we have fought before…." The young girl added to her thoughts.

"Enough yapping!" the stern voice of Kensei called out, as he began brandishing his Zanpakutou. "The Soul King has declared you ants no longer reliable! He has called for us to dispose of you for good" he then told them. "Blast it Away, Tachikaze!" he then activated his Shikai.

Giselle felt very uncomfortable by seeing this, and she faced Liltotto. "WHAT ARE WE GONNA…." She stopped as she could see Liltotto activate her Quincy: Vollständig and it gave her the answer. Liltotto was in her Numisen, and nodded her head at Giselle. "RIGHT! WE BETTER DO THE SAME THING!" the black-haired girl said and she activated her own Quincy: Vollständig: Todentoten.

Even Bambietta and Robert activated theirs as well. The two zombies could still use their Quincy: Vollständiges, even as they were technically dead. Despite seeing this, the Shinigamis remained unfazed and simply stepped up to challenge them.

"So this is it…" Liltotto said lowly as she glared at their adversaries. "Yhwach, you would forsake us not just or your own Schutzstaffel…but for these new lackeys of yours as well…...I now see your true colors!" she remarked as she stood her ground, with her Reishi Wings formed like shark teeth ready. The young girl faced her fellow rebels. "Alright, Gigi! We best hold our ground here" she said to her as the young girl's mouth began transforming itself to a jaw of shark teeth.

Giselle simply nodded her head in return while licking some blood from her own fingers. She now looked like a zombie, mostly due to her stitches and bony Reishi Wings. Giselle and the others then faced their opponents. "Let's get those suckers!" she said and began commanding both Bambietta and Robert to attack the trio.

Bambietta was shooting some Reishi Bombs while Robert fired his Reishi Pistols at Kensei. But despite Robert being a good shooter, Kensei remarkably managed to dodge the bullets, all thanks to his fast Shunpo. It astounded the elderly zombie, and Kensei even managed to appear right before him. The grey-haired man smirked as he delivered a powerful uppercut at Robert's chin, thus sending him flying up in the air. Even though he was a zombie, he could still feel pain.

"Heh…..I don't even need my Bankai for this!" Kensei remarked and as Robert was nearing him, he delivered repeated punches, thus sending him flying towards the wall. Kensei's punches had managed to break Robert's bones. "What a waste of space!" Kensei commented, enjoying seeing Robert being broken.

Giselle was distressed as she saw this and quickly turned around alongside Bambietta. She was hoping to bring Robert back on his feet, as her necromantic powers enabled her to do so. "Lil! Try hold them off! I must get Accutrone back on track! We cannot…." Giselle suddenly felt herself stabbed, and her entire body froze. She could not see what it was but Liltotto did.

"GIGI!" the young girl shouted in shock, and could see that Giselle had been stabbed by a blade, which was formed as a golden whip, tipped off with a flower. She could see that coming from Rose, who was standing there while holding his Shikai with his usual bored and unfazed expression. Liltotto gritted her teeth in anger. "YOU BASTARD!" she yelled at him.

"Play, Kinshara" Rose said lowly and the quiet and elegant men began tapping his Zanakutou with his fingers, causing it to glow and make the sound of a guitar string. "With my Kinshara inside of you, you shall be honored to witness a real art, created in my image. Kinshara Sōkyoku Dai Jūichiban - Izayoi Bara!" he exclaimed and he sent a soundwave through the blade until it reached the tip, which was stuck inside Giselle's body.

As Giselle felt this shockwave inside of her body, it vibrated so powerful that she could no longer take it. An enormous amount of blood began sprouting out from her eyes, ears and mouth. In fact, the zombified girl had even lost her own eyes. A pool of blood had begun forming itself underneath her and Giselle fell onto her knees, with her eyeless head stuck up in the air.

Liltotto was horrified by what she was witnessing, yet she possessed enough strength to launch an attack upon Rose. She stretched her monstrous mouth into a long jaw and she felt like eating up him for what he had done to her friend. "I'LL CHEW ON YOUR BONES!" she angrily exclaimed as she launched her attack on Rose.

The blonde-haired man only raised an eyebrow at the monstrosity that was coming towards him. "Ugh. Such a demented creature" Rose noted in boredom while seeing the jaw almost reach him, only for the blonde-haired man to avoid it by using his Shunpo.

Despite seeing this, Liltotto was not jet finished and proceeded to move onto attacking Toshiro and Kensei. "I'M NOT FINISHED, YET!" she exclaimed in anger and proceeded to move on attacking the other Shinigamis. "NONE OF YOU SHALL ESCAPE MY HUNGER!" she added angrily.

Kensei was the one closest and he only shrugged his shoulders while Toshiro stood behind him. "Back off, Hitsugaya. I've got this in a bag. Watch and see" the grey-haired man said and proceeded to infuse Tachikaze with Spiritual Pressure, causing it to glow immensely. It was formed into an orb and as the giant mouth neared him, Kensei fired the orb into an energy blast at the incoming jaw, as well as Liltotto. "BAKUDANTSUKI!" he exclaimed as he fired it at Liltotto, resulting in her long jaw exploding.

The explosion took a heavy toll on the young girl, and she her entire mouth had been destroyed. She no longer had lips or teeth, not to mention how her mouth was bleeding so seriously. Most of her skin around her mouth had been blown, and even her skeletal mouth could be seen.

Kensei only chuckled with sadism as he watched what his actions had done to the little Sternritter. "Heh! Feeling a bit toothless, girl!" he said, starting to have some fun in doing this kind of thing.

Liltotto was snapping in distress and she only had a few words left to say before she ran out of her voice. The little girl faced Bambietta, and she desperately opened her mouth to shout those words to the zombified Sternritter. What was she shouting?

"BAMBI! SELF-DESTRUCT NOW!" Liltotto shouted at her and Bambietta obeyed her command. But in the minute before she could carry it out, snowflake crystals began forming themselves on the ground underneath her and Bambietta was unable to move.

This was the work of Toshiro, who had simply used one of his Shikai's may techniques to disrupt Bambietta's self-destruction. "Rokui Hyōketsujin" he said lowly and a large pillar of ice began trapping the zombified girl inside the ice. This ruined her chance to self-destruct, which would've blown the entire Silbern to pieces.

Liltotto fell onto her knees. There was no hope for her now. Her mission to assassinate Yhwach had ended so miserbly. The young girl with the bleeding mouth could even feel an enormous amount of Spiritual Pressure, yet it didn't come from the Shinigamis. Rather, it came from none other than Yhwach, himself, who had just broken the wall of ice and was now standing up from his throne. The long-haired man had even opened his new black eyes, which he had gotten from absorbing his own father. He was relieved by what he was seeing.

As he walked towards Liltotto, the three Shinigamis began kneeling before him, treating him like some kind of a god or a deity. The young girl felt herself hopeless, as the emperor approached her. But first, he seemed to have some words for his newly-acquired servants.

"Well done, my knights. You have proven yourself capable of dealing with wretched insects such as these" Yhwach commended his knights before glancing down at the Liltotto, who only fell onto her knees, while coughing out a chunk of blood. The emperor took no pity on his former subject. "Heh! You couldn't even defeat my newly acquired arsenal. This only demonstrates your uselessness as a Sternritter, which is why I raised my Auswählen upon you!" he then revealed with a hint of venom in his voice.

Despite no longer having the power to even say a word, Liltotto possessed the willpower to even shout last words towards her former liege. "FUCK YOU, YHWACH!" she yelled at him, only for her to feel a powerful punch by Yhwach himself, which caused her head to fall off and roll over the floor. A pool of blood was formed from the little girl's body. However, Liltotto's head still possessed the ability to move her eyes, and she watched as Yhwach stood above her, pointing a finger at her with a sadistic grin. This was the same technique he had used to obliterate Yamamoto's body.

"Farewell, Liltotto Lamperd. Give my regards to Hell!" he then said as he blasted her head, leaving nothing of her in its wake. After doing that, Yhwach began laughing so sadistically that he felt himself losing to his madness. This man had no regret in the action he just did. After finishing her off, Yhwach returned to his throne, while the Shinigamis were still kneeling before him. "Clean up this rubbish in my throne room. Now that the problem has been taken care of, I can finally go back to sleep" the black-haired man told them and the Shinigamis bowed their heads in return.

"AS YOU WISH, SOUL KING" they all said together as Yhwach returned to his throne.

While Haschwalth had been willing to not execute Bazz-B thanks to the encouragement from his fellow Sternritters, Yhwach's approach to this was different, as he held no regard for those lives he took away, even if they were Quincies. Whether he would ever do the same thing to these Shinigamis if they were no longer useful to him, remained to be seen.

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Author's note: That was a long, but god chapter. This is the end of the Friend-chapters. Now as for the Silbern-part: THERE YOU HAVE IT! TOSHIRO, KENSEI AND ROSE HAVE JOINED THIS NEW ORDER OF SHINIGAMIS WHO NOW WORSHIPS YHWACH AS THE TRUE SOUL KING! More of this newfound order will be revealed in time, as there will be more members shown in that order, most of them being very familiar faces. I won't spoil what the next chapter might bring, but it will definitely be focused on Ichigo and co. See you around.**


	37. Hooded Enigma

**Author's note: This chapter will start with what Ichigo and his friends were doing while all this kafuffle in Silbern took place. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 37: Hooded Enigma**

 _In an icy cityscape, Wahrwelt, Royal Realm, Soul Society_

Ichigo Kurosaki and his group of friends had managed to find a way back to the Soul King's Palace, only to find the entire place drastically different as they had exited the Garganta. The entirety of the Royal Realm had been shaped, as had the Soul King's Palace. Yhwach, having become the new Soul King by absorbing it, used his newfound power to create a new home for his followers and moved the icy cityscape from the Sereitei up to the Royal Realm. Therefore, Wahrwelt, the "true world" and the cornerstone of his ever-expanding empire, was created.

As Ichigo and his group had been confused and lost by this sudden transformation, they were interrupted when a group of enemies began attacking them. But these were not just Quincies. Some of the Spiritual Pressures belonged to Shinigamis as well, which shocked Yoruichi and Tessai.

Having just managed to defeat those soldiers, who also called themselves Bewachen, Ichigo and his group were on their way through the icy streets. As they were wandering through them, Yoruichi and Tessai had been holding onto a helmet that belonged to one of the enemies they fought against. The atmosphere around them was misty, and it was impossible for them to even detect Spiritual Pressures.

"How…how can those Divine Soldiers abandon the Soul King for Yhwach?" Yoruichi wondered as she looked at the white helmet. Tessai was walking beside her. "Nothing makes any sense here" she added warily.

Tessai adjusted his glasses. "I too have many questions. However, we best not let it consume us. Right now, we need to concentrate on finding the right way to Yhwach and his servants. Be on your guard for ambushers" he then told her while making sure the others listened as well.

"Tch, easier said than done. I can't sense a damn thing with all this Reishi in the air" Ganju Shiba said in return as he looked up in the sky. He then took a glance at Nelliel Tu Odelschwank and Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez. "Hey you two. Do you sense anything?" he then asked them.

Before Nelliel could politely respond, Grimmjow opened his mouth quickly before hers. "What kind of question is that? You expect me to answer a weakling like you on what I can sense?" he then asked with his usual rude tone, which only infuriated Ganju in return.

"Grimmjow, behave" Nelliel told him with disdain in her voice, yet Grimmjow didn't seem to care.

"I bet those Quincies has made sure that the Reishi in the air is fully under their control" Chad noted while glancing at a reflection of himself in a window. "Whatever it is, they seem to have complete control of the amount of Reishi in the Royal Realm" the Fullbringer added to his statement.

Ichigo nodded his head at him in return. "Yeah, I can feel it too. But we best stay strong and do our best to find out wherever Yhwach has run off to. He can't be far" the orange-haired man said, his eyes narrowed and focused on the path ahead of him and the group.

The group suddenly stumbled upon an open area in the streets. Hopefully they could be getting a better perspective at their current location. However, the group treaded lightly, wary of any sort of ambush by the enemy soldiers.

"It's too quiet in here" Orihime noted warily. "I can't sense any Spiritual Pressure around us, but we best not let our guard down so easily" the young woman told her friends.

"Well said, Orihime" Yoruichi noted, her yellow eyes scanning the area they had entered. Everything around the group was silent. As she surveyed the cityscape, Yoruichi suddenly felt herself snap as she could finally detect something. Her friends took notice of it as well.

"What is it, Yoruichi?" Ururu asked in curiosity.

"Are there enemies nearby?" Nelliel asked while clutching onto the hilt of her Zanpakutou.

The purple-haired woman shook her head as a no, thus easing their suspicions. In fact, she remained stunned for an apparent reason and it confused her friends. "I don't believe it….Yushiro?" she then uttered out the name in slight disbelief and wonder.

Ichigo and his group were curious, yet Tessai immediately understood what she was talking about. "What…...are you saying you just felt the Spiritual Pressure of…" the tanned-skinned man stopped as Yoruichi simply nodded her head in return. Tessai couldn't help but to smirk underneath his moustache as he watched the direction Yoruchi was glancing at. "Yushiro…...it's been ages since we last saw him" Tessai remarked by what he was hearing.

"Who is Yushiro?" Jinta asked while resting his kanabo on his shoulder.

Yoruichi sighed deeply before answering. "The Spiritual Pressure I just felt belonged to Yushiro Shihoin, my younger brother. He's the current head of the Shihoin clan due to my exile" she explained, much to the surprise of the Humans.

"You have a brother?" Ichigo asked bewildered, before fixing a smug smile on his face. "Strange. I wonder how he looks like in terms of appearance" he then said teasingly.

"Maybe he's a tall, humanoid cat. Think about it. Yoruichi can transform herself into a cat, so maybe he can as well" Orihime then suggested to Ichigo, who could not help but to chuckle lightly by hearing this.

Chad, Jinta and Ururu also joined in on the conversation. "You know it could be true what you say, Orihime. He must be a big cat, similar to Captain Komamura's appearance" the tall man then suggested, forcing Jinta and Ururu to laugh.

Yoruichi's face slumped as she heard what Ichigo and his friends were talking about. She could even hear both Tessai and Ganju snicker to themselves and it irritated her. "Quit laughing, dipsticks. And for the record, none of that is true. My brother is not some giant, humanoid cat" she then told the group.

"Yeah. Believe me, you're gonna get shocked once you get to see who he really is" Ganju said while trying to hold his laughter, only for Yoruichi to glare at him threateningly. This forced the young man to swallow his laughter and compose himself. "Alright. I won't laugh. Promise" he insisted to her.

"Look over there!" the entire group turned their attention to Nelliel, as she and Grimmjow where getting a glimpse of something tall appearing behind the mists. All of them were stunned by what they were seeing, as the enormous and imposing palace of Silbern was exposed for the group to see. All of them were stunned. "That tower…I never took notice of it until the mists began clearing. But what is it? It reminds me of Esperanza back in El Dorado" the sea green-haired Arrancar asked in wonder.

"My god…." Ganju uttered out lowly by studying the structure. "How the hell can someone build a tower like this on such a short notice!?" he then asked out loud in disbelief.

"This must be the work of Yhwach" Tessai noted warily by what he was seeing. "And I now begin to see a more clearer picture of the situation. That tower is standing on the exact same spot where the Soul King's Palace previously floated. But somehow, Yhwach must have removed the old palace and replaced it with something new" the tall man added to his explanation.

"Then there is no question about it" Orihime noted lowly while watching the structure. "This must be the Wandenreich's new HQ. Obviously, they are now dwelling inside it" she added to her statement.

Grimmjow only shrugged his shoulders by what he was hearing. "Tch, well I'm not impressed at all. But it seems to me that those bastards want us to come at them in full force" the teal-haired man noted before fixing a grin with his feral teeth. "I say we do as they want us to and bust their place up" he then added.

"Don't rush into conclusions, Grimmjow. Here, we need to think" Nelliel insisted to him, before she could notice Ichigo taking small steps towards the distance of the palace. "Ichigo…what are you…" the young woman asked lowly by what she was seeing.

The Substitute Shinigami had his eyes solely focused on the palace like a hawk spotting its prey. So many thoughts swirled within him, yet most of them had one thing in common: Yhwach and revenge. Even now, he began gritting his teeth in anger as he began recalling the words he had heard from the emperor, during the Wandenreich's first invasion and their recent clash at the Soul King's Palace.

"Yhwach…" he thought the name of the man he hated so much. But it didn't take long before Ichigo was reminded about Uryu and the words he had said to him during their clash. It began to boil him and Ichigo was filled with anger. "Uryu…you will regret the day you sided with that son of a bitch! That I swear!" he added to his thoughts angrily.

As he stood there, Ichigo could also begin to hear voices whisper in his head and it made him widen his eyes. This voice was very unfamiliar to him, since Ichigo could tell that neither his Inner Hollow nor Zangetsu were the once telling him this. His mind started to lose control as he heard those voices.

"Your rage cannot be locked forever. Unleash it." the deep and evil voice called out to him and Ichigo began holding onto his head. Somehow, he could feel pain and agony on the inside. "Your loved ones must be avenged. Let your rage and anger consume you. It will grant you strength" the voice began to whisper inside of him.

Orihime was feeling concerned about Ichigo's behavior, so she approached beside him and asked if he was okay. "Ichigo…..are you feeling okay?" she then asked him. She could see how Ichigo felt somewhat agony in his head and it made her worried.

Before she even knew it, Ichigo quickly sprinted towards the palace. His speed was fast and neither Yoruichi nor Tessai could predict how fast he was. The orange-haired man could see the edge of the platform, yet he didn't care. His mind was solely focused on reaching the place right now. He wanted to end it. He wanted to end this nightmare and avenge his mother by eliminating Yhwach once and for all. The young man had planned on making footholds of Reishi in the air, which would give him clear way to Silbern. He did not care how high it was. Nothing would stand in his way of avenging his mother.

"YHWACH!" Ichigo yelled out in anger as he jumped off the edge and proceeded to use his footholds as planned. He was up in the air, beginning to move his feet while being concentrated on reaching the palace. "YOU WON'T ESCAPE FROM ME THIS TIME! I WILL LIVE TO SEE YOU SUFFER FOR ETERNITY!" the young man added in his head while moving. However, as he tried to move, he couldn't feel anything underneath his sandals. All that was left was thin air. The orange-haired man was stunned as he could not believe that he felt himself fall downwards. He was high above the Sereitei and ground level and falling down so high would only result in his death. Ichigo's conscience had come back, just as his mind had been taken over by anger.

"BAKUDO 99 PART 2: BANKIN!" the loud exclamation came from Tessai as he was now using a Kido-spell. The tall man slammed his fingers into the ground and released white spiritual energy, which coalesced into a white fabric. The fabric stretched so long and it managed to catch Ichigo and wrap around him. It made it just in time and both him and the rest of the group were relieved by seeing that Ichigo was saved. Tessai sighed deeply. "I almost lost him…damn that boy!" the tall man cursed as the fabric carrying Ichigo returned to Tessai and the group

As the fabric vanished, Ichigo was stunned and realized that he was no longer falling. He could see his friends approach him with different reactions on their faces.

"Ichigo…..you're alive" Orihime exclaimed while breathing out a sigh of relief. "He does not seem to require my healing powers now" she then noted in her head.

"Are you alright?" Nelliel asked him, her voice bearing a hint of concern.

Before Ichigo could even respond to her question, he suddenly felt a hard slap on his right cheek. It was powerful and was done by Yoruichi. The purple-haired woman glared at him with a furious expression on her face while crossing her arms. She looked at him as Ichigo began rubbing his sore cheek while watching her.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!?" Yoruichi asked out angrily at him. "WHY DID YOU RUSH OFF WITHOUT NOTEFYING US!? IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR TESSAI, YOU WOULD'VE FALLEN TO YOUR DEATH!" she then added out to her frustration.

The orange-haired man started to glance down at the floor with a somewhat neutral expression on his face. Somehow, Ichigo did not feel good at the moment, as he had almost committed himself suicide by walking straight off the edge. He could feel that his mind was no longer in pain.

"A voice…...it called to me. Filled my entire mind with vengeance. I couldn't control my own actions" the young man then told Yoruichi and the others lowly.

"You couldn't control your own actions. Like when you involuntarily cut the Soul King in half?" Chad asked while starting to get a picture of what the situation was.

Ichigo nodded his head. "Exactly. But this had nothing to do with Yhwach controlling me with his Spiritual Pressure. Truth be told, this voice I heard inside my head was something so foreign to me. I've never heard it before" the orange-haired man added while rubbing his forehead.

"What the hell is he talking about?" Jinta wondered in his head while watching Ichigo. "I swear, something's happened to Ichigo since the last time I saw him. Is he even emotionally stable?" the red-haired teenager then wondered.

Yoruichi sighed deeply before speaking up. "Whatever it was, it nearly cost you your life" the purple-haired woman reminded him grimly while glancing towards the palace, as well as the open space before them. Tessai eventually joined her. "It's just as I suspected. The Quincies have taken full control of the Reishi in the air as well" she then noted warily.

"Yes. I believe you can sense the high concentration of Reishi" Tessai noted while adjusting his glasses. "That explains why Ichigo was unable to create footholds out of Reishi. It also means that high-level Shinigamis like us are also unable to do that" the man with the moustache noted.

Nelliel and Grimmjow were also taking notice of this. "I think this also applies to us Arrancars as well" Nelliel noted while feeling the Reishi. "At this rate, the high concentration of Reishi up here gives the advantage to the Quincies. They are the only ones capable of benefiting from it" the Dechado then concluded.

Grimmjow scoffed while listening to what was being said. "You gotta be fucking kidding me" he rudely said while poking in one of his ears. "Does that mean we're stuck with walking on our feet to that damn place!?" the Legionario then asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. I don't see any other alternatives" Yoruichi then said to him before looking over her shoulder to see Jinta, Ururu, Ganju, Chad and Orihime. "It seems that we must reach the palace on foot. Therefore, we will have to continue wandering through the streets until we reach it" she then told them.

"Right" Ururu said while saluting in return.

Ichigo had gotten up on his feet and was about to speak, only for Yoruichi to catch his attention by grabbing his right shoulder. The orange-haired man was surprised, as Yoruichi stared at him firmly.

"Ichigo. Remember what I've told you. Don't let your anger overcome you. It is just a liability to your conscience" she said to him, but she was not finished. "And don't you ever run off from us like that again. Otherwise, you'll regret it" she then told him.

After hearing this, Ichigo's eyes suddenly began narrowing at the dark-skinned woman in return. Despite this glance however, Ichigo remained calm. It didn't take long before he gave her a weak nod in reply, thus confirming his intention of listening to Yoruichi's advice.

"It's easier said than done…but I'll try" the orange-haired man finally answered. Seeing this forced Yoruichi to smirk and she let go of his shoulders. Ichigo let out a deep sigh before continuing. "Alright, we best head back into the street. Any words from Urahara and the others?" he said while glancing at both Yoruichi and Tessai.

"Based upon the presence of Yushiro Shihoin, there is no question in our minds that the boss and the 13 Court Guard Squads have arrived here as well. They may be on the move as we speak. I suggest we do the same thing right now" Tessai then said.

Nodding in agreement, Ichigo and the others headed back into the street, hoping to reach the palace and stop Yhwach from doing whatever mad goals he had. But the only question was whether they could make it in time or not.

* * *

 _In another district of Wahrwelt_

Upon seeing the imposing palace of Silbern taking root, the combined forces of the 13 Court Guard Squads and the Vizards quickly headed towards their destination. Shunsui Kyoraku and Kisuke Urahara were the ones leading the entire crowd of Shinigamis. But they had stopped briefly when they realized neither Kenpachi Zaraki or Mayuri Kurotsuchi were with them. Instead, they could feel their Spiritual Pressures being somewhere else in the cityscape. Knowing that those two captains could manage themselves, the group proceeded towards Silbern as fast as they could.

"Do you think Captain Zaraki and Captain Kurotsuchi will manage?" Urahara then asked Shunsui, who only shrugged his shoulders in return.

"Of course, they will. Even though they're not the best of friends, they know when to cooperate to ensure their survival. Maybe it's a good thing they didn't join our group. The enemy will have to contend with attacks coming from three directions now" Shunsui remarked smugly, while concentrating on leading the group through the streets.

But as they group were on the move, Shunsui's only eye caught glimpse of something small and white flying in the skies. But as he got a closer look, his eye snapped. Those were Heilig Pfiels flying up in the skies and were headed straight towards the group like a rain. The arrows fell down fast and Shunsui quickly turned around to make sure everyone stopped.

"EVERYONE! DEFEND YOURSELVES! A RAIN OF ARROWS IS UPON US!" the head-captain yelled out and all the Shinigamis gathered close to one another.

Urahara's eyes snapped as he got closer to Shunsui and his lieutenant Nanao Ise. "Those arrows will rain upon the entire street! It's too late to find cover in the buildings!" the blonde-haired man said.

"Exactly, which is why we need to improvise!" Shunsui said in return before facing the group once again. "EVERYONE! USE A KIDO-SPELL AS A SHIELD! STAND BESIDE A MASTER IN KIDO AND HOLD YOUR GROUND!" he then called out to them while he, Lisa Yadomaru stood beside Nanao, who readied herself.

Many of the Shinigamis had taken the liberty to find partners who were Kido-users with hopes of getting shielded from the arrows. Renji Abarai and Shuhei Hisagi stood with Rukia Kuchiki, Shinji Hirako and the Kudo-twins stood with Momo Hinamori, Hiyori Sarugaki, Yushiro Shihoin and Love Aikawa stood with Kisuke Urahara and Marechiyo Omaeda, Sentaro Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu stood with Isane Kotetsu. Kido-experts like Hachigen Ushoda, Byakuya Kuchiki and Sui-Feng also took the liberty to hold shield for those who were defenseless. As the rain of arrows approached, all the Shinigamis with Kido-talent yelled out a spell.

"BAKUDO 39: ENKOSEN!" they all exclaimed and together they formed yellow energy that acted as shields for them to use. They held them up while sticking close together. In a way, it closely resembled the kind of method the Romans used when it came to their "testudo formation". The arrows rained down upon them in a fast pace, yet the shields managed to hold them off.

However, small cracks began to appear on the shields of Nanao, Momo, Isane and Rukia and it made some of them worried. The arrows kept raining upon them and the more they did, thus faster the cracks appeared.

"No! The shield!" Momo exclaimed in shock, yet she tried her best to hold onto it. "I won't go down like this!" she then said with determination.

"The arrows keep raining upon us!" Isane said in despair. "I can't hold out much longer!" she then added while feeling distressed.

"Don't give up yet, Isane! This is not the end for us!" Rukia, who stood close to Isane encouraged her.

"Damn it! Why can't that shield last longer!?" Nanao shouted in despair over seeing this. She sweated intensively and looked at her superior. "Captain, we can't stay here much longer! We need to move to safety!" the four-eyed girl told her superior as he listened.

Shunsui was mostly concentrated upon the endless arrows that fell on them, but he could hear something take place somewhere behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he could see Hachi making some preparation. It didn't take long before the other Shinigamis took notice of this.

"Hachi, what are you doing!?" Lisa asked out loud while seeing the tall man preforming something.

"I am trying to find us a better shield and cover! And I know just the right one! Hold on tight, everyone!" he exclaimed as barriers began forming around the Shinigamis. "KIGAI NO JOMON!" he then called out as the barriers surrounding them were transformed into a large honeycomb-like structure being formed in the street. The structure's wall was solid as rock and the rains of Reishi Arrows didn't so much as land marks on it.

As soon as the structure was completed, the rain of arrows stopped. Apparently, the Quincies who stood on the nearby rooftops were now beginning to realize how fruitless it was for them to fire at the structure. From a rooftop overlooking the icy cityscape, a line of Quincies were standing there with Heilig Bogen in their hands. All of them had been intrigued by the appearance of this big structure in the street.

"What trickery is this?" one of the commanding archers wondered as he was stunned that their arrows didn't damage it. "Is this some kind of high-level of Kido-spell?" he then added to his question.

"What else do you suppose it is?" the commanding voice came from Sternritter X – The X-Axis: Lille Barro, as he approached the line of archers while carrying his Spirit Weapon on his shoulder. The black-skinned man had been the one observing and commanding the archers to fire the rain of arrows at the enemy. He was not impressed by what he saw before him. "Tch, cowardly rats. Have these Shinigamis lost their dignity to fight till their last breaths?" he then wondered.

The commanding archer stepped forward to speak with him. "Sir, this was unexpected. It appears we underestimated their mastery in Kido" he said with humility in his voice.

Lille only glanced at him with an unimpressed expression. "And what does that matter? His Majesty has commanded us to eliminate these wretched fiends. Nothing, not even a mere Kido-spell will stand between our orders" he then said with a commanding voice.

"Sir, where are the other Schutzstaffel? Together, you could've dealt with this easily" the archer then asked, only for Lille to simply scoff at him.

"Spare me your nervous breakdowns, simpleton. The other Schutzstaffel have entered the other districts to make sure the enemy doesn't spread their cancer further" Lille told him before brandishing his weapon and aiming it at the structure. "And why do I need to have them at my side when I already know how to divide them? Barricade the other ways leading to the main street. I just got the perfect idea to separate the weak ones from the stronger ones" he then commanded them, even forming a slight smile as he spoke of this plan.

The one-eyed Sternritter was glancing down at a large wall fountain that was running down at the end of the street. But the holes were the only place where the water was coming from. Hanging on the wall was giant head of a long-haired man with beard. Water ran through its mouth and eyes. The Wandenreich's symbol was depicted underneath the figurehead. Whether this man was Yhwach or not remains a mystery. Nevertheless, the figurehead was very imposing and had a unique style of architecture.

Lille landed on the top of the figurehead and aimed the structure with his Spirit Weapon. "It's time these invaders get a glimpse of what the Wassermann is capable of" he said smugly.

* * *

 _Inside the Kigai no Jomon_

The moment the Shinigamis were given a roof over their heads, it became very dark inside. None of them could see a thing. After 5 seconds spent being confused in their darkness, the words of the strongest Shinigamis could be heard. They all chanted a Kido-spell together.

"Bakudo 8: Seki" most Shinigamis said and small orbs of light blue energy could be seen floating beside their hands. They were small, but they combined gave light inside the structure. It made it possible for the Shinigamis to see where they were going.

Shunsui smiled as he saw everyone. "It's finally good to be able to see again. Now careful that you don't touch each other with those orbs. Seki is actually a Kido-spell made for self-defense. However, the light is beneficial when you're walking in dark places" the head-captain told everyone inside while fixing his gaze upon Hachi. "I have to hand it to you, Hachi. You really saved our asses right now. While this structure may not last forever, it gives us at least some form of breathing space" the pink-clad Shinigami commended Hachi's efforts.

The tall, but gentle man simply bowed his head formally in appreciation. "I am humbled, Kyoraku" he said in return.

"This is no time for chatting" the stern voice of Sui-Feng could be heard as she caught everyone's attention. "We blindly ran towards our destination like a pack of lemmings crossing a river. It was a disastrous and foolish move, Kyoraku" the young woman told the man with the eyepatch, her voice filled with dispassion.

Nanao frowned and glanced at the Captain of Squad 2 with dispassionate eyes. "Enough of this judging! Captain Kyoraku couldn't predict that Quincy archers were preparing to attack us with a rain of arrows!" the four-eyed woman told her.

Sui-Feng only glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. "How would you know about tactics? You don't even have a Zanpakutou!" she pointed out to her, thus making Nanao snap in both embarrassment and anger at the same time. She felt like she was thrown under the bus with this kind of comment.

But Momo suddenly stepped in front of Sui-Feng, accompanied by Renji and Isane. They could not stand on the sidelines and watch a captain badger a fellow lieutenant like this.

"Hey! What's with your attitude?" Momo asked while glaring at Sui-Feng with dispassion. "Nanao is the Lieutenant of Squad 1! Show some respect to her!" the young girl pointed out to the hawkish captain, who only narrowed her eyes by seeing this kind of behavior.

"Momo's right!" Renji boasted. "Show her the same amount of respect to her as you did with Lieutenant Sasakibe!" the red-haired man then said to her.

Sui-Feng remained unfazed when hearing this. "You lieutenants lack the ability to understand the importance about warfare. None of you even realize how serious this situation even is!" she then berated them.

This time, usually timid Isane had enough guts to reply to her words. "How can you be so judgmental and cold to your own comrades!?" the tall woman asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

"Captain Sui-Feng has a point" the serious voice came from none other than Shuhei, as he stood beside the captain and glared at his fellow lieutenants with his stern eyes. "It's true. Shinigamis must be willing to sacrifice for the greater cause. Both Yamamoto and Sasakibe did that. Therefore, we can't have weaklings in our ranks" he then stated coldly and seriously, which actually astounded the lieutenants.

"What? You're not making any sense!" Isane spoke up, not believing what she heard from him. "Just what are you implying here?" she then asked him.

Shuhei's eyed narrowed further. "You should already know the answer. Didn't Captain Unohana sacrifice herself so that we could unleash Captain Zaraki's true potential?" he then questioned her.

After being asked this, Isane's eyed widened in shock, her memories still recalling the last time she saw her captain. However, being reminded about this quickly set alight the slender woman's anger. "You take that back! You don't know a damn thing what happened!" Isane spat at him while pointing a finger.

"Hisagi…...what the hell has gotten into you….." Renji was beginning to ask his fellow lieutenant lowly, only to have his collar grabbed by Shuhei in anger and pulled up close to him.

"You ask what has gotten into me!? Fine! I'll tell you!" Shuhei spat into Renji's face, while the Lieutenant of Squad 6 only held onto Shuhei's hands. They both glared at each other angrily. "Why the hell did the Royal Guard take you with them to train and not me!? Because of my weakness, I wasn't able to protect myself or even assist Captain Mugurama! And know he's gone, and worse dead!" he said while lowering his head in shame.

Renji only stared at him bewildered as he heard those words. Eventually, Shuhei let go of him and started to face the ground with a somewhat ashamed look in his eyes. He could tell that Shuhei was still feeling himself weak and lacked confidence in battle. Seeing his fellow lieutenant in such a downed mood, Renji tried to encourage him by reaching out a hand to him.

"Look, I get that you're distressed from losing. I tell it by being reminded about Kanisawa's…" Renji's hand was suddenly swatted away by Shuhei, who glared at him with angry eyes. This surprised the red-haired man.

"Don't you pull that shit on me, Abarai! You don't know anything about how losing someone really hurts!" the black-haired man told him angrily, even hinting at a tone of sadness in his voice.

"Everyone, just calm down, okay?" the loud voice came from Marechiyo as he and Rukia approached the scene, along with Hiyori, Byakuya and Shinji. It was surprising that the obese man would even take the initiative to calm things down. "Look, I know we're all stressed and worn out from this fight but we gotta hold on, ya know" he then said in a more relaxed tone. He then took a glance at his captain. "Captain…..I think you may was well wanna start learning something from us lieutenants" he then told her, much to Sui-Feng's own surprise.

"Omaeda…what are you saying?" she wondered in her head.

Shinji smirked by seeing this and glanced at Marechiyo. "Ya know, for a big, selfish prick, you sure have a heart of gold" the Captain of Squad 5 remarked in amusement by what he heard from him.

Marechiyo only crossed his arms and huffed at him. "Those words were uncalled for. You could've left them out" he then said to him.

Rukia decided to speak up her mind. "Anyway, think about what Omaeda just said. We all need to stick together if we are to prevail in this fight" Rukia then pointed out to them. "We all should calm down and try to think of a new strategy to our problem. And let's do this know that the majority of those serving the Court Guard is here" the young woman then added to her statement.

"Well said, Rukia. I bet Jushiro would be proud if he was here with us" Shunsui commended the Lieutenant of Squad 13 while clapping his hands. He then fixed his focus on the majority of the Shinigamis. "You heard her, folks. Instead of arguing and badgering each other, how about we plan on counterattacking?" the head-captain then suggested to them all.

Urahara adjusted his hat while listening to this. "We better come up with a good plan. Who knows what kind of tricks the Quincies have in store for us" the blonde-haired man suggested to everyone. He then took a glance at Hachi. "Hachi, you're the only one who can deactivate the spell at your will, correct?" he asked the gentle man.

Hachi nodded his head as a yes. "Correct. However, based upon this tactic they just showed us, it would be unwise to doubt their abilities in finding a way inside here. This barrier is impregnatable, yet there may be some Quincies who will discover its weaknesses. We best stand our guard while we are inside here" the Kido-expert replied while making sure those around him were notified about this as well.

Urahara fixed himself a smile on his face and nodded at him. He then gathered Shunsui, the captains, the lieutenants, the Vizards and Yushiro around to discuss their next move. They were standing in a circle while managing to draw a map of the street thanks to Hachi's Kido.

"Alright, we may have made some miscalculations by heading straight towards the enemy's HQ. However, there is no other way from our standpoint" Shunsui explained while everyone was listening. "And let's not forget about Ichigo and his friends, as well as Captain Zaraki and Captain Kurotsuchi. I take it Lieutenant Kurotsuchi, Madarame and Ayasegawa is with the captains" he then added.

After hearing this, Isane suddenly snapped as she began recalling something. The other Shinigamis looked at her with questionable glances. "I think I also know someone who's with those captains. Hanataro" the slender woman said while gulping.

"You left Hanataro Yamada with Kenpachi Zaraki and Mayuri Kurotsuchi?" Byakuya asked, his voice filled with curiosity rather than displeasure.

"It's not like that! The moment the gates were complete, Hanataro was in the bathroom alongside Captain Zaraki and his men" Isane insisted to him, before letting out a deep sigh. "But I don't have time to worry about him. I'm entrusting his safety to Zaraki and his men" she then noted.

Some of the Shinigamis smiled at her words, including Rukia. "A wise decision, Isane. I assure you, Hanataro is braver than what you actually think, especially since he was willing to stand for me during my darkest time" the black-haired woman remarked, recalling back when she was sentenced to death and that Hanataro was one of the few Shinigamis brave enough to oppose it. Rukia suddenly turned her attention to her adoptive brother. "Brother, you also believe in Hanataro's ability to survive, don't you?" she then asked him.

A frown could be seen on the captain's face, yet Byakuya did close his eyes while nodding weakly at her in return. "Yes. He has my support" he said simply.

"Who the hell gives a rat's ass about a timid medic!?" the angry voice came from Sui-Feng and she was met with mostly frowns as she said it. "Our survival should be our top priority, not the survival of Zaraki, Kurotsuchi or Kurosaki! We all know that!" the stern captain added stubbornly.

"Don't love your tone, but I agree with what you say" Urahara pointed out, while Sui-Feng only shrugged her shoulders in return. "Anyway, those Quincies may plan on using their rain of arrows to stop us once we're outside. But I suggest that they may not be using the same tactics as before" the blonde-haired man then said.

Shunsui smiled smugly. "Very observant. Perhaps we should also use a new form for strategy as well once we're out of this structure" the man with the eyepatch noted before glancing over to his fellow Shinigamis. "Well then, friends and members of the Court Guard. Do any of you have something to contribute to our plans?" he then asked them.

The moment he asked, most of the Shinigamis were uncertain about what to come up with. While they were thinking about a good answer, a sound could be heard coming from behind. Every Shinigami turned around and could see someone trying to open up the other end of the structure by using some type of laser, which seemed to actually be Reishi. The Shinigamis became cautious when seeing this.

"What the hell's going on!?" Renji asked as he saw the laser starting to go up like a bow.

"The Quincies…they are trying to open the structure!" Hachi remarked grimly by what he was seeing. "And it seems they chosen to open a way on the other side. If they manage, they will attack us inside this structure" he then added to his worries.

"But you said those walls of yours were impregnable!" Hiyori snapped at him, only to glare at both Urahara and Shunsui with her usual stern glance. "Now what, smartasses!?" she then asked them while having her arms crossed.

The bow only seemed to go faster and Urahara and the other captains new that the Quincies would without a doubt seek to attack them inside this structure if necessary. He and Shunsui turned their focus on the other side before facing one another with a smirk on their looks.

Love and some of the Shinigamis were confused as they saw this. "Just what are you guys thinking?" he asked while poking one of his earholes.

But Shinji seemed to get the picture and motioned for his subordinates to stay close to him. He then made sure that the other Shinigamis listened as well. "Listen up all of ya! How about instead of us being stuck inside this piece of crap, we let the enemy soldiers be?" he then asked everyone smugly and loudly.

"What? Are you saying that we should trick them?" Byakuya asked him, as well as Urahara and Shunsui.

Right now, the majority of the Shinigamis were now standing on the opposite side of where the Quincies were trying to enter the structure. The lieutenants watched it unfold, while the captains, the Vizards and Urahara readied their Zanpakutous.

"Are you sure about this, head-captain?" Hachi asked the pink-clad Shinigami.

"Damn right I am. These Quincies think they can trap us inside here. But we're be doing that" he then told him with his usual confident smile. Shunsui then took a glance at the wall before them. "However, there is without a question in my mind that there are enemies on the other side as well. But we'll take them out" he then said while holding onto his Zanpakutous.

"So we are to open this wall, deal with the enemy that stands there, and then wait for the Quincies to enter on the other side before we shatter this structure completely?" Nanao asked her superior, feeling very sweaty as she thought about this. "Do you know how crazy that really sounds?" she then snapped at her.

But Lisa simply narrowed her eyes at Nanao. "Haven't you forgotten? Desperate times calls for desperate measures. We don't wanna waste our time dealing with those soldiers" the four-eyed woman pointed it out sternly.

Shunsui chuckled as he heard this. "Well said, Lisa. I must admit that I have missed your dry humor sometimes" he then remarked.

Lisa simply sighed in annoyance in return. "Whatever, jackass" she said.

"Well then, shall we begin?" Byakuya asked Urahara, who simply nodded his head in return.

"It's about time someone said it" Urahara mused to himself while nodding at Hachi. "Okay Hachi, this is it. You'll open this wall and we'll deal with whoever stands on the other side quickly. Once the Quincies are finished carving out their way in here, you know what to do" he then told him.

Hachi remained concerned while hearing this, yet he understood the benefit of this plan. "I only hope this will work to our advantage" he said and stood before the wall and held his hands close to one another, almost in a praying manner. He was preparing to open the wall by splitting it into two moving doors.

"Alright! This is it, everyone!" Shunsui called out to his fellow Shinigamis. "Let us show these Quincies how we do things when it comes to counterattacking!" he then rallied his subordinates.

The captains, lieutenants and Vizards held out their Zanpakutous, standing ready to charge straight into the enemy that was awaiting behind those walls. While each of them had different reactions, they all had one thing in common: preparation for combat. They would make the ultimate sacrifice.

Hachi suddenly moved his hands quickly from one another and the wall opened like two moving doors. However, they were in for a great surprise. This was not due to Quincies. It was something much more stunning and terrifying. The moment the walls opened, large water began entering the structure like a tsunami. It caught everyone by surprise. Because of Hachi standing in the front, he was the first to be taken by the water and soon were the rest of the Shinigamis.

"WHAT THE…..AAHHHHHHH!" Renji yelled as the water consumed him.

The water moved towards the other end of the structure, where the Quincies had already begun making an opening. But the Reishi-like laser stopped working as the water smashed into the other end of the room. Why was this water filling in the structure?

On a rooftop outside the structure, Lille Barro watched with a smirk as he and the other Quincies could see the entire street being filled with water. The other small ways that lead to the main street had been barricaded with some sort of dikes. This made it possible to flood the entire main street, all thanks to the Wassermann, which was sprouting out chunks of water fast. Because of Hachi opening the walls, the flood had now begun to enter the structure as well. The golems that had been trying to enter the structure from the other side were now called off and moved away for safety.

Lille even chuckled by what he was seeing. "Heh! Nothing's more fun than to see a pack of rats drowning!" he said sadistically before he held out Diagramm and aimed it at the structure. "Now that they're all confused by this commotion, it's time to thin their numbers. Now will be my next target?" he then asked seriously, preparing himself to shoot the Shinigamis being stuck in the flood.

As the water began filling the structure, Renji had managed to get himself above the water by using his Shikai. While doing that, he held Rukia around her waist. Zabimaru's spikes managed to cling itself to one of the walls, thus holding them safe, for now. They both breathed heavily while their clothes were soaking wet.

"You okay….Rukia?" Renji asked as he breathed and coughed a little. He could see Rukia cough out water from her mouth.

"I'm…...fine….." she said before coughing out another round. Her eyes suddenly widened as she could see the water that was flooding the entire room. "No! The structure is overflowed! And I don't see anyone submerge! Sentaro! Kiyone! Brother!" Rukia yelled out distressed.

It didn't take long before the two lieutenants could see Marechiyo and Hachi submerge to the surface, along with Byakuya, Sentaro and Kiyone. It appeared that Byakuya was now helping the two members of Squad 13 up to the surface. Rukia smiled brightly as she saw them, as did Renji.

"Look! There they are!" Renji exclaimed while making sure he held Rukia tight.

"Brother! Up here!" Rukia called out to Byakuya, as well as her two subordinates.

Both Sentaro and Kiyone were happy to see Rukia, while Byakuya was stunned see what his lieutenant was doing with his sister. Nevertheless, a slight smile could be seen, as he was personally glad that Renji had helped her up.

More Shinigamis submerged to the surface. Shinji was helping up Momo, the Kudo-twins held onto each other, while Hiyori, Isane, Nanao and Yushiro headed submerged before heading to either Marechiyo or Hachi to find something to float with.

"Damn it, captain, where are you!?" Marechiyo asked out loud, starting to feel worried about some of the Shinigamis still trapped in the water.

"Where the hell is Kisuke and the rest of the of the guys!?" Shinji asked while holding around Momo.

Rukia heard their concerns and reached for her Zanpakutou. Renji took notice of it and decided to ask her what she was planning on doing. "What are you doing, Rukia?" he asked her.

"This water must be stopped! Even the street outside is overflooded with water! Those bastards really got us!" she said while gritting her teeth. "Everyone stand back! I will use my Bankai to freeze this water!" Rukai called out to the Shinigamis floating in the water.

"RUKIA, NO!" the loud and strict voice came from Byakuya, who was still holding onto Sentaro and Kiyone. "DO NOT USE YOUR BANKAI! IF YOU DO THAT, IT WILL FREEZE ALL OF US STUCK IN THE WATER, INCLUDING THOSE WHO HAVEN'T SUBMERGED YET!" he loudly told her.

Rukia was filled with shock as she heard what her brother had said to her, only to be interrupted by Renji. "He's got a point, Rukia. Your Bankai would only lead to….." as he spoke up, he could hear cracks coming from behind. Turning around, he saw that cracks had begun to appear in the wall Zabimaru was stuck on. It made him snap, and it didn't take long before Zabimaru got lose and both he and Rukia fell down towards the water. "OH SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIII…." Renji cursed angrily while Rukia yelled as they fell down and splashed into the water.

"RUKIA!" both Sentaro and Kiyone shouted together as they watched her fall into her water. However, Byakuya held his grip around them firm and he did not let go of them. The two members of Squad 13 looked at him and could see how serious he was on not letting them go after Rukia.

"There is no need for you to swim after Rukia! She already has Renji with her. As my lieutenant, he will bring her back to safety. That is the duty he is given" the black-haired man pointed out to them.

Deep under the surface, Renji and Rukia came back to their consciousness and realized that they were nearly at the bottom of the structure. The two lieutenants began swimming up to the surface, knowing that they would only drown by staying longer in the water. While swimming upwards, they managed to get a glimpse of the remaining Shinigamis stuck in the water, including Urahara and Shunsui.

"Urahara! Kyoraku!" Renji exclaimed in his head as he and Rukia could see them trying to make it to the surface. However, they were not the only one.

Love, Lisa, Shuhei and Sui-Feng were there as well, struggling to swim in this water. It became apparent to the Shinigamis this wasn't just ordinary water. It was actually a water filled with Reishi, which made it possible to slow the Shinigamis down. Nevertheless, they pressed and swam as fast as could.

As soon as Renji and Rukia joined up with the group, Urahara and Shunsui waved their hands at them. They then began to head up to the surface. Bubbles could be seen in the water, yet it was nothing they particular thought about. It was all about survival now.

But as they were swimming, a beam of Reishi suddenly pierced through the wall and even managed to run through the water itself. The Shinigamis could only take notice of it due to the brightness it made in the water. To their horror, this beam of Reishi managed to hit Shuhei on his left hip and he screamed in agony as blood sprouted from him.

"HISAGI!" Renji, Rukia and Shunsui said together in shock as they saw their comrade being shot, with blood covering him in the water. The black-haired man then stopped swimming and fell downwards towards the water.

Even Sui-Feng was outraged by what she was seeing. Yet instead of directing her anger at the enemy, she did it towards Shunsui. "KYORAKU! YOU INCOMPETENT AND WORTHLESS MOTHERFU…" Sui-Feng felt herself stunned and she could no longer speak. The reason for that was very horrendous to watch for her fellow Shinigamis.

"SUI-FENG!" Urahara yelled as a whole could be seen on her stomach. She had also managed to be hit by another bream of Reishi and it her injury was very serious. Even now, blood sprouted out from her opening and the young woman also started to drift down towards the bottom.

The Shinigamis were filled with fear, as they were now being targeted by the Quincies outside the structure. However, they had also begun to notice something. The beams of Reishi created holes in the walls. The water that had filled the structure was gradually beginning to disappear as a result and they could even see the water starting to go down. But that was not all.

Large pieces of the structure's ceiling began to drop into the water and the Shinigamis having previously been holding up on the surface were now being dragged down to the bottom as well. The water was vanishing quickly, but so did the structure's ceiling. Large pieces of boulder collapsed and it was only a matter of time before the entire structure itself would do that was well. Urahara and the other Shinigamis headed straight towards the bottom as soon as a rain of boulders began falling in the water.

Outside the structure, Lille watched unfazed as the structure before him and his men collapsed in shambles. Smoke was coming out from Diagramm and Lille had been the one to fire those beams of Reishi on the structure, both on the walls and on the ceiling. This would make the entire thing collapse and Lille was hoping to at least see someone who would survive this destruction. But then again, he had made sure that the weakest would die from the structure's collapse.

The Stenritter and the Quincies stood and watched as what was once the structure was now nothing but a pile of giant rubbles. The pile of rubbles managed to prevent the flood from continuing, albeit lightly, as small rivers of water could be seen spilling into the street. Lille glanced at his work with a cold glare, indicating he had no regrets doing this kind of action.

"There. That should take care of those meddling vermin. Should there be survivors, we'll be ready for them" the black-skinned man with just one eye noted coldly and looked over his shoulder to face his subordinates. "Alright. We have secured this district. It's time we head back to Silbern and notify His Majesty. And in the meantime, you may as well deactivate the Wassermann. It's done us a great favor for now" Lille told them strictly before vanishing thanks to his Hirenkiyaku. The other Quincies followed suit.

With the Quincies now out of the street, the Shinigamis could not come out of hiding, having used Kido to hide underneath the boulders in hopes of letting them think they're dead. Urahara had been the one responsible for this. Right now, the blonde-haired man coughed out a little before moving out and proceeded to jump to the top of the pile to see the flooded street before him. He also got a glimpse of the Wassermann, who no longer sprouted out large amounts of water from its eyes and mouth.

Urahara took off his hat, only to have water fall on him. But he didn't mind that, as his eyes were focused on the Wassermann. "Those cheeky bastards. They almost had us now" he remarked lowly by what they were seeing.

"I can't believe they would actually resort to a tactic like this" the voice came from Yushiro, who was now standing beside Urahara. His clothes and black hair had also become wet, yet he didn't seem to mind. The young boy even let out a sigh of frustration as he tried to find composure. He then glanced at the young man with narrowed eyes. "You were the one insisting that we come here. Do you think it would be wise to enter enemy territory so early? We almost got drowned here for god's sake!" he then exclaimed in frustration.

So far, Urahara had not responded, as he merely stood there while having his eyes shut. Seeing this kind of reaction irritated Yushiro and he could not stand being ignored like this.

"Are you really that delusional!? I say we made a terrible mistake coming to this forsaken…." the head of the Shihoin clan was stopped when he felt someone touch his right shoulder gently, it was Shunsui, who had now appeared alongside Shinji and Byakuya. "Head-Captain Kyoraku….." the young boy noted lowly, being surprised as he saw him stand there in the first place.

"You are right to take out your anger on him. However, it would be best if you saved that for later" Shunsui encouraged the young man before glancing over at Urahara. "We haven't found Sui-Feng or Hisagi yet. But they will make it out. You don't need to put the blame on yourself, Urahara. We all made mistakes here, even me" Shunsui admitted while taking off his hat.

Urahara opened his eyes, this time filled with determination. He put his hat on his head. To the Shinigamis' surprise, Urahara unleashed his Shikai and began jumping to another boulder before speaking. "You guys stay here and recuperate. I'm going on ahead without you" he simply said, his voice not filled with any emotion.

His friends were surprised by hearing him like this. "Ahead? Ahead where?" Shinji asked while throwing his hands in the air. The blonde-haired man suddenly snapped in realization. "Hold your horses! Are you planning on heading to the enemy's HQ on your own!? You're insane, Kisuke!" the Captain of Squad 5 exclaimed in disbelief.

"It's not what I have in mind" Urahara said, his voice more serious than usual. "Ichigo must reach Yhwach before it's too late. And I can tell that these Sternritters are cleverer than those we have fought before. Therefore, I will go on ahead to them and make sure they are alright. Take care for now" he said and vanished thanks to his Shunpo.

"WAIT! KISUKE!" Shinji called out to him, yet Urahara proceeded to move towards the nearby rooftops. "Damn it! What a stubborn fool!" he remarked while seeing Urahara vanish from the scene.

Yushiro only stood and watched and felt so unsure about what to do. However, he snapped as he could hear the voice coming from Shunsui. "You should join him as well" the pink-clad Shinigami said in his gentle voice as usual. Yushiro turned around and stared at him bewildered. Shunsui nodded at him. "I understand you want to meet Yoruichi, yes? Well, here's your chance. I think you and her will give those Quincies a run for their money, if you know what I mean" he then pointed out to them.

The young boy couldn't help but to make a smile, and he nodded his head at him in appreciation before disappearing with his Shunpo, which was incredibly fast. The remaining captains watched this with bemused glances, not realizing how fast Yushiro really was with this technique.

"This was a wise decision, Kyoraku" the voice of Byakuya could be heard. "Apparently, us rushing towards the enemy with a group as big as this only made it easy for the enemy to take advantage of. The Quincies have more knowledge about this place than what we do. Obviously, we underestimated their brilliant use of traps like this flood right before us" the black-haired man pointed out while seeing the Wasserman and the flooded street.

"We better get down there and see how the others are doing. But I bet we should take some rest before we move on" Shinji suggested to his comrades before jumping down to the Shinigamis recuperating from their injuries. Byakuya joined him soon after.

This left Shunsui alone on the top of the pile, as he surveyed the cityscape before him. His only eye was facing forwards, beyond the Wassermann and the building it hanged by. It looked like he was more concentrated on facing the one who had trapped them in this situation. "Whoever you are, I'll be sure to fight you, bastard" he said while thinking about the Sternritter who did this.

* * *

 _Not far from where the incident took place_

While the group had recuperated, a trail of blood could be seen from the pile of rubbles and it continued much further into the district. Two Shinigamis were now walking down a stairway while clutching onto their serious injuries. It was Sui-Feng and Shuhei and they still had some breath left despite being mortally wounded by Lille's shooting. As they walked down step for step, the two Shinigamis almost fell down, yet they managed to stay put by leaning onto the wall. Whenever they walked, a trail of blood was left behind them. They were nearing the end of the stairway

"Fuck…FUUUUUU…." Sui-Feng cursed angrily before she began coughing out a pool of blood on the stairs and she fell down to the ground. However, she stubbornly got up with her hands and tried to crawl forward. "How can I live with such…shame?" she asked bitterly while coughing lightly.

Shuhei didn't have enough strength to even help Sui-Feng up on her feet, yet he walked with her in the same pace. He was gradually beginning to lose balance and he almost tripped. The punkish man was clutching to his injury on his hip. "Why are we walking away? We could've stayed with…Kotetsu" he then asked her lowly.

Sui-Feng managed to see an alley which was empty, and she turned left. Shuhei followed him as a result. The young woman barely had enough strength to even speak, yet she did respond to the lieutenant's question. "To hell with them! I'm through being manipulated by Kyoraku, Urahara or any of those cocksuckers!" she responded bitterly and lied sideways, leaning onto the wall behind her. With the wall's help, she could sit on her behind, yet she held around her injury. "I don't have much time left. Instead of dying being surrounded by idiots, I'd rather die here peacefully, she then said to him.

Shuhei sat on the opposite side of her and leaned against the wall. He tried to breath, yet he felt himself so sick that he threw up blood not far from where they sat. Even he was beginning to feel how weaker he was becoming. "Maybe this is the end for us" he then said lowly, his eyes fixed onto the ground before him.

Sui-Feng also did the same thing, and she felt her sight gradually weaken. However, before they could even close their eyes, they saw someone standing not far from them, due to it's shadow. Both Shinigamis weakly turned to see who it was, and their formerly weak eyes, were starting to widen intensively.

At the entrance of the alley stood someone in short size while wearing a white-hooded cape. It began taking small steps towards the two dying Shinigamis, who were powerless to do anything.

"Another Sternritter?" Sui-Feng asked weakly before noticing something more drastic with this individual. She gasped. "No….this Spiritual Pressure….you're no Quincy!" she then noted grimly.

Shuhei was also surprised, yet he seemed to actually recognize that individual's power. His eyes never left the sight of it. "You…..how…no, why are you even here!?" he asked lowly, his voice filled with both discomfort and surprise.

The hooded individual suddenly began giggling girly by what it saw, thus indicating to them that she was in fact a girl. "Seriously? It's been a long time since we last talked and this is what you ask me?" she then asked before removing her white hood, thus exposing her identity to the two Shinigamis. This time, Sui-Feng was given a shock by what she saw, not just Shuhei. It was a young woman with hazel eyes, lime-green wavier hair and an orange scarf around her neck. In addition, she even wore a set of goggles in her hair. "You're really starting to get old, Hisagi" the co-Lieutenant of Squad 9 Mashiro Kuna said, her voice sounding normal as usual.

"Am I seeing things because I'm dead?" Sui-Feng asked as she felt disturbed by seeing Mashiro dressed in Quincy clothes. "Why are you dressed like a Sternritter!?" she then asked while sounding very confused by what she was seeing.

Mashiro only took her time to think about that question. "Why I'm wearing this? Well, I think it's because that I have decided to change my loyalty to someone else" she then answered, despite being her usual naïve self.

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Shuhei then asked while not getting Mashiro's explanation.

"She means we're changing sides in this war" a stern and calm voice could be heard and it came from behind Mashiro. Shuhei and Sui-Feng were stunned as they could see none other than Kensei Mugurama standing there dressed like a Sternritter. Shuhei couldn't believe his eyes, as his superior was standing there, alive.

"Captain Mugurama…you're alive!" Shuhei said with a hint of relief in his voice.

Kensei only narrowed his eyes in return. "Spare me your worries, cub! I thought I told you to man up and grow a spine" he said to him, thus shutting him up completely. He then glanced at Mashiro. "Mashiro, call on the guards and ask them to help us carry these two. They will be brought to Silbern for treatment" the grey-haired man commanded the young woman, who saluted in return.

"Your wish is my command, sir!" she said before vanishing thanks to her Shunpo.

Both Shuhei and Sui-Feng were stunned, as they could not believe what he just told Mashiro. "Silbern…..captain…..what are you….." Shuhei's question were quickly silenced by Kensei's strict voice.

"Have you heard nothing what I just said!? We no longer answer to Central 46 or any corrupt noble in the Soul Society! From now on, we only answer to one, true master: Yhwach, the new Soul King. Under his rule, the Soul Society will rise again!" Kensei berated him while those before him only listened silently.

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Author's note: That was chapter 37. We got to see how Ichigo and his friends were doing while also seeing the main force heading towards Silbern. Since Ichigo had fallen off once "accidentally" in the canon story, I wanted to tone down the humor and make it more about Ichigo's growing resentment towards Yhwach. When it comes to Urahara and his group, I wanted them to have some challenge on their way and the flooding in the Kigai no Jomon was a perfect idea. And of course, Lille was the one responsible for nearly killing both Shuhei and Sui-Feng. Speaking of those two, they were on their deathbed, only to be met by Kensei and Mashiro! Now things are starting to get interesting. In the next chapter, I will write on Ichigo and his gang, while telling you briefly about Kenpachi and his group. I have also expressed interest in writing about Uryu and what he's doing during the commotion taking place in Silbern. Then again, this and the next chapter will tell us what happened to the others while the rebel Sternritters were making their move. See you next time.**

 **And here is the new term we learned today.**

 **Wasserman – German for "Waterman": This is a large monument which can act as a fountain and as an instrument of causing floods. Works more than just as a monument. (Fun fact: When imagining its face, I was inspired by the face statue in the Chamber of Secrets from the Harry Potter books. There is a statue of the head of a man with long hair and beard. It's where the dangerous basilisk lives).**


	38. Baby, Hold Your Hand

**Author's note: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 38: Baby, Hold Your Hand**

 _In one of the five districts, Wahrwelt, the Royal Realm, Soul Society_

Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi of Squad 12 only mused to himself as he stabbed Captain Kenpachi Zaraki with his Shikai: Ashisogi Jizo. Having just stumbled upon a mysterious being, the two captains were curious about what it's powers were. This was one of the Schutzstaffel: Pernida Parngjkas, also known as Sternritter C – The Compulsory. Kenpachi, who constantly ignored Mayuri's encyclopedic nouns, rushed off to try and fight Pernida, yet he underestimated the Quincy's mysterious ability to infiltrate organic lifeforms. Kenpachi had been forced to tear his arm off while Mayuri only stood and watched. Unbeknownst to Kenpachi, Mayuri had been using Kenpachi as a tool to figure out Pernida's abilities. This was evident when he had stabbed the Captain of Squad 11, while using an ability to stop Pernida's infiltration of his body. Kenpachi's entire body remained silent, and he was unable to move an inch.

"There is no need to feel so ungrateful. I stabbed you for your own sake. There was no other way to stop the disruption inside your body" Mayuri insisted to him. However, he suddenly became surprised when Kenpachi's only eye began moving to stare at him. This was something the scientist had not been expecting. "My, my, how interesting. It seems that you can still move your eyeballs despite being paralyzed. You really are a monster, Kenpachi Zaraki" he remarked smugly and then proceeded to walk past the paralyzed captain. "Other than helping me uncovering the enemy's ability, you have made me realize that Ashisogi Jizo needs an improvement. I can't believe that I actually feel grateful towards you" he said while easily dismissing his fellow captain.

But for the Squad 11 members: Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa, it was an insult to see that their captain had been tricked and played as a guinea pig by the scientist. They had been standing behind and watched the scene unfold.

"That son of a bitch! He purposely goaded Captain Zaraki into driving in headfirst…." Ikkaku muttered angrily by what he was seeing. However, he also understood what Mayuri's intentions were. "But it appears this Quincy's power have piqued his interest…...which explains why he would want to fight this all by himself. He probably assumed our captain was just a third wheel" the baldheaded man noted while watching the scene.

Hanataro Yamada from Squad 4 chuckled nervously by what he had been seeing and hearing so far. "Captain Kurotsuchi really is selfish. Together, he and Zaraki may have stood a chance in beating this guy" the young medic remarked, finding Mayuri's actions to be insufficient and not helping.

Yumichika merely chuckled in return by hearing this. "You don't say?" he said before glancing over at Nemu Kurotsuchi, Lieutenant of Squad 12. "Some things never change with your captain, do they?" the flamboyant man asked the calm woman, who was focused on watching her master enter the fight.

"Yes. That is how I wish it to be" Nemu replied in her emotionless tone as usual.

Yumichika could not help but to cook an eyebrow by hearing this. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked her while Ikkaku and Hanataro also started to become curious about her words.

"Nothing really" Nemu then replied, her eyes never leaving the sight of her captain.

Mayuri and Pernida now stood face to face, with the Captain of Squad 12 fixing a smug grin as usual. Pernida merely stood and glanced at him without making a move. "Well then. Thanks to Zaraki's noble sacrifice, I managed find out the truth in your ability. As it turns out, it is very valuable information. You know what I speak of, right?" the scientist asked, yet Pernida remained silent and continued to stand still. Nevertheless, Mayuri went on. "You're choosing to remain mute on the matter, but I will continue anyway. What I am trying to say is that I have discovered your ability's weakness" he then said while trying to taunt Pernida.

The mysterious Quincy responded by gazing into Mayuri, only for the scientist to throw some form of liquid around himself. The moment this liquid was thrown, it exposed something that had been invisible to Pernida's opponents. It was his nerves and they were rendered useless due to Mayuri's liquid. Pernida could also feel pain in the nerves, as the liquid somewhat stung them. It felt painful for the Quincy to bear.

The scientist continued to smile smugly. "There! It's your nerves! I have finally exposed your attacks. I hope my liquid is not too excruciating for you to handle, eh?" the scientist said while he could hear screams of pain coming from Pernida. Apparently, Mayuri took pleasure in seeing his opponent feeling such emotion. "I know that Quincies have an ability to use their blood veins and nerves to their advantage, something you call "Blut Vene" unless I am mistaking. But in your case, you have the ability to infiltrate any object with yours, which is indeed remarkable for someone so reclusive as you. I have so many drugs that I would like to test on you, so let us see if you are willing to continue fighting" Mayuri revealed while sounding very confident about himself. In fact, it only made him more encouraged to speak to Pernida. "Doesn't it feel great when you see someone sacrifice for a greater cause? Well, I do. Noble victories are after all, built upon a foundation of noble sacrifices. It makes my heart melt with the uttermost joy" he then said with a voice that seemed very fake, despite his change of tune to a more admirable tone.

The Shinigamis watching this scene from behind were utterly dumbfounded by what they were hearing from him, with the notable exception being Nemu.

"Is he even for real?" Yumichika asked while raising an eyebrow while hearing this.

Ikkaku only grumbled lowly. "That bag of turd! He's got balls saying stuff about sacrifice when he usually tends to ignore his fellow captains or even honor for that matter" the baldheaded man said while he was crossing his arms in disbelief.

"Well, Captain Kurotsuchi's intelligence makes up for his lack of friendly emotions, I guess" Hanataro remarked nervously. The young medic also took a glance at Kenpachi, who was still immobile from the effect. "If only we could get Captain Zaraki somewhere safer. I might've been able to check out his current condition" the timid man noted by what he was seeing.

"Now as we speak, you really ought to pay your respects to an honorable sacrifice such as this by donating your body to me for me for research purposes. That would the proper thing for you to do right now" Mayuri said while starting his usual talk whenever he wanted something to study on.

Pernida remained still for a minute, before a voice could be heard from the hooded Quincy. As Mayuri listened carefully, it sounded like a taunting laughter. Apaprently, Pernida did not take the scientist's words seriously and continued laughing. As he was laughing, his hooded coat began to ripping itself apart.

"My, my, it seems my suggestion don't agree with you. Well, it's not your fault you are so short-sighted and fail to see the romanticism endeavors" Mayuri remarked but his eyes widened as he could see Pernida's hooded coat rip apart, thus exposing his identity to him and the other Shinigamis standing behind him. "What in the world? This can't be…." The scientist remarked by what his eyes were seeing.

Standing before Mayuri and the Shinigamis was a giant right hand with an eye on the palm. This eye had two bright irises, which could be seen only as small white dots while Pernida wore his hooded coat. The giant fingers were being chained together, except for the thumb which was broken. The giant hand continued staring at his opponent, who was growing quite fascinated with what he saw. But Ikkaku, Yumichika and Hanataro were shocked.

"What the hell…WHAT IS THAT THING!?" Ikkaku asked angrily and stressed at the same time.

"That Quincy was a…hand!?" Yumichika wondered by what he was seeing.

Mayuri mused to himself. "Ah, I see. This is unexpected. Unless I'm not mistaken, you are known as Lord Suruhame…...or perhaps by a more well-known title: the Soul King's Left Hand" he revealed smugly, much to the utter surprise of the Shinigamis behind him.

The chain's on Suruhame's fingers began breaking apart and its nerves were now fully released. The hand fell back onto the ground, only for its nerves to begin fastening itself on the ground. As Suruhame did that, his size grew taller and soon, he became an imposing right arm with the hand on the top. It sent shivers to Ikkaku, Yumichika and Hanataro.

"So…...tall…." Hanataro remarked by what he was seeing.

"This abomination is the Soul King's Left Hand!? Was the Soul King even that fucking huge!?" Ikkaku asked while feeling very uncomfortable with this.

Mayuri was listening to them while reading some sort of radar. "I have never seen the Soul King in person, so I'm just as curious as you are. However, this one's Spiritual Pressure is roughly the same as what I picked up from Ukitake when he underwent that ritual of his" the scientist explained while seeing what was written on the radar. "Considering that the Right Arm is the one which Ukitake made a contract with, it's only natural that the Left Arm would be free to move as it pleased. Not very surprising I must say" Mayuri added to his explanation while glancing at the hand.

Hanataro listened closely and a realization came into his mind. "I see" the young medic noted while Ikkaku and Yumichika listened to what he just said. "It all makes sense now. The Soul King has two hands. Lord Mimihagi, it's Right Hand and Lord Susuhame, it's Left Hand. I wonder if there are more of those things" he remarked while feeling scared of what he was seeing.

"Whatever the answer is, I really hope those are the only ones. I'm beginning to realize that the legend about the Soul King keeps getting weirder than ever" Yumichika remarked in return.

Mayuri felt the need to explain more about his opponent to the Shinigamis behind him. "Notice the grotesque single eye that is attached to the arm. It is just as Kisuke Urahara had described previously. But then again, I think referring to it as a single eye would be a matter of opinion" Mayuri explained, only to notice something come out of the fingers. It was Susuhame's nerves and they descended down towards the scientist like a rain.

"Shit! It's headed towards us!" Ikkaku exclaimed in shock.

"We better fall back before we're taken control by that thing!" Yumichika said while Hanataro followed him.

But Mayuri remained still and simply pulled up a ball that eventually turned into an umbrella. It was the face of a living person that was on this umbrella. Whatever it was, it protected Mayuri from the nerves.

"The only thing I'm not clear on, is why the Soul King's Left Hand would ally itself with Yhwach. However, that is only superfluous in the light mind of my newfound euphoria right now" the scientist remarked while feeling very laidback about facing the hand and threw away the umbrella before pulling out a new one, which was to protect him from the next round of nerves.

Surprisingly, Susuhame began uttering out words, and it somehow intrigued Mayuri even more. "Euphoria…" it spoke up lowly.

"I guess this thing is capable of understanding our language. This is also unexpected. Exactly which organs is it using to generate sound? My curiosity is insatiable" the scientist wondered, starting to feel very interested about the giant hand.

"CAPTAIN KUROTSUCHI! QUIT STANDING THERE AND GET YOUR ASS MOVING! WE HAVE TO RETREAT!" Ikkaku shouted out to the captain, yet he could still see Mayuri refusing to move. He continued watching the giant hand with a gleeful smile on his face. "SON OF A BITCH! WHAT'S THERE TO BE HAPPY ABOUT IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, ANYWAY!?" he then exclaimed in disbelief.

"What's there to be happy about, you ask?" Mayuri finally responded to Ikkaku. "I have discovered a unique organism that has never been studied! And yet somehow, it continues to exceed my expectations! If this is not happiness, then I do not know what else can bring it!" the Captain of Squad 12 added, having never been so excited for finding something to study on his own before. As he was standing, the hand suddenly began unleashing his nerves from behind. It even made the scientist more excited. "Yes! Keep it coming! Don't hold back, Lord Susuhame!" he encouraged the tall hand.

But suddenly something happened with the two irises on the grotesque eye and the hand suddenly began speaking. "Lord Susuhame…..not…..name Pernida…Pernida Parnkgjas" the hand said, referring to itself by his Quincy-name. The voice even appeared to be more male-orientated than before.

However, Mayuri did not seem to understand it completely and simply made a hearing gesture towards the giant hand. "Hmmm? What did you just say? Stop mumbling and speak up, will you?" the scientist requested of him.

"Lord Susuhame….name…wrong….name Pernida…..Pernida Parnkgjas" the thing responded once again, this time, referring to itself by his Quincy-name. It was apparent that he wanted to be called that, but for what reason?

Mayuri stared at it with a slightly surprised expression. "Now that is a mouthful. Since I'm the one who made this discovery, not you, all naming rights rightfully belong to me" the scientist explained. The Shinigamis behind him only glanced at the captain dumbfounded, not believing he was talking so casually like this to a giant hand. But then again, they knew Mayuri could act nutty sometimes like all scientists. "But since the subject itself is making this request, I'll make an exception and break protocol just this once and accept it" he concluded while suddenly pointing a finger at Pernida with a smug and cheeky grin. "That said, the spelling will be for me to decide" he then added, trying to control the situation.

Pernida continued to glance down at the white-robed Shinigami, this time moving his irises and fingers. "Don't understand….what you say….." Pernida spoke up, which caught the attention of the Shinigamis once again.

Ikkaku simply shrugged his shoulders. "It's okay. We don't understand what that pedo clown says either" the baldheaded man spoke up, even going as far as to insult the Captain of Squad 12. Because of Mayuri being too distracted by Pernida, he forgot this insult.

"I understand it" Nemu suddenly spoke up her mind. Even so, Ikkaku, Yumichika and Hanataro only chose to ignore her words.

"Things I don't…...understand…usually…...bad words…" Pernida said, this time even moving his fingers while explaining. "You…...enemies…...enemies saying…bad words…..bad words about Quincies!" the giant hand said, this time his voice hinting to a level of dissatisfaction. "UNFORGIBAVLE!" Pernida suddenly yelled, the giant hand clenching while unleashing new sets of nerves. But this time, they landed on the ground, which intrigued Mayuri.

But as soon as the nerves began spreading on the ground, they formed a piece of it into a giant hand. It was headed straight towards Mayuri, who was once again fascinated by what he witnessed before him. The Shinigamis behind him on the other hand, were terrified of what they were seeing, with the notable exception being Nemu of course.

"Well now. To think that even inorganic substances can be penetrated. Most unexpected. A fascinating view indeed" the scientist remarked while smiling gleefully.

Before the hand could even smash Mayuri, the captain avoided it by jumping in the air. He used his Jabarakaina and launched it to the top of one of the nearby towers in the icy cityscape. While he was being pulled up, Pernida's nerves began spreading itself up to where Mayuri was and it caught the captain by surprise. Before he even knew it, the tower's wall was formed into a hand, just like the one he had faced right now. Without delay, Mayuri deactivated his Jabarakaine and fell in the air to avoid being smacked by the hand.

"Damn! I suppose that inorganic substances also include the exteriors of buildings as well" the captain noted while seeing the hand moving towards him. But as Mayuri was in the air, he could hear something happening behind him. The scientist was surprised as Pernida's nerves were forming another hand from the tower behind the captain. It was made quickly and before Mayuri could even react by using Shunpo to vanish, the two hands suddenly smacked together with Mayuri in between them.

The Shinigamis watching the fight on the sidelines were in for a surprise as an explosion suddenly occurred between the giant hands. It was quite explosive and it managed to destroy the two hands. However, the Shinigamis were wondering if Mayuri had made it out of the explosion alive.

"What just happened!?" Hanataro exclaimed while covering his eyes for the bits of stone that were falling down to him and his comrades.

"Captain Kurotsuchi just got blown up!" Ikkaku remarked, not really knowing a better answer to this unexpected event.

However, from the smoke that emerged from the explosion, a familiar voice of dissatisfaction could be heard and it surprised the Shinigamis. Out from the smoked emerged Mayuri, the Captain of Squad 12 still wearing his white haori, as well as a unique hairstyle. His blue hair had been styled into three loops, and his ears were covered by three large golden tubes that wrapped around the sides of his head. He glanced over at the Shinigamis. "Spare me your blabbering, simpleton. Whenever my armor gets attacked, it triggers an explosion" he told them while he was concentrated in landing on the ground beneath him. "I can't be bothered by explaining this to you, so check your dictionaries at your own whim" he added with his usual stubborn voice while glancing at the ground, which began crawling with Pernida's nerves.

"Do not descend, Captain Kurotsuchi! If you land there his nerves will…" Yumichika was interrupted when he and his comrades could spot something underneath Mayuri's white shoes.

The scientist pushed a button behind his soles. When he did that, his shoes began floating in the air with Reishi. It astounded the Shinigamis as the captain was currently floating above the ground, which prevented the nerves from reaching up to him.

The moment Pernida could see what it was, his giant eye snapped in realization. It was apparent that the giant hand knew what Mayuri were doing right know and the captain could see this and smirk with satisfaction in his eyes.

"Do you recognize this? Of course, you do. It is this walking in the air you Quincies utilizes. The Hirenkiyaku" Mayuri told the giant hand while beginning to move a little above the ground. "Hirenkiyaku was originally the name Souken Ishida and Ryuken Ishida called it by. Perhaps the other Quincies had another name for it, but that means little to me. Even if you used your nerves to cover the entire surface area of the ground's surface, it will be inconsequential if I don't actually land on it" the scientist went on explaining, feeling so confident over his own creations and gadgets. He even began pointing his arm at Pernida and it surprised his opponent. Something had begun holding itself around Pernida's pinkie. Apparently, it was Mayuri who had just thrown it at his opponent. "Absolutely irrelevant if you ask me!" Mayuri added while holding up a detonator in his hand.

The Shinigamis behind were curious to this, especially Hanataro. "What is that thing hanging around his pinkie?" Hanataro wondered as he could see some kind of a snake with a human-like face attached to his head. "It looks like a snake" the timid medic remarked by what he was seeing.

"It's not a snake" Ikkaku said, thus surprising the young boy. "That's one of Captain Kurotsuchi's many "handmade" bombs. If I remember correctly, this guy used to be an ordinary Shinigami in Squad 12. Apparently, he must've been one of Kurotsuchi's test subjects" the baldheaded man noted grimly by what he could see.

Yumichika felt disgust as he heard this, while Hanataro began sweating nervously. Yumichika began facing Nemu once again. "Ugh…..is there any sense of dignity left him? You do know that he's wasting the lives of a fellow squad member, right?" he then asked Nemu, who didn't seem obliged to answer. This forced Yumichika to shrug his shouders in return. "Giving us the silent treatment as usual" the flamboyant man noted while stroking his hair.

"How can he go to such lengths in order to reach his goals?" Hanataro asked while feeling stunned and shocked at Mayuri's ruthless behavior. "Well, Captain Unohana was right about Kurotsuchi lacking common sense as a captain" the young medic then noted in his thoughts.

Mayuri glanced up at Pernida while pushing the button on his detonator. "Now then. I'll be collecting my sample now. This won't hurt a bit" he said smugly.

That thing around Pernida's pinkie functioned as a bomb, and it was loud enough to injure Pernida. The pinkie fell off from the giant hand and Pernida screamed in pain and agony as he felt pain from losing it. The pinkie landed right before Mayuri, and the scientist smiled smugly as he could see the sample he was intending to collect. The captain even threw a substance on it.

"This is the substance used for preservation. I'll just let it soak. When the battle ends, I'll make a proper tank to preserve it in. But until then, this will contain its freshness" the scientist noted as he watched the substance have effect on the overgrown pinkie. But as Mayuri stood and observed, he was in for a shocking surprise. Before the scientist even knew it, an eye suddenly opened on the pinkie and unleashed Pernida's nerves from there to Mayuri's right hand. "What the hell!?" the scientist cursed.

It was apparent that Pernida had the ability to unleash more nerves from his fingers, even if they were not attached to the hand. The fact that Pernida could even open an eye on the pinkie really surprised Mayuri. As the nerves began taking hold on his arm, Mayuri suddenly tore off his arm in an explosion before reconstructing it completely. As a scientist, Mayuri was talented in reconstructing parts of his own body and his arms were no different.

"I have rearranged the configuration of my nerves, blood vessels and muscles" the Captain of Squad 12 said while glancing angrily at the giant hand. "Did you actually believe manipulating my body would be such a simple task, Pernida?" he then asked him, for the first time addressing the hand as Pernida. He could see both the pinkie and the hand itself watch at him with cunning eyes. It became obvious to Mayuri that this would be a challenge to him. Even now, he could feel his reconstructed right arm not feeling so good. "Ugh, what a shoddy job. It's been a long time since I performed a one-arm operation on myself. But there is no accounting for rust, I guess. This looks unsightly" he muttered to himself, feeling that his operation had not been so successful as he had hoped it would be.

"Unsightly" Mayuri refocused his attention on Pernida as the giant hand just spoke up. "It sounds like you are no longer as confident as you were before" the hand said, this time having a more intelligent manner of speaking, something which slightly astounded Mayuri.

Nevertheless, the captain remained overconfident towards his opponent. "Oh? Is that how you interpret this?" the scientist asked smugly. "I always find my way out in a battle. And I will so with you" he then added, yet Pernida remained unfazed.

"How about I shake your confidence some more?" Pernida asked the scientist.

Mayuri's attention was brought upon the small pinkie, which suddenly began growing out more fingers, eventually forming itself into a giant hand. The captain, with his quick reflexes, threw some explosive at the attacking hand, this sending it flying. Having just witnessed this only gave Mayuri a form of answer.

"So, the pinkie I tore off became an entirely separate left hand?" Mayuri asked smugly. "This means chopping you up into many pieces is out of the question" he then concluded.

But Pernida was now holding his middle finger, having just pulled it off on his own. Blood ran from the spot where the middle finger had previously stood and Pernida got some blood on his eye. But something happened with the finger he was holding. It began growing into a large left hand and eventually a large left arm.

"I hope you are ready for another surprise" Pernida said and dropped the growing hand on the ground.

Mayuri stood and watched as the two fingers that had been tore off from the hand, had only ended up becoming separate hands, and eventually arms. As he could see the three arms rising up, something hit in his head. It made him think about back when he was young, and was reading a book he had gotten from his mentor, Bansui Amatsuki.

"I see now. I recall reading about this in my youth. It was a book given to me personally by Bansui-sensei" Mayuri noted in his head while recalling the time he read this book in a library. The book he had gotten from Bansui, was actually something which was deemed too dangerous and threatening for Shinigamis to read and learn. But thanks to Bansui, books such as this were kept safe, especially when in the hands of someone as cunning as Mayuri Kurotsuchi. "From what I gather: Mimihagi, the Right Hand, governs stagnation, while Susuhame, the Left Hand, governs evolution. They are both opposite entities. But just because it is written in a book, does not make it an actual fact. I'm the type of individual who can't fully commit to something until I've verified it with my own hands" he then added to his thoughts while thinking about whether what he read was true or not. "But for me to be given the opportunity to actually follow up on both of those…with some actual data from firsthand experience. My, my, what a marvelous fight this has turned out to be" he then remarked, starting to find some satisfaction in having this kind of fight with Pernida.

* * *

 _In another district in the icy cityscape_

Two Shinigamis of the 13 Court Guard Squads: Captain Sui-Feng of Squad 2 and Lieutenant Shuhei Hisagi from Squad 9 had been moving away from the group after narrowly surviving an ambush from the Quincies. They had been walking down the stairs and found solitude in an alley, a bit further from the others. Both Shinigamis felt that the end of them were near, and they sat while thinking about what their fate would be.

However, the appearance of a white-hooded individual had only stunned Shuhei and Sui-Feng, but after realizing that it's Spiritual Pressure belonged to a Shinigami, they both couldn't believe their eyes. That person turned out to be the Vizard: Mashiro Kuna from Squad 9. It astounded the mortally injured Shinigamis, given that they saw the young girl dressed in an outfit that resembled those of the Sternritters. But there was more to that revelation.

To Shuhei's own astonishment, he saw his own captain standing beside Mashiro, wearing similar clothes in white, as well as a hooded cape. But even though they wore Quincy-like outfits, Kensei and Mashiro still held onto their Zanpakutous. Despite that, their personalities had changed, especially with Kensei.

"What did you just say?" Sui-Feng asked while she began coughing out some chunks of blood from her bleeding mouth. The young woman struggled to compose herself, considering the fact she had a mortal injury on her stomach. She could barely even move. "The Soul King…..Yhwach….nothing makes sense" she told them

Kensei's eyes narrowed at the two mortally injured Shinigamis. "Of course, you wouldn't understand. Neither you nor that idiot lieutenant of mine understand the truth about the Soul King and the Soul Society" the grey-haired man expressed his disappointment while crossing his arms.

Shuhei felt blood boil inside of him by hearing such level of disrespect being spoken to him. But he had to carefully compose himself. "Well, there's a good reason for that!" Shuhei spoke up, his eyes glancing up at his captain with seriousness. "How is it that you can be standing there dressed like a Sternritter!?" he spoke up, careful not to speak so loud, given that he also was injured.

The Captain of Squad 9 only forced a smirk as he heard this. "Sternritter? Are you suggesting that me and Mashiro have become Sternritters?" he questioned the black-haired man before chuckling to himself. "Idiot. We're neither that nor lapdogs of the 13 Court Guard Squads. We're serving a higher purpose" he added while noticing someone appear behind him.

Shuhei and Sui-Feng were stunned as they could see Mashiro standing behind Kensei while being accompanied by two other individuals dressed in white-hooded coats and Quincy-outfits. But accompanying them were what appeared to be monks, dressed in white-hooded robes. These monks also wore the Quincy Cross as some sort of necklaces. But what astounded Shuhei and Sui-Feng even more was the fact that these monks were not actually Quincies…..but Souls…former denizens of the Soul Society. Shuhei could even notice the Spiritual Pressure coming from the indivudals standing beside Mashiro.

"No…it can't be!" Shuhei spoke up as one of the individuals removed the hood, thus revealing who it was. The face it belonged to was very familiar to Shuhei. "What the hell….Kira?" he spoke up lowly as the one who was standing before him was none other than Izuru Kira, Lieutenant of Squad 3.

"If Kira's standing there, then that means you are…" Sui-Feng turned her attention on the other individuals who removed his hood, thus revealing himself as Captain Rojuro "Rose" Otoribashi. He simply stood there while wearing his usual mild-mannered expression, despite what he was seeing. "Otoribashi…so you're also betraying us!?" the young woman asked, her disgust becoming more apparent.

Rose couldn't help but to chuckle as he heard what was being said. "Are you suggesting that we are betraying you? It would seem to me that you and Hisagi have been misinformed" he spoke up with an amused tone in his voice. "We haven't betrayed the Court Guard, we have reformed it to serve our rightful superior and leader: the Soul King" he told them as they listened closely.

Izuru glanced at Shuhei, who was so far astounded to even ask more questions. The blonde-haired man only glanced at him with his serious expression, which was different from Izuru's usually gloomy persona. "Otoribashi is right. We're done taking orders from an illegitimate council such as Central 46. You know very well, what I'm speaking of, Hisagi" he told his fellow lieutenant who listened closely. "Why were we and Momo tried for what those bastards Aizen, Ichimaru and Tousen had done!? We had no involvement and were completely innocent. Yet despite all this, we were still tried as guilty by association!" he then pointed out angrily.

Hearing this made Shuhei think about what had happened a long time ago, back after Aizen's defeat. Because his captain along with Gin had helped him betray the Soul Society and its people, Central 46 demanded that Shuhei along with Izuru and Momo to stand in trial for the actions of their captains. For some reason, they had been accused of being aware of Aizen and his allies' machinations long before his plans were revealed. It was some kind of trial, and Shuhei, Izuru and Momo were the accused.

During their testimonies, the three lieutenants had kept insisting their innocence and denied having any prior knowledge to Aizen's plans. However, the various judges and noblemen who sat in the assembly were not convinced by their testimonies. Not wishing to waste lives of Shinigamis by the death penalty, Head-Captain Yamamoto intervened on the lieutenants' behalf, something he had never done before. He convinced Central 46 to spare the lieutenants from receiving the death penalty, while insisting that their services were still required for the Court Guard. To turn the tide in his favor, Yamamoto had then pledged to hold the three lieutenants under arrest in 10 months. This had surprisingly managed to save the lieutenants from being punished, yet they were still under house arrest.

Nevertheless, each of these lieutenants emerged out of the trial with different opinions on the Court Guard. While Momo had managed to get her spirits lifted thanks to Shinji's efforts, as well as her friendship with the Kudo-twins, both Shuhei and Izuru had felt themselves being treated unfairly by standing in this trial. To them, it felt as if they had been victims of false allegations, as Central 46 had given them no proof that either of them were involved in Aizen's scheming. It had also given them a new opinion of the laws of the Soul Society. It even made Shuhei think about the words, his former captain Kaname Tousen had told him during their fight, about the unjust system of the Soul Society. Perhaps there was some truth in his words, even though his quest for vengeance was misguided.

"Don't you dare forget about that episode!" Shuhei's thoughts snapped back into reality as Izuru glanced down at him angrily. "Admit that you want to end the injustices of the Soul Society" the blonde-haired man added to his statement.

"All of you have gone insane!" Sui-Feng still had enough strength to speak up, even though her injury was critical. "Under what theory do you think that I will forsake order and justice!?" she added to her question, her voice filled with anger and disgust.

"I have heard enough of this foolishness!" the two injured Shinigamis snapped as an elderly voice could be near their direction. The Shinigamis dressed in white also noticed and turned to their left side to see a white-hooded individual slowly walk towards the group with his arms folded like that of a monk. Judging from the Spiritual Pressure, he was indeed a Shinigami, yet his voice was very unfamiliar to Sui-Feng and Shuhei. The individual glanced towards Sui-Feng, who remained cautious about him. "Now as for your sense of order and direction. How can you believe in such while you still hold the outlaw Yoruichi Shihoin in high regard? Have you forgotten about your potential, Shaoling Feng?" he then asked the young woman.

Sui-Feng's grey eyes widened in shock and outrage at the same time. "How do you know my birthname!? Answer me!" she demanded loudly, only to cough up another round of blood.

"Hmmm, what a pity. It is a shame that you do not live up to your great-grandmother's legacy, little Shaoling. As a noble, I am disappointed" the hooded man said once again, only enraging the young woman.

"Bastard…." Sui-Feng spoke up with venom in her voice. Surprisingly, she even reached for her Zanpakutou and was about to slash the stranger, despite her weakened condition. "Don't you ever speak about my family as if you know what it stands for!" she yelled, only to stop as she could see the tip of a Zanpakutou being pointed against her.

Shuhei was also stunned to see this. "A Zanpakutou….is he also a Shinigami? But who is he?" the punkish man wondered as he looked up to see the shape of the Zanpakutou. It was formed like a katana, but the blade itself was white as the snow itself. Even the sword's hilt was white.

Kensei and Rose only stood and watched the commotion with their usual expressions while Mashiro and Izuru joined their respective leaders in observing what the stranger was doing.

"Gaze, Kazeshiragiku" the mysterious person suddenly uttered out the release command of his Zanpakutou and something happened to the blade. It began disintegrating into many smaller blades in white. It was astounding as the blades resembled the Japanese white flower itself called Shiraguki. But that was not all. The atmosphere around everyone began feeling so white and black and it affected both mortally injured Shinigamis. In their minds, it felt like their death was imminent and that they now were embracing the afterlife. In fact, they no longer had strength to open their eyes and now fell down into unconsciousness. The hooded stranger took notice of that. "Neither of you have died because of my release of Kazeshiragiku. Therefore, you should be able to hear everything I say. Close your eyes and hear what I have to say" the individual told them both while glancing at the two Shinigamis lying unconscious on the ground.

Rose could not help but to shiver as he felt the effect of this Shikai. "Goodness, I never thought I would get to feel this power again" the blonde-haired man remarked to his fellow Vizard, who seemed perfectly calm, despite the Shikai being released.

"Get used to it" Kensei said while crossing his arms. The grey-haired man even took a stern glance at his lieutenant, who was lying on the ground with such injuries. "Tch, I can't believe he's still a step slow. Tousen's teachings has made him too weak and simpleminded" he then noted lowly to Mashiro, who stood beside him.

"But he can still prove of use to the cause, captain" she told him, only for Kensei to chuckle lowly by hearing this.

"We're no longer captains or lieutenants now, Mashiro" the grey-haired man pointed it out to her, as she listened closely. They could still feel the entire area being black and white. "In this new order, we are brothers and sisters, bound by our common desire to fight injustices. Therefore, we now treat each other with respect and dignity. So call me whatever you like from now on" the grey-haired man insisted to the young girl, who was somewhat stunned to see this new side of Kensei.

Nevertheless, the lime green-haired girl saluted to him in return. "Whatever you say, Kensei. It will take time for me to get used to it tough" she replied to him before glancing over to Rose. "And I'm still gonna call you Rose" Mashino told him.

"Fair enough. I always prefer that name, anyway" Rose said before glancing over to Izuru with a cunning smile of his own. "You heard them, Izuru. Our relationship is no longer that between a captain and a lieutenant. Rather, it's that between two comrades fighting for a just cause" he then told him.

Izuru simply nodded his head in return, never so much as smile at what he heard. "I agree with your words, Otoribashi. In fact, I have gained a new reason to live now" the blonde-haired man added.

"We all have been given a new reason to live" the voice came from the stranger, as he began regaining his blade by collecting the smaller blades and the atmosphere. Somehow, it was quite similar to Byakuya's Zanpakutou: Senbonzakura. "Lord Yhwach will forever do what should've been done many eons ago. The Soul Society need a true king to rule and command it's people. No longer will be succumb to the corruption and lies we were told by that fool Yamamato" he spoke up with an elderly voice. He then motioned towards the white-robed people while pointing at the two Shinigamis lying on the ground. "Bring them to the chambers. It is there where they will be purified of all evil and witchcraft inside of them. They must know the truth" he told the robed men, who willingly obeyed without hesitation.

As soon as Sui-Feng and Shuhei were carried away by these strange monks, the hooded stranger began facing the Shinigamis in white. He would now like a few words with them. But they were interrupted as they could sense Spiritual Pressure near their location. The hooded man faced the stairs and motioned for his comrades to move go on without him. Kensei, Rose, Mashiro and Izuru were astounded by seeing this.

"You four, make sure that they arrive at the Gate of the Sun safely. I will deal with whoever it is that is pursuing us" he told them and they obeyed without hesitation.

The white-hooded Shinigami stood all by himself as he could feel the presence of three Shinigamis appearing on the top of the stairway. He glanced up and could see Rukia Kuchiki, Renji Abarai and Byakuya Kuchiki standing there. Apparently, they had been following the trail of blood that Sui-Feng and Shuhei had left behind, only to see this white-hooded stranger standing there all by himself. It surprised the three Shinigamis that someone were not far from their location.

"I followed the blood trails…only to see this" Renji noted warily while gripping his Zanpakutou firmly. "What the hell is this…another Sternritter?" he then asked while his eyes narrowed.

Rukia was also focused on the individual standing all by himself. "Perhaps. But where's Captain Sui-Feng and Hisagi?" the black-haired woman asked lowly, only to see Byakuya vanish from his spot by using Shunpo. It surprised Rukia and Renji. "Brother! What are you…" she stopped speaking as she also used Shunpo to appear at the end of the stairway, thus standing on the same level as this stranger was.

Renji followed suit. "Captain Kuchiki, why did you…" the red-haired man was interrupted when Byakuya spoke up.

"Rukia, Renji. Take a closer look at this Quincy. Do you notice something stranger about him?" the Captain of Squad 6 told them lowly and the two lieutenants did as he said. So far, the hooded man had not moved an inch, continuing to glance at them with this gaze of his. "If you look closely, you will notice that he is no Sternritter, or not even a Quincy for that matter" the black-haired man then pointed out to them.

The two lieutenants gasped as they heard what he was saying. But it didn't take long before they began to realize what they were now up against. It made them both snap in slight fear.

"You're right…that man…he's no Quincy!" Renji remarked while glancing at the stranger.

"That Spiritual Pressure of his.…..it belongs to a…Shinigami!" Rukia uttered out in shock. Even now, she struggled to hold onto her Zanpakutou. "Who are you!? And why are you dressed like a Quincy!? Have you forsaken the Court Guard for the Wandenreich!?" she then demanded angrily, while struggling to restrain herself from attacking him.

Rukia's eyes snapped as she could see Byakuya block her with his left arm. This indicated that he did not want her to strain herself with such outbursts. It surprised Rukia at first, but she eventually understood what her brother was trying to do. She lowered her Zanpakutou and let Byakuya do the confronting. Renji only stood beside his captain, waiting for him to make his move at him.

"Judging from your enormous amount of Spiritual Pressure, you are not just any ordinary Shinigami. It is in my assumption that you are or were a captain of the Court Guard. Who are you? And why would you forsake your honor to Yhwach?" Byakuya began speaking up while demanding some answers from this stranger.

After standing still for only 4 seconds, the hooded stranger began chuckling to himself, which surprised Byakuya, given that it sounded very familiar to him. Meanwhile, Rukia and Renji felt frustrated by this man's lack of respect and dignity.

"You ask who I am? I had expected better from you, boy" the stranger suddenly spoke up, which only made Byakuya even more surprised. "It appears that I have had too many expectations from you.

"That sanctimonious bastard….." Renji muttered lowly. "He's got some nerve talking to the captain with such level of disrespect" he then added in his thoughts.

Despite him feeling so surprised, Byakuya remained calm. However, he could notice the stranger suddenly pulling out his Zanpakutou slowly. Seeing this, the captain did the same thing with his. His eyes narrowed warily as he could see the stranger suddenly brandish his blade. The stranger then proceeded to point it towards Byakuya, who immediately snapped in realization. The way this man held his Zanpakutou, as well as his stance, it reminded him about someone.

"I believe you are familiar with my stance. Then you probably also know of this blade as well" he then noted with a smug voice.

Rukia could see how slightly uncomfortable her brother was displaying, and she rushed to his side. "Brother! Are you alright? Who is this man?" she asked him before turning her serious eyes on the white-hooded man, who was still pointing his Zanpakutou at the Shinigami trio, or Byakuya to be more specific. "Whoever you are, you'll pay for defecting to the enemy's side!" the young woman then snapped at him.

"I see. This must be your dearest sister-in-law. How poetic. And to think you would honor that miserable street rat Hisana's wishes by adopting her into the family" the stranger spoke up with venom and disgust in his elderly voice. "You even have the nerve to let that worm wear the Kuchiki scarf as well. You disappoint me, Byakuya" he then added to his opinions.

Rukia felt anger boil inside her when she heard this stranger insult both her and her elder sister Hisana. She gripped the hilt of her Zanpakutou firmly. "If I hear you say one more word about my sister, I'll personally come over there and kick your…" as Rukia continued with her warning, she snapped as the stranger vanished from his spot. But it didn't take long before she noticed where he placed himself. He was right beside her. The young woman snapped as she could not believe what was happening to her right now. "WHAT!? WHEN DID YOU…" Rukia paused as she could see her enemy swinging his sword, intending to actually slash her for real.

"Be gone from my sight, vermin!" the stranger bellowed while preparing his attack on Rukia.

"RUKIA!" Renji called out in despair and was about to unleash Zabimaru, only for him to notice his captain making his move.

Right before the enemy's blade could slash Rukia, Byakuya emerged, thus clashing blades with this stranger. It was fortunate that she was showed in the nick of time. The Captain of Squad 6 was not intending on backing down from this challenge, yet he could feel so many thoughts swirl inside his head.

"I knew your true scales would be revealed. Your marriage to that prostitute has corrupted your mind, boy. Whenever I see you now, you only begin to resemble your own father" the stranger then spoke up with his dispassionate voice, only for Byakuya to overpower him and push him some feet away. "I was a fool to let the likes of Yamamoto and Unohana teach about the ways of a captain. It's a mistake that I continue to regret" he added to his statement.

"Shut up!" Byakuya snapped at him angrily and pointed his blade at his opponent. "Who are you!? And how do you know of my family and clan!?" he then demanded an answer out of him.

The hooded stranger suddenly turned around and began removing his hood, which only surprised the three Shinigamis. But for Byakuya, it was shocking. Even though the stranger never turned around to show them his face, they could see his long, grey hair reaching his back. Byakuya remained stunned and he did nothing but see this stranger's back. The stranger even began taking some steps away from the Shinigami trio before putting his white hood again. He then turned around to glance at them, although his gaze was mostly focused on Byakuya.

"Do what you must, Byakuya. But know this. A new Soul Society is on the horizon and I intend on seeing it grow. Under the guidance of our beloved Soul King, we will overcome our fears and struggles. Until we meet again, enjoy the last moments you have" he told them before vanishing from the scene right before their eyes. Even though Byakuya had enough talent to pursue him, the young man never bothered. He was too shocked to even follow him.

"Brother, are you alright?" Rukia asked him lowly.

The black-haired man glanced at her before letting out a deep sigh. "I will be fine. I am shaken, but still fine" the captain responded to her before noticing the trial of blood that led to the alley.

Renji had followed it and he saw nothing but a circle of blood being what was left. It also signaled the end of the blood trail. "Damn it! The blood trail ends here. But it's obvious that white-hooded Shinigami may have played a role in the disappearance of Sui-Feng and Hisagi. If they had been killed then we would've been able to collect their corpses" the Leutenant of Squad 6 noted as he watched the scene.

"What kind of Shinigami would forsake his own people for the Quincies?" Rukia wondered in disbelief.

Byakuya had his eyes closed for a brief moment while thinking about what he had just been told by this Shinigami. It made him grit his teeth slightly, yet he tried not to give into his anger. Was this something his father had warned him about? Byakuya couldn't help but to think about the day he asked guidance from his diseased parents, and only Sojun was willing to appear before hm.

Rukia and Renji were still studying the blood trails, until they could see Byakuya began walking towards the stairway. The captain stopped and decided to tell them about their next move.

"We best regroup with Kyoraku and the others. I will tell him that we failed to find Su-Feng and Hisagi. But with regards to what just transpired before us now" Byakuya said while looking over his shoulder to face the two lieutenants. "It is best if we keep this between us. I would prefer that none of you ever mention it to me again" he said, before walking up the stairs slowly.

Rukia and Renji followed him suit, although there was so many questions that swirled inside their head. They really wanted to ask Byakuya, but by hearing the tone of his voice, they didn't think it was a good idea. Could it be that Byakuya was trying to remained determined on defeating the enemies? Only time would tell. Nevertheless, the two lieutenants could not help but to wonder where Sui-Feng and Shuhei had been taken to. Once they got back, they would definitely be badgered by Marechiyo and maybe Momo.

"Shit…..I've never felt so stupid in my life" Renji noted in his head as he glanced up at his captain. "Did that stranger really piss you off, Captain Kuchiki? I really wish you would start open yourself to me" he then added to his thoughts.

Meanwhile, Rukia thought about the way the stranger spoke to her brother and it astounded her. "That man seemed to know Byakuya really well. He even knew about Hisana. Who is he, really?" she wondered in her head and began glancing up to her brother. "Was that another member of the Kuchiki clan? I have so many questions that I would like you to answer. But since we are in war, I will wait, for now" the black-haired girl added to her thoughts.

* * *

 _In another district in the icy cityscape_

While Mayuri had continued his battle with Pernida, Ikkaku and Yumichika had managed to grab their captain and move him away from this chaotic battle. Mayuri had now plans to activate his modified Bankai: Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō: Matai Fukuin Shōtai. With the practically insane captain releasing his Bankai, the two members of Squad 11 knew that this fight would get ugly.

Grabbing Kenpachi, they along with Hanataro went further away from the area the fight was commencing. With Kenpachi too paralyzed and broken to move his body, he would only commit suicide by standing in such fight. Therefore, it was important that Kenpachi was brought to somewhere safe. Then he could begin recuperating.

The three Shinigamis found themselves inside one of the icy buildings in what seemed to be an apartment complex. It seemed as if they were standing in a living room, as it contained furniture belonging to such room. Regardless, it was a safe place for them to assess Kenpachi's critical condition. They removed his shuhakusho and saw his injuries, including the stab he had received from Mayuri to stop Pernida's infiltration of his nerves.

"Captain Zaraki really has taken serious injuries. His whole body looks bent as a pipe" Yumichika noted while noticing how the captain's body looked like.

Ikkaku only scoffed at him. "Tch, how the hell was he supposed to know that thing could infiltrate objects and do with them as it pleased? Or perhaps more importantly, how were we all supposed to know that this freak was actually a giant, fucking hand!?" the baldheaded man then asked out impatiently.

Yumichika sighed while hearing this. "None of us are fortune tellers, Ikkaku. Now quit throwing a tantrum and help us find out how to cure the captain's condition" he said before turning his attention to Hanataro, who had also begun assessing Kenpachi's injuries. "Anything good so far?" the flamboyant man asked the timid medic.

"Not yet. But I can see the reason why Captain Kurotsuchi stabbed him" Hanataro remarked, much to the outrage of the two Squad 11 members. "If he hadn't done that, that Pernida-thing would've completely taken control of his body. Not that I agree with Kurotsuchi's methods" he then insisted to them with hopes of easing their anger.

The two Shinigamis eventually saw the merit in Hanataro's words, considering the fact he was a medic. "Well, you're the doctor here, so we'll have to listen to you" Ikkaku said before glancing at Kenpachi, who was still being able to move his eyeballs. Ikkaku couldn't help but to form a disgusted look on his face. "You know, it really creeps me out that you can move your eyeballs like that, captain. Can you just stop for a second or two?" he asked his captain in a respectful manner, although he was creeped by the moving eyeball as well.

"He can't help it" Yumichika said to him. "At this point, his eyeballs are the only body parts that has remained untouched by Ashisogi Jizo's paralysis. The rest of his body has. He can't even move or speak" he then added while glancing at his paralyzed captain.

Hanataro was in deep thought, until he sighed in distress, which caught both Ikkaku and Yumichika's attentions. Why was he behaving like this? The young medic rose up to his feet. Hanataro gulped.

"I'm sorry, Captain Zaraki. But I don't have any medicine that can cure you as what you are now" the timid medic told him, while making sure Ikkaku and Yumichika were listening as well.

Ikkaku gritted his teeth in anger. "What are you saying, midget? Aren't you supposed to be the medic here!? You're an…." the baldheaded man had his mouth shut by Yumichika, who only sighed annoyingly while doing this.

"I thought I told you to stop throwing these tantrums of yours!" he told him before letting go of Ikkaku. The flamboyant man then glanced out at the windows. "Man, it's a good thing we're safe here. Captain Kurotsuchi must be having fun with that giant hand. I wonder why his lieutenant continued to stay there" he then remarked questionably.

Ikkaku shrugged his shoulders. "Beats me. Frankly, I could care less if that pedo clown gets his ass handed to him by that Pernida-thing, no offense" the baldheaded man remarked before noticing Hanataro drawing out his Zanpakutou. Both him and Yumichika raised eyebrows at this. "What are you doing?" he then asked the young boy.

Hanataro turned around and surpassingly smiled gently at those two Shinigamis. "I said that I may not have medicines that will cure Captain Zaraki, but I have another solution to this problem. And I'm thinking about doing it with the help of my Zanpakutou: Hisagomaru" he said while holding his Zanpakutou.

"Hold on, are you planning on finishing Captain Zaraki off!?" Yumichika asked out in an outraged tone, only to be held back by Ikkaku. This surprised the flamboyant man.

Ikkaku grinned by what he was seeing. "I see. If I recall correctly, your Zanpakutou is capable of healing every wound it touches, rather than inflicting damages" he said before forming a frown with his mouth. "But we're not just talking about serious wounds on the outside, there's also serious wounds on the inside as well" Ikkaku added to his statement.

Hanataro nodded his head at them. "Yeah, but ever since Aizen's defeat, I've been trying to learn how to use my Zanpakutou as a real Shinigami. During this training, I've managed to learn two things that I never thought Hisagomaru could do. Let me show you how" he said while positioning the tip of his blade at Kenpachi's left arm. Hanataro could see Kenpachi glance at him with his eyeball and it made him chuckle nervously. "Sorry, Captain Zaraki. This will sting for a little moment" he said and stabbed Kenpachi's abs with his Zanpakutou. "Fulfill, Hisagomaru" the young medic then released his Zanpakutou.

Yumichika was furious. "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR….." he was banged on his head by Ikkaku, thus making him stop. "Why did you….." Yumichika stopped when his partner spoke up.

"And you say that I must stop throwing tantrums? You need to look in a mirror, Yumichika" the baldheaded man said while pointing his finger towards the meter on Hanataro's Zanpakutou. "Besides, look at the meter" he then pointed out to him.

The two Shinigamis watched as Hanataro pulled out Hisagomaru from Kenpachi's arm. As soon as it was pulled out, it began moving on its own. Both Ikkaku and Yumichka were stunned to see this. It was actually Kenpachi being able to move his left arm.

Hanataro sighed. "Well, that takes care of that" he noted and then proceeded to find a new place to stab his blade in. "I think I'll go for your back this time. Please don't hate me for this, because it will sting a bit" he said and proceeded to stab the tall captain on his back.

"Holy asscrackers….." Ikkaku uttered out lowly by what he was seeing. "Hanataro…..your Zanpakutou is….capable of healing serious wounds on the inside as well" he then added with amazement in his eyes.

"It has also removed the paralysis of Ashisogi Jizo" Yumichika added while seeing Kenpachi being able to even stretching his left arm. He then glanced at Kenpachi's missing right arm. "But I don't suppose you can bring back the captain's right arm" he then added.

As Hanataro pulled Hisogamaro out of Kenpachi's back, he was able to lean at his own will. The timid medic then began searching for a new place to stab his Zanpakutou. He also watched the meter on his blade. "I think your two legs should be able to fulfill the meter. Once the meter's full and transforms my blade into Akeiro Hisagomaru, I will show you the second thing I learned my Zanpakutou could too. But it's gonna cost me a lot of energy" he said while even glancing at the floor. However, the young boy began forming a determined look on his face. "But I don't care about that! I also wanna be helping others! I no longer want to be the one who always ends up being helped. It's time I also got the chance of being a hero here" he said and then stabbed Kenpachi's left leg.

When Hanataro was finished with both legs, Kenpachi was able to move and even stand up on his own feet. However, he still lacked the ability to speak and his right arm hadn't been regained. Both Ikkaku and Yumichika were stounded by what they were seeing.

"I can't believe it…." Yumichika uttered out lowly while glancing at the young medic. "And your rank in Squad 4 is the co-4th seat? If I was your captain, I would've promoted you to lieutenant" the flamboyant man told Hanataro, who chuckled nervously in return.

Ikkaku chuckled smugly while hearing this. "Lieutenant? I think Hanataro would rather do well as Captain of Squad 4, if you ask me" he said before glancing up to his captain. "Wouldn't you agree, captain?" Ikkaku asked Kenpachi, who why not being able to speak, simply nodded his head as a yes, indicating that he was also impressed by Hanataro's skills.

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear this" Hanataro noted before holding Akeiro Hisagomaru in his hand. "While I have managed to heal the injuries on the inside, Captain Zaraki still hasn't his voice or right arm. Once again, I'm gonna have to rely on my Zanpakutou to do that" the young medic noted while glancing at the full meter.

"So, are you gonna stab Captain Zaraki with that tiny blade?" Yumichika wondered with a raised eyebrow.

Hanataro shook his head as a no. "No. When Hisagomaru is full it can do two things. The first alternative is the one that unleashes its full power to attack enemies with. But the other alternative is something that I learned not long ago. Instead of using my blade to destroy, I will use the blade's butt to heal. But this type of healing will be very different from those of ordinary medics" Hanataro said as he moved close to Kenpachi's toned stomach. "This can only happen if my own Spiritual Pressure comes into contact with yours, Captain Zaraki. I'll have to warn you though, it will be quite powerful. Do I have your permission to do this?" he then asked the tall captain, who glanced down at him.

Before Hanataro even knew it, Kenpachi simply made a thumb up gesture with his left hand. It surprised the young medic and the two members of Squad 11. However, it only indicated that Kenpachi was ready for this treatment and willing to receive it. He even nodded his head to comfirm that Hanataro had his permission.

Both Ikkaku and Yumichika smiled by what they were seeing. "You heard him, Hanataro. Give it into him" Ikkaku told the young medic.

Hanataro nodded his head as a yes and then proceeded to yell out loud as he landed the butt of his blade on Kenpachi's stomach. The moment it hit the stomach, a powerful aftershock erupted and it sent the three Shinigamis flying throughout the room. To them, it was almost as if a bomb had exploded and Hanataro, Ikkaku and Yumichika crashed into the wall. However, as soon as 10 seconds had passed, both Ikkaku and Yumichika opened their eyes.

"Ouch…I think I've got a bump on the back of my head!" Ikkaku groaned as he rubbed his bald head.

"Healing!? I would rather call this a suicidal…." Yumichika stopped speaking as he and Ikkaku were stunned from what they were seeing before them.

Standing before them was their captain, all healed up and perfectly fine. There was no cut to be seen on Kenpachi's exposed torso and his right arm had been regained. The long-haired man only began clenching his hands, while trying to stretch his neck, thus managing to crack some bones.

"Argh…...that felt good. I can't believe I was like this for so long" Kenpachi spoke up with relief in his voice. But he suddenly snapped in realization. "Holy hell, even my lungs seem to have recuperated greatly. As has my toes" he added while trying to do some stretching.

The two members of Squad 11 were astounded and happy at the same time. "Captain! You're back!" they both said at the same time, being happy that Kenpachi was fully cured from his critical condition.

Kenpachi grinned at them cockily. "Damn straight! You think I was gonna let a giant-ass hand defeat me? Fuck no! No way I'm gonna die by the likes of that" he boasted proudly as any warrior would. He then put on his shuhakusho and grabbed his Zanpakutou. While he did that, he glanced out from the window to notice Spiritual Pressures. "I feel there's one hell of a fight happening not far from us. And from the looks of it, Kurotsuchi seems to be in some kind of trouble. As smart as he is, that giant hand will only outsmart him one way or another" he then noted warily.

"You're right" Yumichika noted while he also glanced out of the window. "But are you sure you want to fight that…" the flamboyant man stopped as he could see Kenpachi glance at him with a stubborn and strict gaze.

"Listen up, you two! Like it or not, I'm ain't gonna let that giant hand get away with making an ass out of me! I owe him a knucklesandwich! And I also owe Kurotsuchi a favor. He did after all save me from getting my ass ripped apart. But above all, I'm heading back to the battle!" Kenpachi declared.

"YES, CAPTAIN ZARAKI!" both Ikkaku and Yumichika said at the same time, confirming their undying loyalty to their captain.

But Kenpachi suddenly noticed Hanataro lying unconscious against the wall and he walked over to the young medic. Both his subordinates were surprised to see what he was doing with Hanataro. The usually ferocious Captain of Squad 11 leaned down to the young boy's level.

"I owe ya big time, Yamada. I knew it was a good thing that you joined with us. When you're awake, I'll express my gratitude to ya" Kenpachi said before slowly and steadily carrying the unconscious medic on his left shoulder. "I'll make sure that you're not harmed. Hey Ikkaku, Yumichika" he turned around while calling on his subordinates.

"Captain Zaraki…" Ikkaku said lowly. "Are you taking him with you?" he then asked his captain.

"Damn right I am. When we get to the battlefield, I'll leave you two in charge of keeping Yamada safe from all harm. And don't you dare let harm come to him! This kid actually saved my ass for real, instead of Kurotsuchi. He's someone I'm happy to feel grateful towards" Kenpachi told them while proceeding to move, with both Ikkaku and Yumichika following him.

They were stunned by what they were just hearing. "I don't know about you, but this is the first time I've heard the captain speaking positively about Squad 4's medics" Yumichika whispered into his partner.

Ikkaku only shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not surprised. He pretty much looked up to Unohana" the baldheaded man whispered back to him, making sure that their captain was not aware of this conversation.

The three members of Squad 11 then headed out of the building and into the battlefield, hoping to see what Mayuri had been doing while they had been stuck behind the lines.

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Author's note: Chapter 38 complete. It was mostly focused on the first phase of Mayuri's battle with Pernida. I'm also deciding to do some changes with regards to this fight, so Kenpachi will come into the picture. That is why I also focused on how Kenpachi was cured and regained his right arm. I also wanted Hanataro to have some relevance in this chapter, considering that he was mostly forgotten in the canon story. We also saw what Shuhei and Sui-Feng were up against and they have been captured by these white-dressed followers of Yhwach, who are Souls and Shinigamis. Now who is this man that kept badgering Byakuya and his family? He possesses a Zanpakutou named Kazeshiragiku. The next chapter will tell us about how Kenpachi comes into the fight, and will probably tell us about Ichigo and his group. But the rest, I'm not sure of. Anyway, hoped you enjoyed reading this chapter.**


	39. Constant Motion

**Author's note: This chapter was inspired by a song from Dream Theatre with the same name. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 39: Constant Motion**

 _In the icy cityscape of Wahrwelt, the Royal Realm, Soul Society_

Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi of Squad 12 has always managed to make it out alive form battles, mostly thanks to either his brilliant inventions, or his cunning tactics. But little did he knew that facing the Soul King's Left Hand was to date the most challenging fight he had ever been in. As smart as Mayuri was, Pernida Parnkgjas also began developing such intelligence and strength. Even Mayuri's own modified Bankai was not enough to take care of the Sternritter. The giant hand was able to use a Heilig Bogen, as well as fire Heilig Pfiel. Pernida was also able to manipulate Reishi around him, which astounded Mayuri.

Pernida had begun to master his manner of speech. He also kept insisting he was a Quincy. The more Mayuri began to taunt and ridicule the hand's insistence on being a Quincy, the more furious Pernida became. By firing smaller Reishi Arrows, Pernida was able to tie his nerves with the arrows and they almost managed to hit Mayuri, only for someone to unlikely save him: his own lieutenant: Nemu Kurotsuchi.

It was surprising that Nemu had begun to develop her own feelings of protecting her superior and creator. Despite this, Mayuri kept insisting that she was to only obey his orders and not act on her own. However, he also called her by a name she never thought she ever hear again: Nemuri Nanagou. It was the name she was given after Mayuri created her by using a combination of Gigai and Gikon technologies to bring her into existence. It had been Mayuri's own attempt to create life, which was ironic, given his disregard for life. That project was known as the Nemuri Project. Nemu was Mayuri's seventh test subject.

Mayuri had decided to drug Pernida, in hopes of making him useless to even move or releasing his nerves. While all the other hands of Pernida had succumbed to it, Pernida himself had managed to see through his plan and began severed his infected thumb. Something surprised Mayuri even more. It seemed that Pernida was able to evolve by using everything it touched. This was one of the abilities he had always been having. The fight against Pernida was also the moment when Nemu's hidden powers had finally been activated. No longer would she stand on the sidelines and watch as her own master was on the verge of dying. With her insanely powerful attacks, Nemu managed to destroy Pernida's clones and even confront the giant hand itself. But Pernida was able to regenerate and he successfully disposed of Nemu's body during one of his regeneration-processes.

Mayuri grabbed what was left of Nemu: her own brain while Pernida's own clones began devouring her corpse. By taking the brain away, it caused the cells in the body to begin multiplying uncontrollably and destroyed the clones from the inside out. After seeing them being destroyed, Mayuri took a glance at the brain. He found himself being in a delighted mood, as he believed he had stepped out of Kisuke Urahara's shadow. His Nemuri Project had been a success and had even managed to triumph against the Soul King's Left Hand. Or so he thought.

As Mayrui kept watching the brain, he snapped as he could hear a familiar laughter coming from his right side. Slowly turning to that direction, Mayuri's own eyes snapped as he could see Pernida standing there, with his only eye and two irises. The scientist was in disbelief over what he was seeing. He had just seen Pernida and his clones disintegrate and had expected the Sternritter to die with

"No…no…...NOOOOOOOOO!" Mayuri yelled out in outrage and shock at the same time. "HOW IN THE HELL IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE!?" he then asked out angrily while seeing Pernida standing there with a cocky expression, which he could tell it was by the way his eye was moving. "Nemu's cells was supposed to have destroyed you and your clones from within! You wouldn't even be able to regenerate yourself! But yet…you're still alive!" the scientist added to his anger and distress.

Pernida continued to glance down at him smugly. "I have to admit, you almost had me there, Mayuri Kurotsuchi. And to think that it was not you, but your own creation that managed to almost kill me. However, what you only destroyed there was only one of my clones. It was never the real me." the hand said, this time his level of speech being on the same level as that of his fellow Sternritters. "You honestly believed that I would die from the likes of a creation by a misbegotten Shinigami!? Such a foolish assumption! My knowledge surpasses yours!" Pernida then added with a more anger in his voice. "I will never die! Not until I see you Shinigamis being punished for your crimes!" he added with a declaration while unleashing his Spiritual Pressure.

Mayuri gritted his teeth in frustration and held up his Zanpakutou, which had not been broken, even though Pernida had been able to use the power of his Bankai. "Damn creature…what are you really!?" he then asked out angrily. "You constantly start referring to yourself as a Quincy, yet your true name is Lord Susuhame! I grow tired of you and your arrogance!" he added to his frustration.

Pernida only narrowed the eye on his hand. "Imbecile, as a student of Bansui Amatsuki, I had expected you to at least know the true story of the Soul King. That also includes, the reason why we were severed from the Soul King and forced to wander as different individuals" he then pointed out to Mayuri, who was astounded to hear the hand even mentioning his former teacher. "But there has been a change of heart, Shinigami. A new Soul King is dawning upon our world and I intend on devoting my services to him. Lord Yhwach will become a God of this world…a God far greater than what his father ever was!" Pernida then added to his statement.

Mayuri listened closely as what he heard Pernida say. "What? Did he just refer to Yhwach as the Soul King? What nonsense is he sprouting about!?" Mayuri wondered in his head, until a stunning feeling hit his head. It was something he along with Urahara, Yoruichi, Tessai and Aizen had been told many years ago by Bansui Amatsuki himself. In fact, the scientist began recalling the poem his teacher had read to them and he thought it in his own head. It almost sounded like a prophecy. The words of his teacher haunted the scientist's mind. "Can this really be true, Bansui-sensei?" Mayuri asked while thinking about his late mentor's stories.

"When the father lost his body, they each became different entities. Even though they were considered his children, they resented him for abandoning them to bring balance to the world. But the father had also another son. A son that only he himself knew of. That son would become a God and later gather his own disciples. He would fulfill his destiny: to take his father's place as the God of the World and finish the job that he himself failed. Because of this, the father's other children have begun their move, hoping to reunite with the son and become one with him as they all once were" Mayuri recalled the words from Bansui and it made him think about it deeply.

"No…...that story is absurd…..it's nothing but a fairytale!" Mayuri spat out while glaring at Pernida. "Bansui Amatsuki was only an idealistic fool who constantly believed that the fairytales he read were true! I only believe in facts, not fairytales!" he then added to his anger.

Pernida's eye narrowed in displeasure. "I grow tired of hearing your constant insolence, Shinigami. A mere ant like you will never understand how this world truly works" he said while suddenly moving his thumb, pinkie and middle finger close to one another, this forming something between them. "And to show you some points for your efforts, I shall grant you the honor of witnessing my true power! It will be the last thing you will see, AS I DELIVER YOUR PUNISHMENT FOR YOUR SINS!" Pernida exclaimed as the glowing Reishi between his fingers began to form itself into Quincy Cross. As soon as it appeared, a bright light appeared in front of the hand.

The light was so bright that Mayuri needed to cover his eyes with one of the sleeves of his haori. "DAMN…WHAT IS THIS!?" Mayuri cursed in anger while covering his eyes. As soon as the shining stopped, the scientist was in for a shock by what he was seeing. "NO…IT CANNOT BE…." he then said while staring at Pernida's new form.

While Pernida still retained his same form of a giant hand, his appearance had changed drastically. The two pupils in Pernida's single eye had managed to be filled with Hagal runes. Two feathery wings now sprouted out from his wrist and his Heiligenschein was formed like a David's star, only that it was more resembling to the Wandenreich's own symbol. The giant hand gazed down to Mayuri, who was left stunned by this new appearance. This was without a doubt, Pernida's Quincy: Vollständig.

"This is it, Shinigami" Pernida spoke up lowly while his fingers began cracking and sprouting out more nerves. "This is my true form in which I never thought I would have to use. But since you have forced my hand, I will take pleasure in watching you suffer while in my godly form. BEHOLD, THE POWER OF ACRADEMUS!" the giant hand exclaimed while calling out the name of his new form. In the Quincy tongue, it meant: Evolution of God.

Mayuri remained cautious as he could see a giant Heilig Bogen being formed on Pernida's fingers. From what he could tell, it was significantly taller than the one the Sternritter had showed him previously. Firing a Heilig Pfiel, Pernida aimed it down at Mayuri, who knew that he would need to get away from it as quickly as possible. The scientist used his homemade Hirenkiyaku to avoid getting hit by the arrow of Reishi. But while he managed to avoid it, something else happened. As the arrow landed on the ground, an explosion suddenly erupted and Mayuri narrowly avoided it. However, the captain was stunned to see what just happened.

"What kind of attack is this….." Mayuri wondered as he could see that the explosion had left a crater in the ground after this attack. "I have never seen Heilig Pfiels as powerful as this…" he noted but quickly returned his focus on Pernida, who was preparing another arrow for him. The scientist gritted his teeth in frustration.

"There is hope for you, Shinigami. You will never escape my wrath!" Pernida exclaimed and fired a Reishi Arrow once again. "I will make you suffer for this humiliation! That will be your judgement for laying your filthy hands on me!" he added with pride in his voice.

Mayuri got frustrated as he heard what the hand just said and he jumped to avoid getting hit by the exploding arrow. This time however, the captain was caught by the explosion and sent flying, despite his best attempts to avoid being near the explosions. But in the nick of time, Mayuri managed to use his handmade Hirenkiyaku to float above the ground once again. He panted while glaring up to the giant hand.

"Damn! To think that I allow myself to get bested by this giant hand!" Mayuri cursed while clutching onto Nemu's brain with his left hand. "If only I made more adjustments to Nemu. She would've probably been able to battle and destroy it completely" he then added to his thoughts while glancing at the brain.

Pernida kept gazing upon Mayuri, with his eye narrowing cunningly. "It seems that this fight will be over already" he said before letting out a taunting chuckle while forming his fingers as if he was to grip something. He even did that while bending himself backwards. "Allow me to humiliate you at my full power!" he then exclaimed.

Mayuri was completely caught off guard as a giant hand made of Reishi suddenly emerged underneath him from the ground. It rose up like a pillar while carrying the terrified captain, who was caught by the Reishi Hand's grip. Mayuri was now squeezed and caught by Pernida.

"BASTARD! WHAT TRCIKERY IS THIS!?" the captain demanded angrily.

"You still don't get it, do you?" Pernida asked as Mayuri was caught and held around by the fingers. "I have always been a Quincy. As such, I am able to manipulate Reishi into my own liking. That is some the powers I have always had, ever since me and my siblings were separated from one another" he then spoke up, once again insisting that he was a Quincy. "The name that you insolent worms gave me can be written off as a legend. I am Sternritter C – The Compulsory: Pernida Parnkgjas!" he added with an excelmation. It was apparent that he had completely disowned the name Lord Susuhame.

Mayuri was feeling very distressed at the moment as he felt himself getting crushed by the Reishi Hand. However, he was in for a surprise as he could feel himself getting loosed for some reason. The scientist was then freed from the grip, only to fall down onto the ground. With careful thinking, he activated his Hirenkiyaku once again, thus being able to float above the ground. The Captain of Squad 12 was very stunned to see why he was free instead of getting crushed by the Reishi Hand.

"I don't understand…how am I….." before Mayuri knew it, he could feel himself getting stabbed through his chest by a Zanpakutou and it looked very familiar to him. The outraged scientist managed to move his head a little to see who it was that had stabbed him. Mayuri was furious with what he saw. "What is the meaning of this…Zaraki?" he spoke up with an angry voice.

Captain Kenpachi Zaraki of Squad 11 now held his Zanpakutou while stabbing Mayuri. He only grinned cockily as his gaze met the scientist's eyes. It appears that he took pleasure in doing this to Mayuri and his fellow captain's reaction only seemed to make it more fun.

"Heh. What does it look like I'm doing? I'm just returning the favor. Weren't you saying something about stabbing me for my own sake? Well, here's my own version" the aggressive captain told the scientist in return before swinging his Zanpakutou, thus throwing Mayuri back into the nearest building. "Now do me a favor and sit your ass down! And don't even think about stealing my prey. I've got this in a bag!" he then spoke up while fixing his glance on Pernida.

Mayuri was furious over what his fellow captain had just done and he wanted to do so many things to Kenpachi because of what he now just did. "I stabbed you to save you from being killed! You did that for no reason!" he angrily said while holding onto the wound on his chest. But Kenpachi did not seem to respond, which only made Mayuri more furious. "That oafish buffoon! How dare he turn his back on me!?" he angrily wondered in his head.

The scientist could suddenly hear someone appear beside him and it made Mayuri narrow his eyes. He could see Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa standing close to him, with Ikkaku carrying Hanataro Yamada on his shoulder. Mayuri groaned with low enthusiasm.

"You again?" he said, not sounding very happy to see the two members of Squad 11.

"Whazzup, pedo clown?" Ikkaku asked the captain in his usual rude tone, which Mayuri did not take kindly. Even so, the baldheaded man seemed less than interested in what his own opinions were. "You're still gonna act like a sourpuss as usual? Big deal. I can care less" he then added while focusing his attention on his captain confronting Pernida.

"Where's your lieutenant? And what's that you're holding, a brain?" Yumichika then asked while glancing over at the captain, who was sitting while holding onto Nemu's brain. But like Ikkaku, Yumichika didn't seem to give much thought to Mayuri and simply shrugged his shoulder at him. "Whatever. From my standpoint, it seems that neither you nor your lieutenant were able to defeat that thing despite your talents. I take that brain must be your lieutenant's. That explains a lot" the flamboyant man remarked with amusement in his voice.

The Captain of Squad 12 could not stand this mocking, especially from lower-rank Shinigamis like Ikkaku and Yumichika. "I hope you've brought more than insults, simpletons" he then said with little enthusiasm in his voice. But Mayrui could notice Hanataro being carried by Ikkaku and it made him wonder why he would do such. "I don't understand. Why are you carrying that lousy medic? I thought you of Squad 11 had a low opinion on Squad 4 and their medics" he then asked them while wanting to know.

Ikkaku simply scoffed at his question in return. "It's none of your damn business!" he said while motioning his head towards Kenpachi. "But I can say that Captain Zaraki wants to return the favor you gave him by finishing off that giant hand. He will sort of clean up the mess you left behind" the baldheaded man added with a hint of humor in his voice.

Knowing that it was meaningless to speak to either of those two, Mayuri decided to concentrate on Kenpachi. "I don't understand. After what that thing just did to you, what makes you think that you'll win? You are only walking straight towards your death, Zaraki" the scientist remarked in his head.

The Captain of Squad 11 was swinging his blade while making sure that he was ready to fight this opponent. Kenpachi was still grinning in spite of the enemy he was facing, not mention that Pernida had just activated his Quincy: Vollständig. He glanced up, only to see Pernida glance down at him with a dispassionate look.

"I see that you have recovered from your injuries, Kenpachi Zaraki. How you did it, I have no idea. But it matters not" Pernida spoke up, his voice hinting with dissatisfaction. "However, I expect you to be a better challenge than that pathetic excuse for a scientist behind you. But have you learned from your previous encounter with me?" he added while pinpointing to Mayuri, who was furious over his comment.

Kenpachi only shrugged his shoulders in return. "Heh. It seems that we can both agree on Kurotsuchi being ridiculous. Hell, I bet we have more in common than what you care to admit" Kenpachi said while readying his fighting stance, his only eye completely fixed upon Pernida. "But that said, I still owe you some ass-whooping for what you did to me. I may have underestimated you and your abilities, but that doesn't change for a fact that I'll die to you. So do me a favor and show me your abilities. Let's see if your nerves are tough enough to reach me!" he then began challenging the Sternritter, while taunting him in the process.

Pernida remained unimpressed when seeing Kenpachi's taunting. "You do not impress, Shinigami. For someone who almost met his end by my powers, you do have some guts left in you" the giant hand noted, before cracking his fingers. It was apparent that Pernida was ready to make his move against the captain. "Very well. To show respect for your reputation, as well as being one of the 5 Special War Potentials, I shall grant your defeat by own account" he then added while explain his intentions.

Kenpachi continued to smirk when facing this danger. "Bring it on, Handy. I'm waiting" he spoke up with a cocky tone. He even had enough balls to call Pernida by a nickname.

This made Pernida slightly angered and it only made it more tempting for the Sternritter to defeat Kenpachi. "NOW, FEEL MY WRATH!" he said and all of a sudden, nerves began sprouting out from the fingers, expect that there was a difference from the ones he had when in his normal form. These nerves were filled with Reishi and they headed down towards Kenpachi, who was glancing at these nerves with intriguing eyes. "YOU WILL NOT SURVIVE! MY NERVES HAVE NOW BEEN EMPOWERED WITH REISHI! NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, YOU CAN NEVER ESCAPE THEM! THE AIR WILL HELP THEM TO CATCH YOU! ENJOY YOUR LAST MOMENTS, SHINIGAMI-ANT!" Pernida then exclaimed while explaining what these nerves were.

Kenpachi continued to stare up towards the nerves with widening eyes, as he could see how fast they were coming towards him. It was as if he was too scared to even move away. But out of the blue, a gleeful smile began creeping on Kenpachi's face and he was delighted by what he was seeing, even though he knew he was in grave danger. Why was he behaving like this in face of danger? His members of Squad 11 also wondered about the same thing.

"Now we're talking! This is what I've been waiting for!" Kenpachi said while putting his left hand on his eyepatch. That could only mean one thing. Kenpachi was now intending on unleashing his full power against Pernida. "TIME TO TURN UP THE HEAT!" he then yelled out loud in exclamation before pulling off the eyepatch.

The moment Kenpachi did that, a loud explosion of Spiritual Pressure erupted in the icy cityscape. It was so powerful that it even blew off the nearby buildings. Yumichika, Ikkaku and Mayuri was also caught by this explosion and they were sent flying into one of the nearby streets. They struggled to hold themselves, considering that Kenpachi's Spiritual Pressure was as strong as a hurricane.

"WHAT IN THE HELL IS THIS!?" Mayuri asked out loud while covering his eyes with one of the sleeves from his haori. "SINCE WHEN DID ZARAKI'S POWER BECOME SO STRONG!?" he then added while making sure that he was stuck on the ground.

Ikkaku was also staying strong while holding onto Hanataro. But he was very awed when he felt the enormous Spiritual Pressure coming from. In fact, Ikkaku went from being stunned to being amazed to feel his captain's power. He was not alone. Even the reserved Yumichika was beginning to do the same thing. The two members of Squad 11 felt so much confidence in their superior.

"Man…the captain's Spiritual Pressure sure is strong…since when did he achieve this amount of power!?" Ikkaku wondered out loud while gazing into the bright energy being released.

Yumichika only glanced at his partner smugly. "Save those questions for later, Ikkaku! You heard the captain. Hanataro is to be protected by any means necessary. One injury on him and you'll have Captain Zaraki coming after your hide!" he pointed out to the baldheaded man.

Ikkaku only scoffed in return. "Is that supposed to scare me, Yumichika!? Get real!" he said to his friend in return while looking at Hanataro hanging unconscious on his shoulder. "All of us are indebted to Hanataro for what he has done to help us. If not for him, we wouldn't even be able to witness this fight" he added with a hint of gratefulness in his voice.

The powerful release of Spiritual Pressure soon ceased and the Shinigamis sitting on the sidelines could see Kenpachi still standing there, only this time, with his Shikai activated. The aggressive Captain of Squad 11 swung Nozarashi before resting it on his right shoulder. Kenpachi made sure that Pernida could see the blade as well. But above all, Kenpachi's release had somehow disintegrated Pernida's nerves. The Sternritter was filled with intrigue by seeing what Kenpachi had just done.

"Unbelievable…...my nerves…..they failed to reach you" Pernida spoke up lowly, before his eye began narrowing with displeasure. "Nevertheless, it does not make you invincible. I am one of His Majesty's Schutzstaffel! My power already surpasses yours, ant! And I intend on proving it!" he said before realsing more nerves out from his fingers.

These nerves were also filled Reishi, and they were headed towards Kenpachi in a fast speed. Yet despite seeing this, Kenpachi only glanced at this with little enthusiasm in his eyes. He seemed to be feeling bored, and even let out a sigh as the nerves neared him.

"You just don't get it, do ya?" Kenpachi asked Pernida before unleashing his Spiritual Pressure once again, thus sending shockwaves in the area. The moment the nerves neared him, they quickly disintegrated, right before Kenpachi's eyes. He could see the outraged reaction from Pernida. "Your damn nerves can't touch me, not as long as I live and breathe" the captain added with an explanation to the giant hand before him.

But Pernida was not very receiving of these statements. "Impossible…...such Spiritual Pressure…..." the giant hand noted before forming a Heilig Bogen with his giant fingers. "I have already ascended into my holy form! I cannot be bested by a filthy Shinigami-rat!" he exclaimed before readying an explosive Heilig Pfiel before firing it towards Kenpachi. "YOU WILL NOT SUCCEED!" he then exclaimed out loudly.

Without even hesitating, Kenpachi jumped into the air and headed straight towards the incoming Reishi Arrow. He was determined to face it head on and readied his Zanpakutou. The aggressive captain even grinned in the face of danger.

"I grow tired of hearing your blathering! So I'll end it with one blow!" Kenpachi exclaimed and suddenly swung Nozarashi at the incoming Reishi Arrow, thus cutting it into many pieces. The Sternritter was not finished. He began raising his fingers, thus making two hands made out of Reishi emerge up from the ground. Once in the air, they immediately turned around and dived towards Kenpachi. But in the minute the two hands of Reishi was about to claw the Shinigami, they disintegrated. This was due to the monstrous power coming from Kenpachi. Pernida was astounded by seeing Kenpachi's resolve and he got more frustrated by seeing how his own attacks failed to land damage upon Kenpachi.

"I DON'T UNDERSTAND! MY ATTACKS KEEPS GETTING WEAKER WHENEVER THEY ARE NEAR HIM!" the giant hand thought in his mind, only to realize that he had to do something. "I WILL SACRIFICE FOR YOU, LORD YHWACH!" Pernida then exclaimed and lowered himself to face Kenpachi head on.

The long-haired man remained defiant in face of this challenge and proceeded to swing his blade as Pernida neared him. But Kenpachi was now unleashing his full power and proceeded to cut Pernida in half, from his hand to rest of the arm. He did that with an incredible fast speed, and this cut managed to crack Pernida's Heiligenschein. Pernida was left paralyzed as he was separated in half, with blood sprouting out from the two halves. However, the giant hand still had the ability to regenerate and become one again, but something made it impossible. Kenpachi's monstrous Spiritual Pressure rendered the giant hand powerless to be able to regenerate and the two halves soon disintegrated into pools of blood,

"DAMN YOU…KENPACHI ZARAKI! YOU WILL SUFFER FOR THIS OUTRAGE! YOU WILL NEVER BE WIN THIS BATTLE! WE ARE ETERNAL! WE ARE ALL CONNECTED!" those were the last words of Pernida as he became nothing but a giant pool of blood.

Having just delivered the blow to the Sternritter, who was also the Soul King's Left Hand, Kenpachi landed upon the ground and watched as the pool of blood soon began withering away. Everything around him became quiet once again, and he could sense no signs of Quincies standing near him. They were now alone in this icy street, which had of course had some rubbles from the destroyed buildings. The long-haired man only shrugged his shoulders before swinging his blade to wipe off the blood. His expression was very neutral.

"Nothing more than a nuisance" he said, only to fix a smug grin on his face. "But still, it felt refreshing. It felt great to give that bastard an ass-whooping. He deserved it" he added to his statement while stretching his neck.

Kenpachi was quickly approached by his fellow members of Squad 11, who were more than delighted to see their captain having emerged victorious from this fight. Ikkaku was still carrying Hanataro on his shoulder. But it didn't take long before Mayuri also joined in, although he didn't have enough much strength to run in same pace as Ikkaku and Yumichika. He was still holding onto Nemu's brain.

"You did it, Captain Zaraki!" Yumichika exclaimed with admiration of Kenpachi. "I knew that you would put an end to that horrible thing!" he added to his praising of his captain.

Ikkaku only glanced at his partner with a raised eyebrow when hearing this. "Is that the best praises you can come up with?" he wondered in his head.

"Save the praises for later, Yumichika. This battle ain't over yet" Kenpachi suddenly spoke up while glancing up to the imposing building, where Silbern stood at the summit. That was the new seat of power of the Wandenreich, as well as the place where Yhwach could be found. "We still gotta reach that palace. There's a feeling in my gut telling me that Ichigo and his pals are headed towards that place even as we speak" the Captain of Squad 11 then noted while gazing up to the palace.

Yumichika and Ikkaku glanced up to Silbern as well. "Yeah, but we'll reach there in no time. I'm certain of that" the baldheaded man noted with a cunning grin forming on his face.

Mayuri approached the group, only to fall onto his knees. He was surprised, but could see the reason why he was rendered unable to walk properly. His shoes had somehow been twisted. They had probably been that when he got sent by Kenpachi's shockwave. The Captain of Squad 12 sighed deeply as he saw this.

"I see…...even my shoes are now destroyed…that also includes my feet. Just my luck" he muttered lowly before reaching for his Hojiku-Zai in one of his sleeves. He then stabbed the regenerative serum on his legs, which then made his feet whole again. While he did that, he could notice both Ikkaku and Yumichika glance at him with nothing but disapproving looks. Despite this, Mayuri grinned at them smugly. "I commend you two on not stepping forth and interfering in the middle of my fight. That would have only ruined the experiment" the scientist remarked while showing them Nemu's brain.

Yumichika stroke one of his bangs while listening to this. "I didn't expect a compliment coming from you. While I wouldn't receive it given your cold attitude, I'll make this an exception and take it" he told him in return. "But don't expect me to feel sorry for you" he then added.

Mayuri only grunted in return. "I never asked for your sympathy, Ayasegawa. I was only stating observable facts by my own account" he replied, his voice bearing no enthusiasm in it. He eventually got up on his feet, as his serum seemed to have healed his feet quickly. He then took a glance at his Zanpakutou, which seemed to not be a little broken. "Damn. Ashisogi Jizo seems to have been receiving some damages thanks to that vile thing being able to destroy my modified Bankai. However, that does not mean it is useless to me. I can still use it, not to mention that Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō: Matai Fukuin Shōtai is able to repair itself. But that will take some time" the scientist noted in his head while observing his Zanpakutou.

"Hey pedo clown!" the rude voice came from Kenpachi and Mayuri turned his irritated look on his fellow captain, who had not even bothered turning around to face him. "Can't believe I'm saying this, but thanks. Thanks for saving my ass from getting ripped apart" he then thanked the captain he usually didn't get along well.

The Captain of Squad 12 only shrugged his shoulders as he heard this. "I don't know whether you are talking to me or to yourself. But I appreciate your gratitude nevertheless" he then said with sarcasm in his voice.

"You should actually be thanking him for taking care of that damned hand for ya" Ikkaku suddenly spoke up while glancing at Mayuri with narrowing eyes. The scientist did not take kindly to his words. "What, so you still wanna act sanctimonious and self-righteous in light of what happened in your fight? Care to dream, Kurotsuchi" he then added.

"I don't answer to a mere 3rd seat, so back off, Madarame!" Mayuri snapped, although he took notice of Hanataro hanging on Ikkaku's shoulder. It made him feel dumbfounded. "And why in the hell are you carrying that lousy medic anyway? Hanataro Yamada is nothing but a…." before the Captain of Squad 12 could continue any more badmouthing of the unciouncious medic, Mayuri could feel the close presence of Kenpachi. Right now, the long-haired man was glancing at him with a very stern and threating glance, although Mayuri didn't seem to feel intimidated by it.

"Hey" Kenpachi spoke up, his eyes never leaving his fellow captain. "I could care less about your usual test subjects since they're your men. But I damn sure don't wanna hear you badmouth Yamada. He actually saved me for real, instead of you" he then told Mayuri, his eyes still fixated upon him.

Mayuri was only glancing at Kenpachi with low enthusiasm but he eventually let out a deep sigh after 4 seconds. "You're right. I take it back. But I still have more pressing matters to concern about than being friendly to that medic" the scientist told him before gazing up towards Silbern and the imposing tower that existed beneath it. "Well, while I usually have no interest in what happens now, I can sense some disturbances happening in that tall building. It is there where we will find him. It is there were Yhwach sits on his throne" Mayuri then told his fellow Shinigamis.

Kenpachi only grinned by what he was seeing. "Heh. What are we waiting for? I suggest we head over there and see what kind of minions he'll send against us" Kenpachi suggested cockily while swinging his blade to brandish it. "I still wanna go and crack a few skulls" he said before heading off towards that direction in fast speed.

Both Ikkaku and Yumichika did not wished to be left behind, so they immediately began chasing after their captain. This left only Mayuri alone in the street, as he didn't power running after them. The scientist sighed deeply as he proceeded to move forward.

But as Mayuri moved, he stopped and quickly turned around to see whether someone had been watching him. The Captain of Squad 12 got cautious as he glanced around in the icy cityscape. Mayuri could have sworn that he felt something, even though it wasn't a Spiritual Pressure. Eventually, he decided to continue moving on, finding it pointless to be standing in the street any longer.

But unbeknownst to Mayuri and the other Shinigamis, a small pool of Pernida's blood had begun floating to a nearby grate lock in the street. What it meant remained unanswered, but it was apparent that a small tint of Pernida's life source managed to escape Kenpachi's monstrous Spiritual Pressure in the nick of time. The blood ran through the grate lock and fell into the sewers before continuing moving. Where it will go next, remained to be answered.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, in another district of Wahrwelt, some hours earlier_

After almost falling down thanks to his constant hatred of Yhwach, Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends were now running to their destination: Silbern. Knowing that it was fruitless to make it over there with the Quincies controlling the Reishi in the air, the group understood that they would have to reach the palace by foot. Ichigo was once again leading his group, as the orange-haired man was determined to fight Yhwach and all those who sided with him. That also included his classmate: Uryu Ishida.

Right now, Ichigo along with Orihime, Chad, Ganju, Yoruichi, Tessai, Jinta and Ururu were running through a street. Meanwhile, Grimmjow and Nelliel were running on the rooftops on each side of the street. In that way, they would be prepared for any future attacks. But as they were running, Ichigo couldn't help but to think about the near-death experience he just had.

"I can't believe we're reduced to this" Ichigo noted to his friend who ran beside him. "Not being able to create footholds of Reishi when you need them. That's just shocking" he then added while thinking about his fall.

"Well, it's not as shocking as when you almost threw your life away back there, Ichigo" Chad spoke up with a hint of seriousness in his voice. He had been stunned to see Ichigo's reckless actions.

Ichigo groaned lowly as he heard this and he faced Chad with a similar glance in return. "Look, I know I screwed up, okay!? Something messed up began taking hold on my body, as if my own instincts took over! I didn't do this on purpose!" Ichigo snapped, feeling irritated over being reminded about his own foolish mistake.

Yoruichi rolled her eyes while hearing this. "My god! You and Yushiro are so similar when it comes to lack of control on impulsiveness. And here I thought you had matured for once" the purple-haired woman remarked while thinking about her younger brother and how similar he was to Ichigo.

The orange-haired man narrowed his eyes as he heard Yoruichi's explanation. "Hey! Are you complimenting me or making fun out of me!? If so, then I would've appreciated if you complimented me" Ichigo then told her.

"The fact that you're even asking me that question speaks volumes" Yoruichi added while she began thinking about Ichigo's impulsive actions. "For some reason, I'm beginning to fear that Ichigo's own impulsiveness will be his undoing. It happened in the Soul King's Palace, as well as just now. I sure as hell hope we'll make it through with this war" she then added to her own thoughts.

"But about the 13 Court Guard Squads, it would be wise if we joined up with them. Now that a surprise attack is out of the question, the least we can do is move as one unite" Chad then suggested to his friends.

Yoruichi nodded her head at the tall man in return. "My thoughts exactly" she said to him. "Even now, they must be on their way as we speak. That palace may be heavily guarded, so it requires more of us to lay siege on that building to stop Yhwach" she added to her explanation while briefly glancing up on the tower.

But she and the others in the street could hear a loud groan coming from Grimmjow, who sounded very displeased by what he had just heard them talking about. "Screw all this regroup talk! The more people there are, the easier it is to spot us!" the teal-haired man said before running to another direction. "And for the record, all you'll accomplish is a larger body count!" Grimmjow added before moving on.

Nelliel sighed in irritation by what she was seeing her fellow Arrancar doing and she tried to stop him from going on his own. "Grimmjow, not now!" the sea green-haired woman told him, trying to make him see reason. "Quit being such a showoff and think strategically for once!" she added to her voice.

Grimmjow only glanced over his shoulders and scoffed at Nelliel's words. "What are we, holding hands now? Allowin isn't here to give us orders, so I can do whatever the hell I want. That's why I'm going on ahead!" the Legionario spoke up before proceeding to move forward.

Ichigo was about to help Nelliel in restraining Ichigo, only to notice someone standing on the tower in front of them. From what he could tell, it was without a doubt a Quincy. He then made sure that his friends were aware of that fact as well.

"Hold on! There's someone standing on that tower before us!" the orange-haired man noted while he got a closer look of who it was that had been standing there.

The one who was standing on the top of the tower was none other than one of Yhwach' Schutzstaffel: Sternritter D – The Deathdealing: Askin Nakk Le Vaar. The slick-haired man was standing there with little enthusiasm in his expression as he gazed upon Ichigo and his group of friends. He scratched behind his neck.

"For the love of god! I get stuck with Ichigo Kurosaki and his group? Talk about this shear amount of luck I've been having lately" Askin noted to himself, seeing this as kind of boring and stressful to him. But the Sternritter sucked it up after sighing. "Oh well, it's still better than getting the entire 13 Court Guard Squads on my…..what the hell….hold on!" the Sternritter was interrupted as he could see someone soaring in the air and headed towards him. It was Grimmjow, who was charging straight towards him and preparing to land an attack on Askin and the tower.

Grimmjow grinned as he delivered his attack on Askin. "SURPRISE, ASSHOLE!" he yelled out loud while landing his attack, thus shattering the tower into many smaller pieces.

Ichigo and his friends groaned by what they were seeing and the orange-haired man reached for his Zanpakutous. "That jackass…..so much for the element of surprise!" he noted while gritting his teeth in frustration.

"Such recklessness!" Tessai noted with dissatisfaction at Grimmjow and his behavior. "His actions has already caused so much commotion" the tanned-skinned man added to his observation.

"Well, who ever said that he would have to accompany us, anyway!?" Jinta asked out impatiently. But the red-haired teenager was not the only one to have some reservations for Grimmjow being with them.

Nelliel also felt the same thing. "Why of all the Legionarios did HE have to be sent!?" she wondered in her head while feeling frustrated about this. She then drew out her Zanpakutou "Right now, I'm beginning to regret not recommending Yammy to go in Grimmjow's stead. He is at least someone who knows when to follow orders" she then added to her thoughts.

As soon as the tower had been reduced to nothing but rubbles, Grimmjow landed on a boulder and glanced down, knowing that the Sternritter had been buried beneath the mess. He was not impressed with Askin being an easy target and only shrugged his shoulders.

"Tch, that's one down" Grimmjow noted with a frown. "I didn't expect the Sternritters to be THAT weak" he added while feeling disappointed how easy defeating Askin was.

The Arrancar eventually looked over his shoulder to see Ichigo and the others run towards him. "Grimmjow! What the hell were you thinking!? We had a plan!" Ichigo told the teal-haired man, who only gritted his teeth in irritation when hearing these words.

"For fuck's sake" he groaned lowly before facing Ichigo directly. "Screw you, Ichigo! Didn't I tell you that I don't take orders from…." Grimmjow's badmouthing was interrupted when he heard someone emerge out of the rubbles. Looking back, Grimmjow snapped in outrage when he saw that Askin was still alive and was now running away from the rubbles.

Ichigo and the others also took notice of the Sternritter fleeing from them and he glanced at Ichigo sternly. "You just gonna let him get away?" he then asked him with dispassion in his voice, something which only infuriated Grimmjow further.

"I told you to shut up!" Grimmjow snapped before starting to chase Askin with his own fast speed. "You son of a bitch! Get your ass back here!" the teal-haired man said out loud while chasing after Askin.

Askin was still running, yet he looked over his shoulder to see Grimmjow gaining onto him. "If you promise not to turn me into a lump of flesh, then I will be happy to stop" the Sternritter said while panting between his words.

Grimmjow only raised an eyebrow when hearing this. "Who said anything about me doing you in…" the Arrancar did not get what Askin was trying to say.

"Then what are you saying!?" Askin then asked Grimmjow, trying to get another answer out of Grimmjow.

The Legionario only narrowed his feline eyes. "All I'm saying is that if you're weaker than me, you'll probably end up dying" Grimmjow clarified without any emotion in his voice.

"Don't give me that bullcrap! Do I look like I was born yesterday!?" Askin then asked out loud while feeling offended at Grimmjow's assumption.

Grimmjow was starting to lose patience with him. "You came here expecting a fight, didn't you!? So what's with the entire production!?" he then asked, starting to feel irritated by Askin's cocky persona.

"I didn't come here to fight. I came here to massacre you guys. My intention was to do it all covertly and stealthy!" Askin said with so much enthusiasm in his voice. He really was full of himself when it came to expressing his ways of eliminating his opponents. "Besides, you weren't here earlier! You and that woman with the skull just popped out of nowhere! And who the hell are you, anyway!?" he then asked Grimmjow, who was dumbfounded when being asked about this. But he replied nonetheless.

"Me? My identity's none of your business but Ichigo Kurosaki is my sworn enemy" Grimmjow spoke up with his usual rude voice. "I'm the one who's gonna kill him" he then added to his explanation.

But Askin was filled with gleeful enthusiasm as we heard what Grimmjow just said, something which Grimmjow did not understand. "Seriously!? That's fantastic! That means you and I are allies! Everything's good!" the Sternritter suddenly exclaimed out loudly, which only astounded the Arrancar even more. Askin winked at him while doing a cool-guy gesture towards Grimmjow. "Let's rip Ichigo Kurosaki a new one…...you and me together!" he then exclaimed, despite knowing that he was offering a truce with an Arrancar.

Grimmjow was unimpressed by what he was hearing. "Damn, you sure do love the sound of your own voice. And as for your offer, shove it up your ass! You may as well start running!" the teal-haired man said while landing his handpalms on the ground. Something happened to the hands, as they were transformed into panther-like claws. The aggressive Legionario was grinning as he charged towards Askin, who was still running. "Because once I catch ya, I'm gonna skin you alive! SO HERE I COME!" he then exclaimed with bloodlust in his voice while diving towards the Sternritter like a panther catching his prey.

Askin snapped in shock as he saw how fast Grimmjow really was and he knew that he could not outrun the Arrancar. But he knew there were other ways to avoid getting caught by this raging predator. Right before Grimmjow could land his claws on the Sternritter, Askin vanished from his sight. The teal-haired man landed his claws on the ground and quickly turned around to see that Askin had just moved away from him. It was due to Askin using the Hirenkiyaku.

"Bastard….." Grimmjow growled while gritting his teeth. "GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE!" he then yelled while chasing after Askin once again.

The Sternritter was caught by complete surprise in seeing how swift and brutal Grimmjow was. "Whoa…angry kitty on the loose!" he said and used his Hirenkiyaku once again to appear on the top of a nearby building. But that didn't stop the Arrancar from chasing him, as Grimmjow began climbing up the walls to reach him. Askin snapped in fear. "Quit following me, you damn monster!" he said out loud and turned around to run away.

Grimmjow growled as he could see his target running away from him. "You can't outrun me, you pussy! I'll catch you with my own claws!" the teal-haired man yelled and proceeded to chase the Sternritter through the icy cityscape. Grimmjow even vanished from the scene by using Sonido, considering the fact that Askin was now using Hirenkiyaku.

Nelliel, Yoruichi and Tessai stood near the building both Grimmjow and Askin had disappeared by.

"Goodness, this is such a commotion" Tessai remarked while adjusting his glasses.

Yoruichi sighed in annoyance. "I can't believe this crap" she muttered before glancing over to Nelliel. "Don't tell him this, but I would rather prefer if Gallante took Grimmjow's place. What was Allowin thinking, letting that hothead accompany us?" she then started a conversation with the Dechado.

The young woman nodded her head in agreement. "Trust me, I was also vehemently against him being my partner. But His Highness and Gallante insisted that Grimmjow accompany me, due to the fact he is also one of the few Legionarios who are on the verge of becoming Dechados" the young woman said, which only astounded the two Shinigamis.

"He is one the verge of becoming a Dechado?" Yoruichi asked in slight disbelief. "You better be bluffing" she then added to her dissatisfaction of the news.

"Yes. Grimmjow is not just a Legionario. He is also one of the five Legionarios who are registered personally by His Highness as potential paragons. In the military ranks of the Imperio de Hierro, they are commonly referred to as the Novatos" Nelliel relieved to them. "But that information is only shared between His Highness and those Legionarios. The only reason I know this, is because of Grimmjow being foolish enough to proclaim this to me" she then told them how she got hold of this valuable information.

"Hmmm…then I guess his hunger for power will only strengthen once he is made into a Dechado" Tessai noted, although he could be seen sweating a little. "But then again, a repulsive fool like Grimmjow is not the Arrancar you should fear most. No…...Allowin dwarfs him…..." the tanned-skinned man said, still feeling very uncomfortable when only mentioning the name of the Imperio de Hierro's ruler.

The trio were now joined by Ichigo and the rest, who had just been running to catch things up.

"Damn…...it seems that Grimmjow has disappeared, as has that Quincy or whatever the hell he was" Ichigo noted while panting in order to catch his breath. The orange-haired man began looking around in the icy street. "He really wants to take that guy on his own, which would explain why he was so determined" the Substitute Shinigami added to his explanation.

Ganju also began looking around as well. "I ever imagined that he would haul ass with that kind of speed" he noted before facing this around him. "Anyway, that Sternritter will probably try to slow us down and prevent us from reaching the palace. I suggest we do something about him" the long-haired man suggested to his friends.

"Yeah! I wanna introduce that slimeball to my kanabo! How I would love to bang his smug face!" Jinta then suggested.

Yoruichi nodded her head in return. "Yes. We must get rid of that Sternritter. But since he seems less impulsive, it's obvious he will fool Grimmjow. Therefore, I suggest we split up and search for either Grimmjow or that Sternritter" the purple-haired woman then suggested.

Ichigo smiled as he heard this. "Sounds like a great idea to me. I think three groups should be enough to search around this icy labyrinth" he noted while glancing at both Chad and Orihime with a smug smile. "Chad, Orihime, you're with me" he said, causing Chad to give him a thumb up while Orihime giggled.

"If you say so, Ichigo" she replied with a friendly smile directed towards him.

Ururu suddenly spoke up what she had in mind. "Need I to remind you that I am able to pick up an Arrancar's trail?" the young girl asked those around her.

Nelliel was intrigued as she heard what the young teenager just said. "So you have this as an ability? That sounds very intriguing" she noted while smiling at the young girl. "In fact, why don't you and I go and search for Grimmjow together?" the Dechado suddenly recommended.

The shy girl smiled and nodded her head as a yes. "I would be delighted with someone like you would accompany me. But we still need one more…" Ururu spoke up before she heard the voice of Jinta.

"Quit acting like a scaredy-cat, Ururu. I'll tag along" the red-haired teenager said while fixing himself a smug grin at Nelliel. "And besides, you could use for someone to bang your enemies with. My kanabo is just the right tool" he insisted to her.

Nelliel only glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. "That's a little too presumptuous, Jinta. But I appreciate your enthusiasm" she told him in return.

"Come now, Jinta. Why not go with me and Yoruichi?" Tessai suddenly asked the teenager with a friendly voice, although Jinta did not see it that way.

"In your dreams, old man! No way I'm letting myself getting…" before Jinta could continue, he felt a hard bang on his head by Tessai's own staff. It left him an ugly mark and he rubbed his sore head. "See? That's just what I'm talking about!" he then snapped while pointing a finger towards Tessai, who only remained unfazed.

Yoruichi sighed deeply from what she was hearing and decided to break up this scene. "Okay, I have seen enough. We don't have time for this nonsense!" she told both Jinta and Tessai before fixing her smug glance at Ganju. "Ganju, you're with me and Tessai. You wouldn't mind that, would you?" she then told him.

Ganju only shrugged his shoulders in return. "Not really. That's fine by me to be honest" he said, before he snapped when realizing something. He suddenly reached for his pockets to grab something. "Oh, this reminds me. Now that we're going into different groups in a labyrinth, I know just the right tool for us to use. Here, take these" Ganju told both Ichigo and Nelliel as he gave them what looked to be a signal flare.

"What are these?" Nelliel asked while sounding confused.

"They look like signal flares to me" Orihime spoke up while glancing at Ganju with a smile. "Are they also filled with fireworks?" she asked him.

Ganju nodded with pride in return. "Damn straight. These are the Shiba clan's own handmade signal flare. You aim it up in the sky and fire a rocked in the air that will last long enough for us to see and hear" he said before pulling out one of his own. "I got one of my own here. So now we all have these signal flares to contact each other should we encounter one of those bastards. But remember, you can only fire those once. So try not to waste them" he then went on explaining.

"That sounds creative to me" Orihime noted while looking over to Ichigo. "Wouldn't you agree, Ichigo?" she asked him.

"I don't know what to say, but I must thank you for being creative, Ganju. I appreciate it" Ichigo said to him, forcing Ganju to grin smugly in return.

"Tch, don't even mention it. My creativity has always been useful to ya" Ganju insisted.

"Okay. We're now separated into two different groups. Let's split up and search for wherever Grimmjow or that Quincy has run off to. And you heard Ganju, don't waste your signal flare. Use it only when it's necessary" Ichigo told everyone and the three groups went into different streets ins search of Grimmjow.

It was perhaps a good thing they went into different groups, considering that this district of the Wahrwelt almost functioned like a maze. And they hadn't forgotten that in this realm, it was the Quincies who possessed all the advantages, not Shinigamis or Arrancars.

* * *

 _Inside the throne room, Silbern, Wahrwelt_

In the throne room of Silbern, Yhwach was sitting on his throne while sleeping so sweetly. It was night outside and while chaos and battles took places there, peace and silence took place in the throne room. Yhwach was now gathering all the souls for him to claim back, while being the Father of the Quincies. He had left the supervising of Silbern to Haschwalth.

But as the emperor slept, something began creeping underneath the door to the throne room. It was a pool of blood, that had been able to move throughout Wahrwelt. But it was not just any ordinary blood. It was Pernida's blood. Now it had reached Yhwach and it began to crawl towards the sleeping emperor. Yhwach did not even open his eyes. In fact, he even smiled while he was asleep.

Pernida's blood was nearing Yhwach and the black-haired man suddenly reached out his left hand to the blood. Without delay, he absorbed Pernida's blood, his handpalm sucking it in completely. What was now happening was something only Yhwach himself knew.

"Welcome back…...Left Hand of the Soul King. I have been expecting you" Yhwach said lowly, even though he was still sleeping. "You can tell me all the things you have seen in my sleep. Because now, you and I are one" he then added after finishing sucking the blood.

His left hand was crunched briefly. As soon as he let go of the grip, something new appeared on his left handpalm. It was a single eye, the same eye that Pernida had. The Left Hand of the Soul King had now been absorbed into the Yhwach, the new Soul King. But was that all?

"You and your brother are now reunited. And together with me, we are all one" Yhwach then spoke up while something opened on Yhwach's right hand. On that, another single eye emerged, the same eye that Lord Mimihagi had. It was now apparent that Yhwach now had both the hands of his father at his side. The Soul King had managed to get back his hands. "Sleep now, my children. Our time is yet to come" Yhwach then told his two hands, with both of the single eyes closing. The emperor then returned to sleep, hoping to collect more souls from the atmosphere in the Wahrwelt.

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Author's note: This chapter took us a glimpse of how the fight with Pernida truly ended, in my story of course. Nemu's powers happened, but Pernida did not die when one of his clones consumed her remains. He survived and was able to show Mayuri his own holy form. I also gave Kenpachi the spotlight, as I felt he deserved to kick Pernida's ass for what he did to him. I also wrote about how Ichigo and his group encountered Askin and how they separated into searching for them. And at the end, we could see that both of the Soul King's hands had now been absorbed into Yhwach. What happens next? While I want to write on Ichigo, I feel that I wanna dive into how Uryu is doing while this fight is taking place. I will also show you about how Shunsui got dragged into his fight with Lille. But now to clarify something here folks: this battle taking place in Wahrwelt will not be the final story. Similar to what Naruto and One Piece have done in the past, I want to have a giant war where everyone is involved, and not just two or three characters. But until then, this fight will be loyal to Kubo's canon story, although there will be twists. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. And now for the new terms.**

 **Acrademus – meaning Evolution of God: This is the Quincy: Vollständig belonging to Pernida Parnkgjas. It gives him complete control of Reishi around him, as well as being able to use it to empower his nerves. While he retains his giant appearance as a left arm, his gains new features, like a pair of feathery Reishi-wings and a Heiligenschein.**

 **Novatos – Spanish for "Novices": This is a term given to Legionarios who have been handpicked by Allowin to become Dechados. So far, only Grimmjow has been named one of those five. But who are the rest?**


	40. Never Chase a Shadow

**Author's note: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 40: Never Chase a Shadow**

 _In the icy streets of Wahrwelt, the Royal Realm, Soul Society_

Having narrowly managed to survive getting overflooded by water thanks to the so-called Wasserman, the combined forces of the 13 Court Guard Squads and the Vizards were continuing towards their destination: the towering palace of Silbern. Knowing that Yhwach and his loyalist had set up base there, the Shinigamis headed straight towards the palace.

But right now, the group had now stopped, with Head-Captain Shunsui Kyoraku deciding to see if everyone was back on track again. Since the incident with the Wasserman, he now realized that there were some Shinigamis missing. Kisuke Urahara had already left the group to go and search for Ichigo and the others, the same was said for Yushiro Shihoin. As they gathered in a group, Shunsui began surveying the position they were currently in. Meanwhile, Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi and Captain Kenpachi Zaraki had arrived in another district, while being accompanied by Ikkaku Madarame, Yumichika Ayasegawa and Hanataro Yamada. At this rate, the forces of the Sereitei were now spread across Wahrwelt, while the enemy was scouring down at them like cockroaches.

So far, what remained of Shunsui's group was 2 captains (Shinji Hirako and Byakuya Kuchiki), 6 lieutenants (Renji Abarai, Rukia Kuchiki, Marechiyo Omaeda, Momo Hinamori, Isane Kotetsu and Nanao Ise), 4 squad members (Kiyone Kotetsu and Sentaro Kotsubaki of Squad 13 and Matsuri and Fujimaru Kudo of Squad 5) and 4 Vizards (Hiyori Sarugaki, Lisa Yadomaru, Hachigen Ushoda and Rabu "Love" Aikawa).

"I can feel the Spiritual Pressures of Captain Kurotsuchi and Captain Zaraki. But even so, I can sense some Spiritual Pressures increase and some decrease" the pink-clad Shinigami noted as he looked at his lieutenant. "Lil' Nanao, are you here?" he called out her.

The four-eyed woman approached her superior with a nod to her head. "I'm here, captain" she said. Nanao adjusted her glasses while looking at the crowd. "But we're still missing someone" she then added.

Shunsui nodded his head in return. "Yes. For some strange reason, Captain Sui-Feng and Lieutenant Hisagi vanished without a trace. But for some reason, we can still feel their Spiritual Pressures still being intact" he then told her while making sure everyone else listened to what was going on.

Lieutenant Marechiyo Omaeda of Squad 2 felt like asking what he meant by that. "So you're saying that Captain Sui-Feng is still alive? But Abarai and Kuchiki couldn't find her" he then asked while glancing briefly at both Renji and Rukia, who did not know how to respond to this in return. "Oh come on! You gotta tell me where she…." The chubby man was interrupted by a voice.

"It can't be helped" the low and calm voice came from Byakuya Kuchiki, Captain of Squad 6. He glanced at Marechiyo while making sure his fellow Shinigamis heard what he said. "We followed the trail of blood, only to see nothing in the alley it ended. They completely vanished from trace" he then spoke up while trying not to show them everything he, Renji and Rukia had seen.

Shinji gritted his teeth in irritation as he heard this. "Tch, talk about a pain in the ass. Those Quincies sure were smart pulling a stunt by flooding us with water. Now we're out of one captain and one lieutenant" the blonde-haired man noted before coming up with something. "Wait a sec, if both Sui-Feng and Hisagi got injured during the flooding, then that means…" he looked at Shunsui who simply nodded his head at him.

"Yes. Someone must have used the opportunity to strike at us. And I know for sure it was a Quincy, let alone a Sternritter" the head-captain said while thinking about this matter. "But obviously, he must have used the urban environment to conceal himself from us. Do not forget that we're in Quincy territory now" he then added to his suspicions.

Renji rested his Zanpakutou on his back, his face filled with determination. "Well, I ain't gonna let myself get scared by a cowardly assassin. I'm still standing on my ground!" the red-haired man spoke up.

Rukia brandished her Zanpakuto as well. "Same here" she said with a smug smile. "Nothing will stop us from reaching our goals" she then added to her statement.

Momo Hinamori and her fellow members of Squad 5: the Kudo-twins felt encouraged by Rukia and Renji's resolve, and they even pulled out their weapons as well. "We will also be heading forward! That we will do as members of Squad 5!" she said while expressing her desire to continue on fighting.

Shinji mused to himself by seeing how confident Momo had grown as a lieutenant. "Keep saying things like that, Momo. It really suits you" he noted to himself while seeing how determined she and the Kudo-twins were for this battle.

"Then what the hell are we waiting for!?" the impatient voice came from Hiyori, who was merely crossing her arms while standing with her fellow Vizards. "Standing here having a tea party won't help us with reaching the palace!" the young woman pointed out, once again unleashing her bad temper.

Shunsui mused by seeing the whole group of Shinigamis still carrying the will to continue fighting, even after being almost drowned to death by the Wasserman. "I'm glad to hear that all of you are still determined to press on. And I must give you all points for it" the head-captain said before forming a slight frown. "However, it is obvious that someone will be standing between us and Yhwach. And my guess will be one of those nasty Sternritters. But we have no idea where he is" he then added while explaining to the group what they were up against. Surprisingly, he began forming a smug smile. "But I know exactly how to rat him out" he then told them

Unbeknownst to the group of Shinigamis, someone had been able to hide himself on the top of a tower. It was Sternritter X – The X-Axis: Lille Barro. Having just managed to thin out the ranks thanks to the Wasserman, the black-skinned man returned to hunt down the interlopers. By concealing his Spiritual Pressure, Lille was able to not get detected by the Shinigami captains. From his spot, he had a clear view of the icy cityscape, including the opened area where the Shinigamis were currently standing in.

Lille mused to himself by seeing what was going down there while aiming with his Spirit Weapon: Diagramm. "It's terrifying, isn't it? Of course, it is. Having no idea where I'm aiming from as your opponent snipes you off from afar and watching your comrades fall one by one" he remarked while trying to imagine the situation his targets were in at the moment. "It's only natural to become overwhelmed with terror in a situation like that" he then added while preparing to fire his weapon.

The Quincy's attention was caught on Shunsui as he began moving around in an effort to block Nanao and some of the other Shinigamis. While confused at first, Lille knew Shunsui's overconfident behavior only indicated he was an easy target.

"If there were a person devoid of those fears in the group, then he would either be a fool or a lunatic" Lille noted before pulling the trigger on his Reishi Rifle. The bullet of Reishi pierced straight into the chest of the head-captain, much to the shock of those around him. However, Shunsui still had the strength to stand, yet Lille knew that his death would only be slow. "No matter the level of discipline or how perfectly regimented, all it takes is the actions of one idiot to bring about their downfall. I've seen countless groups like this before, but this? To think I actually held you Shinigamis in high regard" he then noted while seeing Shunsui standing there with blood running from his mouth.

The Sternritter assumed that his target had been neutralized, yet he could hear something close to him, it was almost as if someone was playing a game. Lille didn't pay much attention to it, but could hear to voice coming to him at a closer distance. It made him more cautious.

"When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall. And down will come baby and cradle will all!" that sound came from Shunsui himself, as he appeared right behind the Sternritter. Lille was caught off-guard by this and quikly made his move to dodge the Shinigami swinging his swords. Even though Lille managed to avoid getting slashed, the same couldn't be said for his Spirit Weapon. Even now, the tip of Diagramm was now cut off, much to Lille's own chagrin.

Shunsui smiled smugly while seeing this. "Now that was an impressive dodge. You're pretty quick" the head-captain surprisingly commended the Sternritter before forming a frown and a serious glance towards Lille. "But now I've taken out your weapon. The next will be your life" he then added seriously.

The Sternritter glanced warily at his opponent, who was prepared to face him in combat. However, Lille had to admit he was surprised to see Shunsui standing there, perfectly fine. The injury he had received from the bullet was all but gone. Something did not make sense to Lille.

"What just happened? From such a great distance, there's no way that I missed. And how was he able to get around to my back in an instant!? Damn!" Lille cursed while pondering over the fact that his supposed target was still alive.

Shunsui could see that his opponent was behaving in a quite odd way, is if he was confused. And it made the head-captain wanna talk with him. "What's going on? Have you never played Daruma-san fell over?" he then questioned the Sternritter, who glanced at him with nothing but dispassion in return.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Lille spoke to him in return. "Fell over, you say? Are you talking about an Eastern version of Humpty Dumpty or something?" the Sternritter then questioned the Shinigami, who seemed to have figured out that Lille had no clue about the type of game he was asking the Sternritter about.

"I'll take that as a no. Well, being a Quincy, I guess it only makes sense that you were raised in a different culture than us Shinigamis. And for the record, Daruma-san has nothing to do with Humpty Dumpty. It's a game, not a fairytale" the pink-clad Shinigami explained while trying to correct a statement from Lille. But the head-captain soon took notice of someone approaching behind him and mused to himself. He knew who that Spiritual Pressure belonged to. "Well, for you to be able to follow me all the way out here. Your skills have improved quite a bit, wouldn't you agree, Lil' Nanao?" he then began talking to the young woman standing around a pipe.

Yes, Nanao Ise had managed to follow her superior all the way to this spot far from the main group of Shinigamis. It was apparent to Shunsui that her Shunpo had managed to improve over the years. The four-eyed woman adjusted her glanced while staring at her superior.

"From what I hear right now, it doesn't sound like you're complementing me" Nanao said sternly, once again showing the contrast between her focused personality and Shunsui's laidback persona.

The Captain of Squad 1 simply chuckled in amusement as he heard those words coming from Nanao. "I'm not being sarcastic here. I'm actually complimenting you for real" he said before glancing over to the young woman, surprisingly fixing a serious glance towards his lieutenant. "However, this fight is sure to be one hell of a storm, so you might as well return to the group and go on ahead" he then told her.

"Not happening" Nanao's response was quick and firm. She was determined not to let her captain stand in this fight alone, despite knowing how she lacked in terms of combat abilities.

Shunsui shrugged his shoulders while hearing this. "I guess we're on the same page here. In that case, inform the others that you'll be staying here with me. Tell them to go on ahead without us" he then told her.

Nanao did not hesitate when following that order. She began turning around to walk away. "Fine. I'll relay that message and be right back. And Captain?" she suddenly asked her superior a question, which made Shunsui paying attention to what she was about to say. The four-eyed woman glanced over to her captain seriously. "If you die before I get back here, I'll shave all the chest hair on your lifeless corpse" that was Nanao's warning to him before she took off by jumping off to another building.

While stunned at the threats at first, Shunsui easily dismissed it with ease, musing to himself over how strict and determined Nanao sounded just now. "Not that was juts cruel. We were talking about defining characteristics" Shunsui said while watching his lieutenant vanish from his sight. He adjusted his hat while smiling smugly. "The things that come out from her mouth. She's really starting to remind me of Lisa" he then remarked while thinking about the Vizard who had once been serving under him as his lieutenant in the past.

Lille had not been amused by seeing this "talk" between Shunsui and Nanao. It made him grow weary. "Are you done with the chit-chat?" he asked the Shinigami, his voice filled with nothing but displeasure.

This made the head-captain switch his focus back to the Sternritter once again. "Geez, no need to be so rude. I'm listening to you" he told his opponent.

"Then listen to this. We of His Majesty's Schutzstaffel have gathered intel on all of you Shinigamis from all of your previous battles" Lille revealed to his opponent, who seemed to listen for now. "Your Zanpakutou's ability is the ability to turn "children's games into reality". I take it that's what you just showed me, am I right?" he then questioned the Shinigami while acting quite observant.

Shunsui had to admit that this Quincy was very smart. "So, you managed to find intel about the 13 Court Guard Squads including the captains? Quite well-informed, I must admit" he then noted to his opponent. "Although it only makes that an Arrancar wouldn't have ever played Daruma-san fell over. In that game, whoever's "it", closes their eyes and calls out a phrase repeatedly. The ultimate goal of the game is for him to try and catch the people that are still moving" Shunsui then began explaining the game and showed his opponents three fingers. "There are three rules. First, whoever's "it" must be in a place where they can be seen by other players. Second, if the players are seen moving by whoever's "it", they lose. And the final rule, if the players can touch whoever's "it" before they're seen, they win" he then concluded his explanation of this game that was known to be played by Japanese children.

Lille felt like he had gotten enough information about this game. "I see. So that game, as well as the power you just showed me, is chocolate ingles?" the Sternritter noted from what he had heard.

"Oh, I take it you have a game like this then? How does it work?" Shunsui then asked, feeling kind of surprised to know that Durama-san was played even in other cultures.

"I am beginning to see how it works. In order for you to play the game, you must be able to see the Spiritual Pressure being released" Lille began explaining the things he had learned so far from Shunsui's attack. "Then, in order to touch the person who's "it" before being seen, you become able to move on the trajectory towards the "it's" Spiritual Pressure, travelling across the shortest possible distance. During that time…...whoever's "it" sees only an illusion of you standing still. Isn't that what just happened with me?" the Sternritter said before asking his opponent.

Shunsui found himself chuckling, not believing the intelligence his opponent possessed. Yet despite this, Lille remained unfazed and felt like the need to continue his analysis of the Shinigami's ability.

"Most of these rules make everything very convenient for you, but if you're seen moving, you lose. That can only mean if I at any time realize the illusion and see through it…" Lille was interrupted by the voice of Shunsui.

"You'll die" Shunsui finished Lille's analysis before clapping his hands slowly for his opponent. Lille's expression remained unfazed, yet Shunsui continued his clapping. "Well done. I'm glad you're quick to understand your opponent. It saves me the trouble" the pink-clad Shinigami told his opponent.

Lille was not sure what to make of those words. "Saves you the trouble? Telling me the rules of this is a mistake, is it not? Now you won't be able to use this game anymore" the Sternritter pointed out to him.

"Not at all" Shunsui said while adjusting his hat. "It's only when we both know the rules that one can call it a game, wouldn't you agree?" he then questioned the Sternritter. Lille was still not impressed by hearing the smug words coming out from the head-captain's mouth. Even so, Shunsui felt the need to clarify some of the errors in Lille's analysis. "And by the way, I hate to nitpick but there's one thing you misunderstood. That version of my you saw not moving earlier. That wasn't an illusion. You were in fact seeing the real me, in all my glory" he then clarified.

This made Lille feel confused once again, and it started to irritate over the fact that a Shinigami was clarifying some of his mistakes. "What are you saying, fool?" he asked rudely to Shunsui.

But the Head-Captain of the Court Guard didn't seem to mind Lille's rude tone. "The senses by which you feel and pick up on Spiritual Pressure, they're known as Spiritual Sense or Spiritual Pressure Perception. Every person that has a Spiritual Pressure subconsciously uses both their sense of vision and their Spiritual Senses at the same time in order to see" the pink-clad Shinigami began explaining about the use of senses. "And when concentrating in the midst of battle, the Spiritual Senses takes over an overwhelming amount of perception. In other words, your subconscious begin to stop seeing with your eyes. So back there, you mistook my Spiritual Pressure for me. I consolidated it together, hardened it, and left it there, just for you" Shunsui concluded his correction of what Lille missed.

Lille grew tired of this talk. "Spare me your bullshit, Shinigami. There's no way, just by doing that, I'd mistake it for you" he then told his opponent.

Shunsui formed a deep frown while hearing Lille getting so defensive about this info. So he decided to release some of his enormous Spiritual Pressure, which in turn astounded the Sternritter. "You would be wise to remember who it is you're talking to. I am the Head-Captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads, as well as Captain of Squad 1: Shunsui Kyoraku" he introduced himself, his face now filled with seriousness. "And judging from you being here, I take it you were the one who almost flooded us with water a while ago" he then began recalling the episode the Shinigamis had experienced.

Despite seeing how powerful Shunsui was, Lille still behaved defiant in front of his opponent. "So what if I was? You and your pack are interlopers in His Majesty's domain. Therefore, we will resort to any measures that will weaken the pack, let alone separate the weak ones from the strong ones" the Sternritter spoke up.

"It's too soon to get cocky here. You know who you're up against" Shunsui reminded his opponent before brandishing his Zanpakutous. "You almost decimated us back then, now I'll return you the favor, on behalf of us all" he said before making his move by running beside Lille.

Meanwhile, Nanao had just returned back to the group of Shinigamis that were waiting for their head-captain to arrive back. But they had been surprised to see Nanao arrive in his stead. As soon as she landed, Nanao got up and adjusted her glasses, while she was sweating a little from all the running she had to do.

The Vizard Lisa Yadomaru smirked by seeing her fellow member of Squad 8 standing there. "About time you showed up, Nanao" she noted smugly. But she quickly frowned when she noticed that something was missing. "But I don't see the head-captain with you" she then added to her assessment.

"Did you find Kyoraku?" Byakuya asked her lowly.

Nanao nodded her head in reply. "Yes. He's even engaging the Sternritter as we speak" she told him while making sure the other Shinigamis got hold of what she was saying. "But he sent me here to personally relay you his message. All of you are to proceed towards the tower without delay. There's no point for you to be waiting for him" the four-eyed woman then explained what the message was.

Many of her fellow Shinigamis were stunned to hear this announcement, yet some like Shinji and Byakuya did not seem necessarily that surprised to hear the message. But most of the lieutenants seemed to feel that way.

"What? Is he telling us to go on ahead without him?" Renji questioned Nanao, who slowly nodded at him in return. "But that doesn't make any sense! We need everyone at the entrance of the palace if we are to lay siege upon it!" the red-haired man then insisted to her.

"He's right. If the head-captain is fighting on his own, then we should at least go and help him together" Momo exclaimed before even taking a glance at her captain. "Don't you think we should do that, Captain Hirako?" she asked him.

"No, Momo. As much as I hate to leave Kyoraku behind, I can understand his reasoning for him wanting us to move on" Shinji told this to Momo and the Kudo-twins as they listened closely.

"He's not….." Lisa began speaking up while glancing at Nanao. "Is he planning on using his Bankai? Is that why he wants us to move on ahead?" the four-eyed woman questioned her.

Nanao had to admit that she was uncertain about what to say in return. However, she did come up with an answer. "I don't know yet. However, I'll go back to the captain alone. You and the others must press on to the palace. We can't delay the siege any further" she told her fellow Shinigamis.

"She does have a point" Byakuya spoke up and many eyes were on the calm-mannered Captain of Squad 6. "We cannot waste time standing here. Even now, the Wandenreich's army continues to grow bolder by the minute. The longer we wait, then the stronger their defences become" he then pointed out to his fellow Shinigamis while agreeing with Nanao's statement.

Shinji smiled smugly while waving his hand in a whimsical manner. "Well, that figures what he wants us to do" he noted before glancing over the group of lieutenants, especially facing Rukia, Sentaro and Kiyone. "And if Ukitake was here with us, I bet he would've wanted us to do the same thing. Come on, he knows Kyoraku better than even I do" he told them while reassuring why they should go.

Rukia and her fellow members of Squad 13 were stunned as they were reminded about their captain. But yet, they also remembered the words he would usually say about Shunsui. From being his subordinates, they knew that Ukitake always had faith in Shunsui, given that those two were the best of friends as Shinigami captains. Even the Shinigamis from the other Squads knew that as well, including the Vizards.

Love was poking one of his ears while listening to this. "So, what are we standing here for? Isn't it about time we get a move on?" the dull-headed man with sunglasses asked his comrades.

"Well, there are no objections here, so I say we got our asses in gear and move one" Shinji said and turned around to begin running, but not before stopping when wanting to tell his fellow Shinigamis some more. "And I know it's a tough choice to leave our head-captain behind. But just imagine if it were Old Man Yamamoto being left behind here. He would've also told us to get our asses moving, wouldn't you agree?" he then questioned them.

Many of the Shinigamis were once again stunned as they were reminded about the late Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, who fell before Yhwach during the Wandenreich's previous invasion of the Sereitei. In fact, many of them even closed their eyes to remind about the words and ideals that Yamamoto often stood for.

"I see what you mean" Hachi spoke up while agreeing with Shinji's words. "To take responsibility for the lives of his soldiers. Right now, Kyoraku is doing that for us. Because that is what it means to be the Head-Captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads" the tall man remarked while glancing around to his comrades.

Nanao was also doing the same thing, yet she clenched her fists together and faced the group with a determined glance. "Alright! You heard the head-captain. Head over to the enemy's HQ. I will head back to Kyoraku. And believe me, he will join up with us, that I promise you all!" she told them before vanishing by using her Shunpo.

Knowing better than to stand around doing nothing, the group of Shinigamis headed straight towards their destination, not even looking back to see where their head-captain was currently fighting. They had to press on, and reach the palace before things would get out of hand.

* * *

 _Inside the icy palace of Silbern, Wahrwelt_

As battles raged throughout the surrounding districts, the Quincies stationed at Silbern had to deal with their own battles. This was an insurrection among the Sternritters' ranks. The surviving members of Yhwach's Auswählen had managed to reach the palace through a temporary truce with the Shinigamis. They had laid siege to Silbern's courtyard, thus coming into conflict with the soldiers stationed there. However, one of the rebel Sternritters managed to use the chaos to his advantage and sneak past them, thus entering the palace in search of Yhwach.

The hotheaded Sternritter named Bazz-B had stumbled upon the Sternritter Grandmaster: Jugram Haschwalth. Now that Yhwach was asleep, he was now the substitute-emperor. In an attempt to gain revenge on Yhwach, as well as proving who was the strongest Quincy, Bazz-B fought his childhood friend which had chaotic results. Even with his Quincy: Vollständig, Bazz-B was no match for Haschwalth and his powers. The blonde-haired man was about to personally execute him, until he was interrupted by the Schutzstaffel of Prince Uryu Ishida. Pleading him not to execute him, they convinced Haschwalth to let Bazz-B die from his serious wounds. Reluctantly, he agreed to their request.

As Haschwalth walked up to the entrance of the palace, he felt that the internal threat of Silbern had been put down. The few living rebel Sternitters had retreated, yet the blonde-haired man paid no attention to them. He knew that the rebellion was crushed and that those responsible would be dealt with quickly. But in his mind, it was not over yet. Haschwalth had decided to personally visit the one who was supposed to help him oversee the security of Silbern: Uryu Ishida.

"I best find him before something else happens" the blonde-haired man noted as he was on his way to Uryu's personal quarters.

Since Wahrwelt was created, Haschwalth had been stunned to know that Uryu had assembled his own Schutzstaffel to protect him. He had justified that by claiming they would be useful in defending Silbern against the rebels, but in Haschwalth's mind, there was more to this story. With Yhwach's Schutzstaffel out on the frontlines, Haschwalth was left with no loyal Sternritter who would obey his commands. Furthermore, Uryu had already managed to build a reputation for himself inside the Wandenreich's system. This only made the blonde-haired man more frustrated by the minute.

"He was supposed to assist me with overseeing the defenses, yet he let his Schutzstaffel do his bidding" Haschwalth thought while moving in a faster pace. "Whatever games you are planning, I will see to them being stopped" he added to his head.

The Sternritter Grandmaster was nearing the door of Uryu's personal quarters. He could see two Wandenreich officers standing there as guards. Once they saw Haschwalth, they both saluted to him without hesitation.

"Lord Haschwalth…what brings you here?" one of the officers asked with formality in his voice.

"Is Crown Prince Uryu inside?" the blonde-haired man asked them both, his voice filled with no emotion as usual.

The other officer nodded his head as a yes. "Of course. He just returned from running some errands in the laboratory. He told me that he did not wish to be disturbed but….." the officer was interrupted by the stern voice of Haschwalth.

"Let me inside. I need to have a discussion with the crown prince about certain issues" he commanded them and both officers responded without hesitation.

"YESSIR!" they both said and opened the door as he requested. None of them dared to question the authority of Haschwalth. Who knows what he would do to those who did in fact question him. Nevertheless, they avoided it, and Haschwalth entered without hesitation. Both officers ran away, knowing better than to be at the same spot as Haschwalth when he was angry.

Uryu's personal quarters was filled with elegance, including the way the furniture and walls functioned. Even his bed was fancy, and he had even been given his own living room. But that was to be expected for the one who would once become the next emperor.

Haschwalth's blue eyes caught glimpse of Uryu, who could be found sitting by his own desk reading a book. However, there was a mirror on that desk. Uryu spotted Haschwalth and quickly turned around to glance at the blonde-haired man surprised.

"Haschwalth…you're here…." Uryu spoke up lowly and got up from his seat.

"Surprised to see me? That is quite ironic, considering that it is I who should be surprised" Haschwalth stated before taking slow steps towards the raven-haired man, who was still standing there surprised. "I was surprised over not seeing you showing up to assist me with supervising Silbern" he then added, without any emotion in his voice.

Uryu's eyes was still filled with surprise. But it was not due to Haschwalth just being here. He could see the blonde-haired man's eyes. Three irises could be seen. This only confirmed that Haschwalth was now in possession of Yhwach's powers, as their powers were swapped during the night.

Even so, Uryu decided to not mind it, as he needed to fess up to Haschwalth. He nodded his head towards him before bowing his head in shame. "I humbly apologize for not showing up. I accept full responsibility for my absence and negligence" he said before reaching for the book he was reading and showed it to the Sternritter Grandmaster. "I was caught up in this book about science. After reading a few pages, I was getting intrigued how science could actually revolutionize the Wandenreich. That is why I visited the laboratory to seek out the advice of our scientists. I was not conspiring against His Majesty if that is what you wonder" he then added with an explanation.

Despite hearing all this, Haschwalth remained unfazed at Uryu's excuse for not showing up. In fact, it made him more disappointed in the crown prince. "I am not interested in such foolish distractions, Uryu Ishida. As the Prinz von Lichts, you were supposed to answer my call in defending Silbern from the invaders. And you didn't show up" he pointed out to Uryu Sternly.

"But I did dispatch my Schutzstaffel to assist you in the defense of Silbern. I advised them to follow not just my orders, but yours as well" Uryu pointed out to him. "With them and you on the guard, the security of Silbern was guaranteed. The rebellion was repelled" he added while adjusting his glasses.

"But some of them survived and escaped from the courtyard" Haschwalth pointed out to him sternly. "And as a matter of fact, your Schutzstaffel didn't seem to follow my orders, as none of them pursued those survivors when I had told them to" he then added with displeasure in his voice.

Uryu nodded his head in return. "I see. But rest assured, those survivors will be dealt with. We are many, they are few. They won't be able to escape us so easily" the raven-haired man insisted to him. "And I also know that His Majesty's Schutzstaffel are on the frontlines as we speak. They will deal with the intruders. We don't have to worry about them reaching us" he then spoke up, trying to make an impression on Haschwalth.

But that didn't work as Haschwalth was still displeased by what he was hearing from the crown prince. "You do not impress, Uryu Ishida. For you to try and change the subject really speaks volumes. But it won't work on me. Right now, we are discussing your behavior as crown prince" the blonde-haired man stated sternly.

Uryu sighed deeply as he heard him. "Look, I get it that you don't trust me completely. But that doesn't mean I will betray you. I was simply expressing my interest in science" the raven-haired man told him.

"It's funny. I don't recall saying anything about you betraying us" Haschwalth spoke up with a smug smile on his face. "I was simply trying to find out why you were behaving so disrespectful towards your superiors" he then said.

This made Uryu fix a scowl with his mouth, indicating that he was furious with what Haschwalth just told him. However, his eyes were drawn to Haschwalth reaching for his Spirit Weapon and it made him cautious. He stared at Haschwalth, who was still smiling smugly at him.

"What are you…" Uryu questioned, only for Haschwalth to quickly draw out his blade, with the intent of slashing Uryu. Fortunately, he managed to avoid it by using Hirenkiyaku. But the mirror at the desk was shattered in half. Uryu was enraged by what he was witness to. "What the hell is wrong with you!?" he then asked out angrily.

The blonde-haired man held out his sword before glancing over to Uryu at his right side. "Simple. I am evaluating whether you can still be trustworthy in the service of His Majesty. Something tells me of your deception" he said, his mouth still carrying a smug smile. "And may I remind you that during the night, while His Majesty is asleep, our powers are switched" he said while swinging his sword in preparation to fight Uryu.

The raven-haired man gritted his teeth in frustration by the situation he was in. Without thinking, he reached for his Heilig Bogen and aimed a Heilig Pfiel at the Sternritter Grandmaster.

"Do you even know what you're doing?" Uryu asked lowly while sweating. "I am the Prinz von Lichts, for god's sake! What the hell makes you think that I will betray you!?" he then asked out in frustration.

Haschwalth remained unfazed by hearing this and prepared his fighting stance. "Have you forgotten what I told you the other night? The moment you joined us, was named His Majesty's successor, as well as letting him engrave your soul…." Haschwalth said before charging. "YOU HAD NO WAY OUT!" he exclaimed.

Uryu fired his arrow, yet Haschwalth avoided it and moved on to attack Uryu. The four-eyed Quincy knew that it was fruitless of him to be standing still, so he used his Hirenkiyaku to vanish from the spot he was standing on. But Haschwalth had good reflexes, and he fixed his eyes upon his target, who was standing near the door, aiming his bow at him.

"Stop this, Haschwalth! You know very well this will not benefit His Majesty in any way!" the raven-haired man pleaded to him, hoping to make Haschwalth see reason.

The blonde-haired man simply scoffed at him in return by hearing Uryu's pleas. "Don't lecture me about what benefits His Majesty! What I do know that benefits him" he said before charging straight towards the crown prince. "IS ME DEALING WITH TRAITORS LIKE YOU!" he added loudly.

"YOU INSANE BASTARD!" Uryu shouted before firing another round of a Reishi Arrow. But Haschwalth managed to grab it with his quick reflexes and threw it away. This only made Uryu more distressed and he knew that using Hirenkiyaku was his only option. But it was too late for the raven-haired man. Before he knew it, he could feel Haschwalth's blade pierce through him. He was then pushed against the wall, with the bleeding tip being stuck on it. Uryu was enraged and began coughing blood, while holding onto the sword. He was furious. "Damn….you…" he cursed.

Haschwalth simply glanced at the four-eyed man with emotionless eyes. "Don't take this as a personal matter, Uryu Ishida. What I am doing here, I do it for the sake of His Majesty. You will no longer be a nuisance to him" he told the crown prince before fixing a smug smile. "And do not worry, I will report to your Schutzstaffel and His Majesty that you died in an accident on the frontlines. I will tell them that you fought well as a martyr" he then added with what he was planning to do.

Uryu was still holding onto the blade and he glanced up to Haschwalth. "Damn…you…..damn….you" he said while his mouth was bleeding. The blonde-haired man didn't take it personally, as he knew those would be Haschwalth's last breath. "Damn…..you….damn…..you….damn…you…Uryu Ishida!" the new voice suddenly came out from his mouth.

Haschwalth's blue eyes widened in shock by the change of voice. He could not believe it. "Wait…...what is this…" he said lowly before pulling out his sword from his opponent's body. The Sternritter Grandmaster pointed it at him. "Who is this!?" he then demanded angrily, starting to realize something.

What he thought was Uryu Ishida suddenly began transforming into someone. Haschwalth was stunned as he could see who that person really was. It was a young, baldheaded man with three eyes, as the third eye was stuck on his forehead. He had headphone-like things covering his ears. But as his new form was now completed, he fell on his knees, panting. Haschwalth's head was filled with so many thoughts, as he knew who this person actually was.

"It can't be….." Haschwalth uttered out lowly, his eyes still filled with shock. "You are…Royd Lloyd…..but he…..he died…..HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE!?" he then asked out angrily.

As soon as he was finished panting, the man looked up to the blonde-haired man with narrowed eyes. "I'm not…...Royd" the young man spoke up before coughing another round of blood. "I'm Sternritter Y- The Yourself…...Loyd Lloyd. Royd was….my twin brother" the man then introduced himself.

The Sternritter Grandmaster was filled with disbelief. "What!? But you were also dead! You died at the hands of Kenpachi Zaraki!" he then spat out. Haschwalth was then beginning to remember something. He hadn't forgotten about Uryu's Schutzstaffel. Among them were two Sternritters, who had also met their end by Kenpachi's hands: Berenice Gabrielli and Jerome Guizbatt. Somehow, they had been brought back to life, but how? Many questions swirled inside his head, yet he remained focus on the bleeding man before him.

Loyd was reaching for something, which was obviously his Heilig Bogen. But before he could activate it, Haschwalth pointed his blade at him, the tip reaching his hand. It made the baldheaded man filled with distress.

"Stay where you are. And don't move. I have two questions for you" Haschwalth commanded him while feeling very angered over this situation. "Where is Uryu Ishida? And more importantly, how are you able to even replicate his appearance, personality and memories? From what I know, you can only replicate appearances and powers" the blonde-haired man then asked him.

Loyd gritted his teeth in anger while being asked about this. "You fucking faggot…I don't answer to you!" he spat back at him.

Haschwalth felt his patience nearing its limit. "I see. You must also be another loyalist of Uryu. That means you have joined his ranks" the Sternritter Grandmaster remarked with disdain.

Loyd was angry as he heard what was being said. "I'm not on anyone's side! Not even Yhwach's!" he snapped before coughing. "You and that bastard used my brother…then disposed of him as if he was trash! Therefore…THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL I WOULD ANSWER TO YOU!" he then spoke up, this time demonstrating his anger and defiance in front of Haschwalth.

This only encouraged Haschwalth to punish Loyd for such insolence. But before he could even do something, a chuckle could be heard from the entrance. Despite this, the blonde-haired man didn't seem to pay attention, as he knew who that voice belonged to.

"Now I hear some screaming and decide to see what it is, only to find this?" the smug voice came from Sternritter Σ – Sigma: Shaz Domino. The man with glasses mused to himself by the scene he was witness to. "It's a bummer that I forgot my camera. I could get many views form filming this" he then added with sarcasm in his voice.

Haschwalth turned his eyes on him, feeling irritated by seeing him standing there. "Spare me your jokes, Domino. Why are you here?" he demanded sternly while taking a glance at Loyd. "And how did this fool manage to replicate Uryu's appearance and personality?" he asked, is voice filled with distaste.

Shaz only glanced at the bleeding Quincy before taking his glance on Haschwalth. "Seriously? Don't you know? I mean, even I knew what Loyd was capable of" he said in a laidback manner.

"Capable of what, exactly?" the blonde-haired man asked Shaz.

"Duh. Loyd's Schrift gives him the ability to replicate people's appearance and abilities. And who do you think was the first person he used that on?" Shaz asked him cunningly, much to Haschwalth's own dismay. "That's right! He and Royd always used to practice their abilities on one another. And Loyd can use his Schrift to not only replicate his twin brother's appearance, but his powers as well. And when he did that on Royd…that means he could also use Royd's abilities, which includes personality and memory replication" Shaz went on explaining.

Haschwalth was only stunned as he was hearing what was being said. He could not believe that all this time, he had been fooled by Loyd into believing that he was Uryu. Somehow, the blonde-haired man felt a tint of shame on the inside, especially given the fact he was a high-ranking follower of Yhwach himself.

Shaz had to muse as he saw Haschwalth's reaction. "Come on. Don't tell me you didn't realize it. Even the dullest Sternritters like Giselle, NaNaNa and Nianzol knew that as well" he said before bursting out into laughing. But that laugh was short-lived as Haschwalth swung his sword, thus forcing Shaz to back away to avoid getting slashed. However, his left hand had been cut off and it made him outraged. "Ouch! Damn it, Haschwalth! Was that even necessary!?" he snapped while holding onto his handless arm.

"I did it to keep your mouth shut. It was starting to annoy me" Haschwalth responded before seeing Shaz using his ability to gather Reishi. With this, his left hand eventually began growing itself, all thanks to the Reishi. "And besides, with your Schrift, you should be able to use the Reishi around to you put yourself again" he added.

Shaz only scoffed as his hand healed. "Tch, showoff" he said, only to form a smug smile while facing Haschwalth. "But anyway, now that you know that Uryu isn't here, shouldn't you be out looking for him?" he then pointed out to him smugly.

This caused Haschwalth's eyes to snap in anger and he immediately walked towards Shaz, who was then forced out of the room. "You imbecile! You were patrolling the halls! Why didn't you stop Uryu!?" he demanded an answer while preparing to slash Shaz with his sword once again.

"Slow down, Haschwalth! I'm not your enemy here!" Shaz insisted to him before forming a smug grin with his mouth. "In fact, considering that you wear His Majesty's ability, you should be able to see into the future and tell where he is. But unless I am mistaking, you can only use it when you are calm instead of frustrated or angry. Isn't that the reason why you weren't able to use The Almighty to predict that Loyd was only fooling you?" he then began explaining

The blonde-haired man paused as he heard what just came out of Shaz's mouth. Was he right? Had he failed to use The Almighty properly thanks to losing his composure? As much as Haschwalth wanted to angrily retaliate for what the Sternritter just told him, he restrained himself. Taking his time to think, Haschwalth realized what was now needed. In fact, he even found calm within him.

He turned around and walked away, but also said some words to Shaz. "Thank you, Domino. I must commend you for giving me this advice. You will be rewarded handsomely later" he said while walking. However, his voice could still be heard in the hall. "Now if you excuse me, I have some errands to run here in Silbern. I will let His Majesty decide the fate of you and that chameleon. Until then, you and all of Uryu's allies are spared….for now" he added before continuing on his way.

Shaz had no clue to what he meant by what. The Quincy with glasses simply shrugged his shoulders and crossed his arms in disgust at the blonde-haired man's attitude.

"Hmph. I sometimes feel sorry for him. He's living a life without convictions" he admitted to himself, only to hear someone stand in the doorway. He only smirked as he turned around to see Loyd standing there, his injury still serious. "Well, you look pretty…...messed up. I guess the Leben Kapsel is your next stop once again, eh?" he then asked him teasingly.

Loyd gritted his bleeding teeth in anger by hearing this. "Fuck off…...you cocksucker…" the Sternritter mustered enough strength to say those words to Shaz. "The only reason I agreed on this…...was to repay my debt to that four-eyed twerp for restoring me!" he said angrily, only to cough out another chunk of blood on the floor.

"Woah, you need to chill out, mister" Shaz remarked, although it was uncertain whether he felt worried for Loyd or not. "But honestly, you wouldn't have lasted against Haschwalth in combat" he then pointed out to him.

"I don't give a damn!" Loyd said, before he began moving himself towards Shaz. Despite his attitude, the man with glasses helped Loyd on standing on his feet. This was very unusual of him, given that Shaz was noticed to be an arrogant Quincy. However, he would always be there for his comrades when necessary. "Take me to Kana and the others. I need their help" he then told Shaz, who merely shook his head as a no.

"How about you let me do this instead?" Shaz suggested and he began putting his hand on Loyd's injury. The baldheaded man was surprised, as particles of Reishi began healing his injury. Loyd could not believe his eyes. This was Shaz's doing. He could use his ability on others, but only one direct contact with his hands. Nevertheless, Loyd's injury was gone, and he could feel himself feeling better. Shaz had to smirk. "There. Better?" he asked the Sternritter.

Loyd simply nodded his head as a yes in return. "Thank you, Shaz Domino. I promise I will repay you someday" he told him in return.

"We can talk about that some other time" Shaz insisted to him while forming a frown with his mouth. "But you heard Haschwalth. Now that he knows that Prince Uryu is not here, he'll put the entire palace on martial law. That means we'll need to stick together" the man with glasses pointed out to him.

Loyd nodded his head in return. "I know that. We best head back to Kana and the others. At this rate, it's probably the best place for me to be in right now" he said.

"But they still don't know about me, remember?" Shaz pointed out to him. He nodded smugly. "That's right. I'm Yhwach's best informer of things happening in Silbern. There's no way they'll dispose of me yet" he said before patting Loyd on the back before moving on. "But you better head to the laboratory. I'll stay in the halls and see how things will turn out. Until we meet again, a fond farewell" he said before using Hirenkiyaku to vanish from the scene.

This left Loyd alone in the hall, yet the young Sternritter headed straight towards the laboratory. Why he had partaken this mission, was yet to be answered. But all things were for sure. He was somewhat embittered by the way Yhwach had been using his twin brother. In fact, he remembered Yhwach promising not to kill Royd when he was finished with this suicide job. And yet, he broke that promise. Where his current loyalties lied now, he had yet to find out.

* * *

 _In the icy rooftops of Wahrwelt_

Shunsui Kyoraku had managed to use his tricks and mind games to fool the Sternritter: Lille Barro. To begin with, he was certain about victory. But once Lille had been stabbed at least three times, something happened to him. His other eye, which was usually closed, opened. It opened because it was the third time Lille had sustained serious injuries from the head-captain. The injuries he had received from Shunsui began vanishing. It was then the hard part began for the head-captain. Lille was willing to fill him in on many details, including the one who struck him down most. The Sternritter was glancing at him seriously, even demonstrating pride as he spoke up.

"Once I've opened my eye after the third time in battle, I am able to complete that fight in combat. There is a reason why I am capable of such" Lille explained while Shunsui stood his guard, not knowing what he was talking about. But he could see Lille having a delightful expression, indicating that he was feeling very confident about himself. "I am the first Sternritter to be granted a Schrift by His Majesty, and thus His Majesty's greatest creation. But I am more than that. I am the man closest to God" he revealed to his opponent. "And for this godlike creation to have his eye opened after being put in a vulnerable state three times…..IS THE ONE THING THAT SHOULD NEVER BE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN!" he loudly exclaimed.

Before Shunsui even knew it, the x-formed marking across Lille's left eye began glowing brightly. It was beginning to form into a Quincy Cross. Even now, his left eye was glowing into pale white. A bright light exploded into the view of Shunsui, who used his hat to cover himself. It was quite powerful, as Shunsui could barely see a Quincy Cross being formed amidst this unleashing of power. He also felt an incredible amount of Spiritual Pressure.

As soon as the light stopped, Shunsui was able to see his opponent clearly. When he got a glimpse of Lille, he was stunned. The Sternritter was completely changed. Lille had eight Reishi Wings that had three holes in them each. He also wore a white furred coat, almost as if he was a priest, although his arms and feet could be seen. An oversized Heilligenschein floated above his head and Lille's face was covered by white lines, although his eyes could be seen. Lille was currently floating and he had even exposed his hand palms, in which x markings could be seen on each of them. This was the Quincy: Vollständig of Lille Barro.

"What is this form?" Shunsui wondered while gazing into his opponent.

"Beware, Shinigami. You are facing an envoy of God. No one can withstand the power of my Jilliel!" Lille exclaimed, his manner of speech changing due to him being in this form.

Shunsui was about to move as he could see something happening in the holes of Lille's wings. But he felt himself unable to move and he looked down to see what it was. "What the hell…he's rendered me immobile….." he wondered, yet was interrupted as he could feel three shots coming to him. He felt pierced. Lille had fired those Reishi Bullets from the holes of his wings.

But Lille was not fooled easily, as he could see that something was amiss. What he thought was Shunsui was merely an illusion. The Quincy could spot the trails of blood and eventually Shunsui himself making a run towards the nearby building. His eyes narrowed further in displeasure.

"Running away, I see?" Lille asked while slowly walking towards the direction his target had run off to. "Then let us play cat and mouse, only this time…...the cat kills the mouse" he then noted while continuing moving.

Shunsui had jumped to a nearby building, yet he could still feel Lille not falling far behind. In desperation, he continued running towards the next building. It was a bit further away from the one he was currently on. But he needed to make a run for it.

"You will not escape me so easily!" the voice from Lille as he even began loading his wings, as well as aiming his handpalms at his target. Similar beams began loading on the handpalms. "Try dodging this, sinner!" he bellowed before firing the Reishi Beams.

Shunsui did his best to avoid those beams. But as he was diving to avoid them, he lost his hat. It was blown away and didn't manage to get hit by the beams. "Damn, my hat!" Shunsui cursed yet he could notice Lille being onto him. "Screw that, I better move!" he said to himself while heading for the nearby building, in which he would need to make a jump for it. With all is might, the head-captain jumped towards the next building. He managed to land perfectly, and quickly hid himself behind a wall on the rooftop.

The pink-clad Shinigami sait while trying to catch his breath while taking a glance at his injury. So far, Lille had managed to hit him on his right shoulder. This made Shunsui sigh deeply in irritation.

"Give me a break. Making me run like a Swiss cheese. What better humiliation is there to be in?" he noted while glancing at his injury. The bleeding on his right shoulder was serious, yet he seemed to possess enough endurance to shrug it off. "It would've been a whole lot simpler if I had just died from his initial wave of attacks. Instead, here I am, still conscious. Forced to make some stupid and reckless decisions" he then noted while lamenting how stressful this was.

Shunsui began glancing around the icy cityscape and so far, he could not see Lille nor hear him. However, he was beginning to think about something that was missing. After enough thinking, the head-captain mused to himself while thinking about his lieutenant.

"And without Nanao around to bounce this stuff off, there's not anyone to throw a sarcastic grip back in my direction" he noted before glancing into the icy cityscape once again. "Speaking of Nanao, I wonder how she's doing so far" he wondered about her.

But the head-captain's attention was interrupted as he could hear powerful beams reaching behind him. He quickly got op on his feet and jumped off the building. It was apparent that Lille had fired them on the wall and now it was collapsing.

"Phew, that was close" Shunsui remarked before noticing the open window of the building he was nearing from falling. He saw this as a perfect place to land on and enter. It was probably the best for him, as he could feel the entire wall crumble above him. He needed to avoid it. "I best go inside and avoid getting squashed by that wreckage" he added before landing and entering the building through the window. He found himself inside an apartment, in what looked like a living room. Even so, Shunsui kept moving.

In the sky above the urban landscape, Lille was glancing at his target fleeing from him. "You are quite adept at fleeing, despite the wound you carry. However….." the Sternritter said before his entire form began vanishing, almost as if he was teleporting away. And that turned to be true. Lille suddenly found himself right before Shunsui, inside the building. He had used some kind of teleportation and was now blocking Shunsui's way. "Do you actually think running away is an option?" Lille asked as his whole body began to take shape.

Shunsui had stopped as he could see Lille appear with this spiraling teleportation. It seemed to be another form of Hirenkiyaku.

"Shit…..he really is persistent, isn't he?" the Shinigami cursed by what he was seeing. He then drew his Zanpakutous, thus preparing to fight Lille.

The Sternritter only stood there while crossing his arms with dispassion. "Get it through your thick skull, Shinigami. I already told you that weapons are meaningless when I am in this form" Lille reminded his opponent.

"Yeah, yeah. I heard you the first time" Shunsui said as he was beginning to form something with his Zanpakutous. Despite this, Lille remained unfazed and only stared at him with othing but boredom. The pink-clad Shinigami was preparing an attack, but not just any kind of attack. "Let's see how you fair against a blade of Kido! Hado 78: Zangerin!" he exclaimed while releasing a slashing ring that erupted fast.

This ring was powerful enough to slash the top of the tower in half and an explosion erupted as a result. Shunsui was known to be a Kido-expert, in addition to being a master in swordsmanship. Smoke erupted from the top of the building as the top collapse and fell onto the ground.

Shunsui panted deeply as all that he saw around him were walls of smoke. He looked both sides, wary if Lille would use this opportunity to strike. But the question is whether the Kido-spell managed to inflict damage upon the Sternritter. The Shinigami stood his ground, while making sure not to lose focus of his surroundings.

"Come on…..I know you're out there….show yourself" he spoke up lowly. Somehow, Shunsui was expecting his opponent to have survived.

His suspicions were confirmed as he could a beam of Reishi head towards him, Shunsui could see it from his left side. Without delay, he fell backwards, so that he was able to watch the beam pass by him. As soon as the beam stopped, Shunsui focused his gaze to his left side and was prepared to face his opponent. Even now, he could see Lille's silhouette in the smoke as it started to clear.

"I must admit that you have indeed good reflexes. I can see now why you were appointed the Head-Captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads" the transformed Quincy remarked as he appeared out of the smoke, having just fired the beam with his right hand. "However, you expected to best me by only using Kido? Fool. I'm already standing here, not carrying a single injury" he then remarked.

The Shinigami only shrugged his shoulders as he heard that. "Figures. As a matter of fact, I tend to be a little rusty when it comes to Kido-spells" he remarked in his usual easygoing glance before facing the Quincy deadly. "But I'm not gonna let you get away with this. I'm also standing my ground. I still owe you a favor from that flooding you pulled on us back there" he said, his voice bearing a hint of determination.

"Hmph, only the weakest of your pack managed to disappear from it. But you are not among them" Lille noted before pointing a finger at Shunsui's left hip. "And by the way, I would think twice before getting cocky if I were you. Because you have just been marked by me" he then told him.

Shunsui snapped and looked at his left hip. He was stunned as he could see a white x-mark being located on his kimono. It was the same x-mark that could be seen on Lille's handpalms. The man with the ponytail glanced at his opponent when noticing the same symbols.

"You sure are one, tough bastard. Care to explain what you've done to me?" Shunsui asked, his voice filled with dispassion.

Lille continued to glance at him with narrow eyes. "This is an ability I can use to mark my targets. It is part of my Schrift: the letter X – The X-Axis. I tend to call it Ziel" he told his opponent while showing him the symbol on his handpalm. "When I cast my Ziel on a specific target the beams I fire will always be headed towards my Ziel, nothing else. The Ziel will only vanish once my beam hits it. I placed the Ziels on you while you were busy fooling yourself with that Kido-spell" he then went on explaining how it worked.

"Hold on, you say that you planted more than one on me? Where's the…" Shunsui was interrupted as he could see the other Ziel located on his right knee. It made him snap in anger. However, he displayed a calm behavior in front of Lille. "You are one sick son of a bitch. Planning on making me into a giant cheese or something? That's just really messed up" he then noted to his opponent.

Lille was growing weary of Shunsui's attitude. "I grow tired of you and your pathetic humor, Shinigami. It is time that we ended this fight. His Majesty commanded me to get rid of all Shinigami-rodents in Wahrwelt, and I intend on carrying it out. Such is my duty as an envoy of God!" he said before the holes in his wings began loading.

"I better come up with a quick defense for this. And I think I know just the right spells to use for this" Shunsui noted while seeing the beams getting ready to be fired. But he didn't say the word yet, as he waited for Lille to fire his beams. The moment the Sternritter unleashed his beams, Shunsui felt like the time was right. "BAKUDO 81: DANKU!" he exclaimed as a defensive wall was created to appear right before him.

"I TOLD YOU IT'S NO USE!" Lille said while firing his beams.

Shunsui thought the wall would protect him from the incoming Reishi Beams, but the head-captain was sadly wrong. Before he even knew it, he could feel the powerful beams managing to pierce through his left hip and right knee and it made him howl in pain and agony.

"ARRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHH!" the loud yell came from him as he felt himself incredibly paralyzed by this attack. Lille had managed to create holes in the Danku, as well as where the two Ziels had been placed. "ARRRRGHHHHH! GODDAMNIT!" he yelled while feeling how much it bleed from the two spots.

Lille felt pleased to see that his attack had managed to convince his opponent how his tactics failed him. He took slow steps towards his opponent, who was now forced to stand on his left knee. The bleedings on his right knee and left hip continued and he was panting deeply.

"Do you see it now, Shinigami? This is the power that I carry. It surpasses you and your petty Kido-spells. Now unless you don't wish for me to humiliate you any further, stay down and watch as I personally execute you for your….." Lille stopped as he could see that something was amiss once again. Apparently, Shunsui was no longer there, yet he could see his blood trails. This only made him more infuriated. "Damn that vermin! How does he still have the strength to run away from me!? I will scour him from the face of the earth!" he angrily said while taking up to the air once again.

Shunsui had managed to use whatever strength he had left to run away from his opponent as fast as he could. In fact, the pink-clad Shinigami had managed to find himself a hiding place, in what looked like a narrow space on the rooftop between the buildings. He sat while leaning against the wall, trying to catch his breath. Even now, he felt himself getting weaker, as well as a pool of blood being built underneath him.

"Damn. I didn't think my Kido would have that much of an effect on him to begin with, but for it to have no effect whatsoever. I'm really getting rusty with my Kido-spells" Shunsui admitted to himself while briefly looking to both of his sides. So far, there were no signs of Lille yet. "I've exhausted all my options against this guy. But at least I ended up running all the way back to where we entered this place from" he added.

That is true, since being hit by Lille's beams, Shunsui had used all his might to escape from that place and head right back to the spot where they first entered Wahrwelt. With his Shunpo, he had even managed to pass by the Wasserman. But there was a reason for why Shunsui had decided to run so far away from the group of Shinigamis, let alone drag Lille with him.

"By now, everyone should be pretty far away from here, hopefully. And Nanao, if you get caught up in this, I apologize" he said before holding up his Zanpakutous. He then put both tips on the ground. "So it has come to this, eh? I think it's time to see what's waiting for me on the other side" he added.

It was now time. Shunsui was finally going to do it. Now that he was far away from his fellow Shinigamis and alone with his opponent, the head-captain felt like using this as his trump card. It was the only way of beating this Sternritter.

"Bankai" Shunsui said while his blades were digging onto the ground. He was now doing it! Shunsui Kyoraku was finally releasing his Bankai to deal with his opponent. "Katen Kyōkotsu: Karamatsu Shinjū" he added while calling out the name of his Bankai. Now, it was time for him to get real in this fight.

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Author's note: That was chapter 40. Wow! Can't believe how far I have come. But I hope you're enjoying this story so far. This chapter was about Shunsui and his battle with Lille. As a matter of fact, the next chapter will be focused on that fight. It will also be a flashback chapter, which will dig a little deeper into Shunsui's past. Some of the scenes like that with Shunsui using Bakudo are just my idea. I thought it would be great to see what happened to Shunsui while he was dealing with Lille. But we also got to see how Haschwalth was doing in Silbern. He was searching for Uryu, only to find Loyd being there using a disguise. Where is Uryu? And what kind of man is Shaz Domino? I may plan on writing what Uryu himself is doing. But for now, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. And here is the new terms you learned in this chapter.**

 **Ziel – German for "Target": This is an ability that Lille Barro can use while in his Quincy: Vollständig. It enables him to place targets on his opponents. With them, his Reishi Beams should be able to reach straight towards where the Ziels has been put.**


	41. The Theatre Suicide

**Author's note: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 41: The Theatre Suicide**

 _On the top of the ziggurat called Maravillioso, the city of El Dorado, Hueco Mundo_

While the fight between the Wandenreich and the 13 Court Guard Squads went on in the Soul Society, the Arrancars of the Imperio de Hierro had not yet been drawn into the conflict. However, one Dechado and one Legionario had already entered it by joining up with Ichigo and his gang of friends. Even so, business in the "City of Hollows" went as usual. Even now, the marketplace was still bustling with activity, despite the times of war. But trading was not the only activity that took place. Inside the observatory of Conociomento, there were so many Arrancars and Hollows alike sitting there and taking their time in reading books. Then there were also those who simply wanted to pay respects to the fallen ones who had died in battle. This was the reason for people heading to the towering ziggurat called Maravillioso.

On the top of the ziggurat, Zeppelin Webster was on the top, overlooking the city of El Dorado. The young black-skinned Arrancar had to admit that it was a beautiful sight. He was currently on off-duty as a Captain of the Ojos. Zeppelin adjusted his sunglasses while seeing this. But he was not alone, as he was joined by the woman named Ebbaline Da Navarro and Rudbornn Chelute. Like him, they were also captains and were off-duty. Right now, it was their comrade Yzyurqq Goltzius who was on work now.

"Man, have I seen better places" he admitted to his fellow captains. But he could see that neither of them were very responsive to what he was saying. "Heh, I take it you also enjoy the view" he then noted.

The blonde-haired woman glanced at Zeppelin with a raised eyebrow. "Of course, I enjoy it, showoff. Now would you be so kind and shut up for a second?" she then requested of him.

Zeppelin frowned as he heard what was being said. "Whatever you say, Ebbie. I can't help but be friendly towards you" he then told her, yet Ebbaline didn't seem to pay attention to him anymore.

"Anyway. I overheard the commander mention something about Lady Nelliel and Master Grimmjow being sent to help someone. Is it true that they are with the Substitute Shinigami: Ichigo Kurosaki?" the Arrancar with the skull of a bull on his head asked his comrades.

Ebbaline only stroke her blonde hair as she listened. "I guess so. But I think Master Gallente would be accompanying them or something" she said while resting her arms behind her neck. "But I don't think Nelliel and Grimmjow will be staying with them too long. We all know what His Highness has refrained from any of us getting mixed up in that war" she then added to her answer.

"I see" Rudbornn responded, his voice both calm and stern. "Then I expect those two to return back to El Dorado soon" he then noted.

But the three captains were interrupted when they could hear the voice of small children coming near them. Looking to their right side, they spotted a young Arrancar woman leading a group of small children, who seemed to be Arrancars as well. These kids were dressed in white, and they varied in size. But the woman who was supervising them seemed to be a kindhearted and shy individual.

"Oh great, here comes the Picaros. Still nothing but a bunch of kittens. God, I hate them" Ebbaline remarked with little enthusiasm in her voice. "But I don't recall seeing this woman before" she admitted, only to notice Zeppelin standing up and fixing his smile towards the group.

"I've seen her a couple of times before. Maybe I should greet myself properly to her" the young boy said before heading towards the group.

Ebbaline only shrugged her shoulders before turning her attention on Rudbornn, who seemed to actually know the young woman from somewhere. This convinced Ebbaline to ask him about her. "Do you know who that woman is? Even though I can't see your reaction, I can tell that you know here from somewhere" she asked him.

"As a matter of fact, I do" Rudbornn admitted. "That woman over there is Roka Paramia. Before becoming a caretaker for the Picaros, she was once a nurse in Las Noches. Or more specifically, a servant of Aizen….like I was in the past" he then told her.

Ebbaline's eyes widened in surprise. "She was a nurse? But how did she manage to survive?" she then questioned him.

"I am not so entirely sure. But I do know that while she was treating an injury on Yammy Llargo, he crushed her with one blow. But it seems that she was not as weak as Yammy had originally thought" Rudbornn explained while taking a glance at the young Arrancar, whose Hollow-shell was on her other half on her face. "From what I hear, she immediately renounced her loyalty to Aizen as she feared being sent to Coliseo where the troublemaking Esclavos were held. His Highness, admiring her gentle nature, made her the caretaker of the Picaros, given that they were mostly unsupervised" he then added in his conversation with Ebbaline.

The blonde-haired woman simply shrugged her shoulders in return. "Hmmm…well she still has a long way to go before being accepted among us" she then said.

Roka was having a good time with the Picaros, until she could see Zeppelin approach her. The young woman then focused her attention on him, to which the black-skinned Arrancar only waved his arm in an easygoing manner.

"Hey there, beautiful. Lovely bunch of kids you have with you" the boy with the twisted black hair told him while grinning. "Are you their mom or something?" he then questioned her.

The timid Arrancar immediately shook her head as a no while chuckling nervously. "No. I am only the Picaros' caretaker. It has been my responsibility since I was given amnesty by His Highness" she told him before letting out a deep sigh. "But I have to contend with being given dirty looks by the citizens here. It makes me feel ashamed to be a Esclavo" she then noted while glancing down.

"Ah, no need to feel so sad, madam. You're still welcomed here in my eyes" Zeppelin told her, which made Roka glance at him in surprise. "As a matter of fact, how about I tag along with you and help you with showing the kids around town?" he then suggested to her.

Roka had to admit that she was surprised to hear such request. But she immediately nodded her head and glanced over to the small bunch of kids. "Listen up, children. We will have an important guest showing around town! What do you say about that?" she then asked them.

"Is he even an adult?" a young boy with headphones as his Hollow-shell asked in a bored tone.

"He really has an enormous amount of Spiritual Pressure" a young girl with glasses said, noticing Zeppelin's power.

Roka glanced at Zeppelin and bowed to him with formality. "I thank you for doing this, captain. I am called Roka Paramia" she then told him with a slight smile being formed with her mouth.

"Eh, no need to address me so formally, ma'am. You can call me Zeppelin Webster. It's a pleasure to meet you, Roka" he told her in return while shaking hands with the young woman. They then went to another place, taking the Picaro's with them.

As they went, Ebbaline only rolled her eyes when seeing them go downstairs. "Tch, there goes the jackass" she noted in her sassy manner.

But Rudbornn didn't seem to have a reaction to this, except for the fact that Roka became quickly friends with a womanizer such as Zeppelin. It astounded the captain. "I wonder if that woman even realizes the kind of fool Zeppelin really is. But then again, she is too naïve to understand" the bull-skulled Arrancar said while observing this newly built relationship.

At the entrance of Maravilloso stood Franceska Mila Rose, Emilou Apacci and Cyan Sung-Sun. They were hanging out by one of the statues. But what both Apacci and Sung-Sun were curious about was what Mila Rose was drawing on the dirt with a stick. Mila Rose was drawing Pesche Guatiche's handsome face on the dirt, the brown-skinned woman even gushing while she did it.

"Oh Pesche…" Mila Rose said, her cheeks blushing. "Your face is so…handsome!" she stated while thinking about the Arrancar who was one of Nelliel Tu Odelschwank's Fraccìon.

Both Apacci and Sung-Sun were completely confused and stunned by the fact that their friend was having romantic feelings towards a goofball like Pesche. It was just unbelievable.

"I don't get it. What does she see in that lousy twerp? He's a jackass" Apacci whispered to the long-haired woman beside her.

"I am also curious to know the answer, Apacci" Sung-Sun said while taking a glance at Mila Rose. "But at the very least she's not attracted to Dondochakka, if you catch my drift" she told Apacci.

She quickly stuck her tongue out in disgust. "Oh God….forget I said anything" the blue-haired woman told Sung-Sun before feeling like throwing up or something. It was apparent that she did not like Dondochakka and his new form. She

Sung-Sun simply rolled her eyes while seeing her friend's behavior. "I guess good teammates are hard to find. But there's nothing I can do about it" the long-haired woman noted to herself before walking away to check on if Apacci weren't gonna do something stupid.

* * *

 _In the streets of Wahrwelt, Royal Realm, Soul Society_

The Sternritter Askin Nakk Le Vaar was now surveying the icy cityscape, seeking to confront any intruder on sight. Askin had previously been chased off by the Arrancar Grimmjow Jeagerjacqez. Although he had tried to hide first, Grimmjow was clever in ratting him out. Realizing that he had no options left, Askin had decided to test his abilities on Grimmjow. When the Legionario slashed one of Askin's "Gift Balls", he collapsed on the rooftop, as the poison had already infiltrated his body.

Now that Grimmjow was out of commission, Askin was free to pursue other targets, or perhaps more specifically, Ichigo Kurosaki. The orange-haired man was after all, considered to be one of the Wandenreich's Five Special War Potentials. Therefore, it was important that Askin had to deal with him immediately.

Askin's eyes caught glimpse of Ichigo running through the streets, accompanied by two of his friends: Yasutora Sado and Orihime Inoue. Knowing that it was time for him to make his move, Askin slid down to street level with the help of a nearby pipe. Seeing this forced Ichigo and his friends to stop in their tracks. When Askin landed on his feet, he simply made a greeting gesture towards the trio of friends.

"Hey there, folks! How can I be of assistance?" Askin asked them in a mocking tone. This was one of his many attempts to play sarcastic humor with his enemies.

Orihime's eyed widened in realization. "A Sternritter!" she said before she reached for something. It was a Shiba flare gun given to her by Ganju in order to let each other know when they had discovered an enemy. The orange-haired woman pointed the flare gun upwards. "I'll fire the signal to let the others know we've found one!" she said and fired the flare gun.

A signal was thus shot up high in the air, before slowly falling downwards to the streets. It was the intention of letting those who had joined Ichigo know of where to find the enemy.

Askin only raised an eyebrow by what he was seeing. "Seriously? Did she just fire a signal flare?" he asked, not expecting to see something like that happen in the Wahrwelt. But the Sternritter easily brushed it off before focusing his attention on the trio as a whole. "Anyway, this is the end of the line for you, intruders. I'm here to take you in, dead or alive" he then told them in a smug manner.

Ichigo glared at him warily while reaching for his Zanpakutous. "I thought something about you seemed familiar. You're that guy from earlier" the Substitute Shinigami noted, recalling how Askin had been chased by Grimmjow. Thinking about this made Ichigo remember the aggressive Arrancar. "And speaking of which, what happened to Grimmjow?" Ichigo asked the Sternritter.

"Grimmjow?" Askin asked before his face snapped in realization. "Ah, you mean that raving lunatic with the regent haircut? He's taking a nice little lap over there" he then said while pointing his finger to the left direction. But the Sternritter seemed to be confused at the moment, and he began facing his right side. "Or was it over there? I swear, these streets all look the same that it's hard to tell them apart" Askin remarked, starting to feel lost in where he had actually disposed of Grimmjow.

Ichigo was feeling surprised from what he was hearing. "Wait…...so you defeated Grimmjow?" he then asked the Sternritter, not willing to accept the fact that he had been defeated by someone as cocky as Askin.

Hearing this made Askin glance at Ichigo in a smug manner. "Why does everything have to be about winning or losing? I've always had an aversion to such things" the Sternritter told Ichigo.

The Substitute Shinigami was not satisfied with this kind of response. "I didn't ask what you do or don't like. Now answer my damn question!" Ichigo demanded out of him.

"I won't answer to that kind of tone. But I will tell you my name" Askin said before "bowing" to Ichigo and his friends, in an effort to introduce himself formally, even though it could be seen as a mocking gesture made towards Ichigo. "Sternritter D – The Deathdealing: Askin Nakk Le Vaar, at your service" he introduced himself.

Realizing that it was useless wasting words with him, Ichigo drew out his Zanpakutous and charged straight towards the Sternritter, who only seemed more than happy to respond to this by fighting back.

But before they could even clash, they were interrupted by feeling an enormous amount of Spiritual Pressure being released. It was powerful enough for Ichigo and Askin to cease their match. But they were not the only ones who took notice of this. Even Orihime and Chad could feel this Spiritual Pressure as well. And for some reason, it felt so dark around them.

"What just happened? It feels so cold and dark here" Orihime asked Chad while noticing how she froze a little.

"No, Orihime. The temperature has not dropped. Nor has it gotten darker" Chad told her as he was glancing around in the streets. The tall man even began taking a glance at his right hand. "But this sensation is indeed similar to when someone gets the chills. Do you also feel it?" Chad then asked Orihime while explaining what he actually felt.

Orihime simply nodded her head as a yes before she took notice of her own hands. "These chills though…...despite not being able to see or hear anything…...they are running throughout my body" she told him.

Ichigo was glancing up in the skies, starting to realize something odd about this Spiritual Pressure. It became clear to him who this Spiritual Pressure belonged to and it made Ichigo filled with surprises.

"This Spiritual Pressure….it can't be…..." the orange-haired man uttered out lowly. "Kyoraku….is that really you?" he then wondered while feeling this power belonging to the laidback and easygoing Shinigami captain.

* * *

 _In another district of Wahrwelt_

Sternritter X – The X-Axis: Lille Barro had taken notice of how the area around him had drastically begun changing. He could also feel the effects on him, yet the Quincy didn't seem to pay much attention to it. He was now in his Vollständig, thus being more powerful than his opponents, even more powerful than a Captain-level Shinigami.

Lille decided to land on a nearby rooftop as he could actually sense the Spiritual Pressure of his target looming near him. But at the same time, the Sternritter was also trying to figure out why things had changed in Wahrwelt all of a sudden.

"Is this an illusion? It appears as though the sky has turned into dark" Lille noted while glancing around in the atmosphere. But the black-skinned man suddenly caught glimpse of his target: Shunsui Kyoraku. He was also standing on the rooftop, still carrying the injuries he had received from Lille. But something odd could be felt from him and Lille understood it. "Are you done running away?" the Sternritter asked his opponent.

Surprisingly, Shunsui smiled, even though he was gravely wounded. "Sorry. It was rude of me to keep you waiting" he apologized to Lille in his usual friendly tone before changing his expression into something more drastic. "And by the way, do you mind sharing your first impressions? By that I mean as of this atmosphere. How does the world appear to you" he asked the Quincy in a smug manner.

Lille crossed his arms while staring at the Shinigami with nothing but hidden displeasure. But then again, he was confused from hearing what Shunsui was talking. The pink-clad Shinigami knew that he would have to be more specific with regards to this.

"Let me put it another way. Is it perhaps a gloom, destitute place full of melancholy and despair?" Shunsui asked Lille once again. This time however, the Sternitter was starting to get a hang of what his opponent was trying to explain.

"So that's it, this is your ability?" Lille wondered, finally responding to Shunsui. "Indeed, the scenery around here has grown a bit…murkier. I suppose that this must be the work of your so-called "Bankai", correct?" the man in the holy form then asked the pink-clad Shinigami, who was still feeling confident in himself.

"You would be correct in calling this my "so-called" Bankai" Shunsui said, adding sarcasm in his response to Lille's analysis of his Bankai.

Despite being told about Shunsui's Bankai, Lille didn't even seem to have hints of fear in his eyes. They were still narrowing with nothing but boredom. "While things may have gotten a bit gloomier…...melancholy and despair would be an exaggeration on your part. And why I say this is because…." Lille suddenly took off into the air, aiming the holes on his Reishi Wings at the Shinigami. "A messenger of God feels no such emotions!" the Quincy exclaimed before unleashing the beams of Reishi from the holes on his wings down at Shunsui.

This attack was quite destructive, and it actually resulted in part of the icy cityscape getting destroyed. It left quite the explosion and smokes erupted as Lille floated in the air, feeling confident about his powers as one of Yhwach's Schutzstaffel.

"Although we were unable to any gather intel on your Bankai, there is one truth that becomes clearly evident" Lille spoke up, trying to make sure his opponent was listening. "If the owner of the katana dies, the Bankai will simply vanish" he added to his analysis of how to defeat a Shinigami.

While floating in the air, Lille could suddenly notice something strange happen to him. Something was running down his left leg and it made the Quincy wonder what it was. The moment Lille got a glimpse of it, he immediately panicked into outrage. His left hip was seriously damaged and it left him an open wound. It was as if someone had shot him with his own ability. Lille could not believe what he was seeing.

"WHA…WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO ME!?" the Sternritter asked angrily, also bearing distress in his voice.

"First Act: Tameraikizu no Wakachiai" the smug voice came from Shunsui, who was still standing his ground amidst this smoke covering the area. From what Lille could tell, he hadn't been injured by the beams the Quincy just fired. "Any wounds you inflict on your opponent's body, will emerge on your body as well, as if shared" the head-captain explained this power that his Bankai was capable of doing.

While Lille was listening to Shunsui's explanation, he was given another shocker as he could feel his right shoulder getting damaged and blown off as well. Now, the Sternritter was feeling very insecure about this situation. He immediately realized that the wounds he had were the same as he had given Shunsui earlier in their fight.

Shunsui simply smirked as he saw his opponent struggling. "And I regret to inform you, you will be unable to die from said wounds" he the revealed to Lille.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!? ANSWER ME!" the furious Quincy demanded answers out of Shunsui.

The Head-Captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads simply brandished his blades as he was asked about it. "I told you, didn't I? It's my "so-called" Bankai" he replied with sarcasm before moving his Zanpakutous around in a circle. "Katen Kyōkotsu: Karamatsu Shinjū" the pink-clad Shinigami revealed the name of his Bankai, the one he had always been reluctant to use out in the open, especially when allies were nearby. Having almost reconsidered using it during the Winter War against Sosuke Aizen, Shunsui had realized that as the new head-captain, he would have to use his Bankai if he was running out of options. "You know, you've been rather talkative throughout this little exposition. But as we move onto the main act, you'll hold your tongue" Shunsui then remarked, noticing how different the Sternritter was behaving now than before. It only made things much more interesting. "Now then. Second Act: Zanki no Shitone" the then uttered the new phase of his Bankai.

Before Lille even knew it, he could feel black spots appear all over his body. His face, arms, legs and even his eyes, they all popped on them out of nowhere. But something happened with these black spots. They began bleeding profusely and Lille could not stop it. He was filled with fear and shock as the bleeding never stopped.

"The man shamed by the wounds inflicted on his opponent, overcome with that shame, lays himself down, covering in his bed and his stricken with an incurable disease" Shunsui explained what the second phase was, as Lille continued to bleed profusely. "Now then, it's on to the Third Act: Dangyo no Fuchi" the Shinigami then revealed.

Out of the ordinary, Shunsui and Lille found themselves being engulfed by massive amounts of water. Lille, who had been too focused on the bleedings, soon realized that he getting drowned by the water. How in the world could something like this happen? Even now, Shunsui was floating in the water, yet he was still able to breathe and speak, almost as if he was a fish.

"Those having resolved themselves, cast their bodies into the water gushing forth…...until both their Spiritual Pressures completely expire" Shunsui then revealed while glancing up at the drowning Quincy. While seeing Lille struggle in the water, he could not help but to smirk. "Heh. How's that for a watery grave? Consider this as payback for what you did to us back in the street" he mused to himself, still remembering how Lille had used the Wasserman to flood the Shinigamis in the street.

Lille was desperately trying to fly through the water and reach the surface, as he could see the light on the top. But it was hopeless, even for a powerful Sternritter such as him. "NO…...THIS CAN'T BE POSSIBLE!" he noted as he glanced up to the surface. "NO MATTER HOW QUICKLY I BEAT MY WINGS…THE SURFACE CONTINUE TO GET FURTHER AND FURTHER AWAY!" he was getting more distressed by the minute as the water filled his lungs. At this rate, he was trapped and stuck in the water.

"As of now, I've literally thrown us into the deep end to drown. Fluttering your wings won't do you any good now" Shunsui explained to the Sternritter, who had stopped and begun listening to him. "And just so we're clear, I'm in the same boat as you so I know what you're going through" he then revealed to his opponent.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU EVEN SAYING!?" Lille angrily demanded an answer from Shunsui, growing more impatient by hearing the Shinigami constantly acting so smart and understandable.

The head-captain simply shrugged his shoulders, not necessarily paying attention to Lille's angry outburst. "As soon as you broke the plane of that bitterly cold surface of the water, it isn't just your body, but your resolve that also begins to freeze. It was simply your selfishness that caused it to freeze, though. And honestly, that's pretty disgraceful" he explained to the Quincy. "For a man to shame the oath he swore, and yet to never abandon him…...that's a woman's compassion. And it's pretty much the gist of it, isn't it…Sakuranosuke?" the head-captain said before he could feel someone hold her arms around him.

It was a tall, violet-haired woman with a red ribbon around her neck and a black eyepatch covering her right eye. Her left eye was turquoise, and her hair was worn in two corkscrew pigtails with bangs framing her face. She also wore an indigo cape with an imprint of a large skull and the two blades of Katen Kyōkotsu on it, and a long, dark dress with a significantly low-cut neckline, exposing her large breasts. And at last, she wore a golden bone headdress. This was the true form of Shunsui's Zanpakutou.

"It's been far too long time…...my precious flower" Shunsui told the woman.

The woman had to smirk when she heard what he said. "My precious flower? Well, aren't we the talented couple. You only show that pretty face of yours when it's convenient for you. The least you can do is look me in the eyes if you're going to address me as such" she rudely told Shunsui.

"Aw, don't be like that. I'm sorry, my precious flower" Shunsui playfully apologized to the woman.

However, she had already taken notice of his critical injury on his right shoulder, and she could tell it by looking at the cut on his pink kimono. "Well, it appears your kimono has seen better days. Though I guess that's to be expected when you're always waltzing around in other women's kimonos. Serves you right" she told him with dispassion in her voice.

"And there it is. Glad to see you're as hostile as ever" Shunsui told her, admiring the women's rudeness and sarcasm.

She sighed deeply before speaking to her partner. "Why would you expect any changes in me? I am your blade, after all…swallowing all you love…...and all you hate" the woman reminded Shunsui who she was. "I have also resolved to stay by your side until your absolute bitter end…..." she then added while her partner listened carefully.

So far, Lille had only glanced down at Shunsui, wondering what he had been doing. Was he actually talking to someone or just himself? The Quincy did not know whether the Shinigami was going insane or not. Nevertheless, he decided to get some answers out of him.

"Just who is that you're conversing with?" Lille asked, and Shunsui immediately focused his attention on him. However, the Shinigami did not give him an answer. Lille simply crossed his arms in displeasure. "Do you really think this is enough for me to accept defeat? Do you actually believe…that this would be enough to kill me!?" he asked once again. But Shunsui still didn't respond, continuing to glance up at him. Lille only grew more impatient by seeing the Shinigami not taking him seriously enough. Out of frustration, the Sternritter immediately charged towards his opponent. "DO NOT THINK FOR A SINGLE SECOND THAT A PATHETIC SHINIGAMI'S BANKAI IS ENOUGH TO KILL THE LIKES OF ME!" the Quicny yelled as he dived down towards his opponent.

Seeing Lille still acting defiant in face of his demise, Shunsui knew that he would need to teach him a lesson in humility. From his Zanpakutous, he grabbed some white threads that became longer by the minute. While doing this, Shunsui was still saying something which did not make sense to the Quincy at all. "But a woman's compassion can be just as cruel. No longer leaving an ear open to the man he adores. Now around her throat shines, but a damp, white thread of her fingering affection" he spoke as the white thread started to take shape. It even began stretching itself so that it neared Lille's throat. "At the very least, allow me to cast it off with my very own hands. This unsightly, entangled thread of lingering passion. Now I present to you the grand finale if you will…." Shunsui said as he was on the verge of finalizing his Bankai. "The Final Act: Itokiribasami Chizome no Nodobue" he concluded his Bankai with a final attack.

Shunsui pulled his white threads into taut, leaving a deep cut in Lille's throat that expanded. It even blew off the Sterntitter's head completely. Lille felt his life slipping away by the minute and he fell down towards the endless depths of the street. It was now apparent that one of Yhwach's own Schutzstaffel had been defeated.

After standing there watching his opponent fade into the darkness, Shunsui felt his own energy being drained. As a matter of fact, he fell backwards, almost landing his head on the ground. But fortunately for him, the violet-haired woman was sitting on her knees, her arms preparing to receive Shunsui. As a result, the head-captain landed safely in the lap of his Zanpakutou. Which he had to admit felt quite romantic.

"Oh? To think that I'd get the chance of sleeping on your lap once again. I'm sure you didn't mind when I summoned you, right?" Shunsui asked the woman, once again letting his womanizing personality take hold on him. But the pink-clad Shinigami was in for a surprise as he could see the woman croak her fingers on her right hand, before slamming it towards Shunsui's face. With tough luck, he managed avoid getting scratched. It became clear to him that she did not like his suggestion. "Come on, it was just a joke! And please refrain from scratching my face. This is the only eye I have left, you know" the laidback man then told her.

The woman was not impressed when hearing the words of her partner. "Hmmm…we still look the same….and are both strange" she noted while Shunsui was listening to what was being said. "But either way…...we won the fight" the woman then told Shunsui, who was still lying on her lap listening to her.

"Say, what's wrong with you? As far as I know, you're being very docile today" Shunsui then remarked while glancing up to her.

The woman only huffed when hearing this. "Oh shut up, already. This isn't called being docile. It's called taking things seriously. I'd hoped that you would even know this, given the responsibilities you now carry on your shoulders" she told him with her stern voice. But the woman's expression soon softened and it surprised Shunsui. "You know, I admit that I do miss you sometimes. But then again, it's only because you need my guidance and direction and that I need someone to discipline and watch over" the woman admitted to him.

Shunsui was still listening, starting to develop similar thoughts about this on his own. In fact, he felt that it was now time for him to stop fooling around and talk some sense with his Zanpakutou. He felt that he needed to have one.

"Listen…...I've….." Shunsui was about to speak, only for something drastic and horrendous to take place.

A powerful beam of Reishi was shut through up from the building they were standing on. The beam even went through Shunsui's body and he was paralyzed by this kind of attack. Shunsui and his Zanpakutou looked up to the skies and saw a shining ball of light taking shape. But that light soon vanished and it revealed Lille's headless body floating in the air with his Reishi Wings. But his body began undergoing some changes to his legs and arms. But that was not all. His head that had been chopped off thanks to Shunsui was now regenerating back thanks to the use of Reishi in the area.

"You damn fool…..I already told you….do not think for a single second….." Lille's voice could be heard as the Reishi began creating his new face soon emerged. "THAT A PATHETIC SHINIGAMI'S BANKAI IS ENOUGH TO KILL THE LIKES OF ME!" he exclaimed in anger as his new form was now setting in motion,

This form was unlike anything Shunsui had ever seen. Lille now had a new, fair-skinned head with slicked-back hair similar to that of a Human, but with the eyes, nose, and beak of an owl. His Heiligenschein was drastically reduced in size and gains. Lille's neck was elongated, resembling the body of a snake with fur on its back. In addition, his legs had extended dramatically in horizontal length, giving him the appearance of a centaur, and his eyelids were opening and closing horizontally instead of vertically. Safe to say, Lille had been transformed into a horrid creature that was considered to be holy by the Quincies' standards.

Shunsui sweated intensively while gazing up towards his newly-transformed opponent. "Damn, who would've thought he would've survived after getting his head cut off? Either way, he looks way uglier than before" the head-captain noted before taking a glance at the injury he had received from the Reishi Bream earlier. "But then again, he really got me good this time…...shit" he cursed while seeing the hole on his stomach.

Lille was now getting used to his new form, even winking with his owl-like eyes. But he soon focused his attention on his injured adversary lying on the rooftop. "Yes, that is it. This is what despair looks like, Shunsui Kyoraku" Lille spoke up, his voice sounding drastically different than before. It sounded much deeper and baritone, which was different for someone like Lille. "No weapon can kill me! And even if my head is lopped off with your Spiritual Pressure, it won't kill me. Those that have sinned will look at this form and feel hopelessness until they perish" he then exclaimed, sounding incredibly zealous.

Shunsui was now in a very serious situation at the moment. Who would've thought that one of the Sternritters was able to survive even his Bankai? Could it be that he had underestimated Lille's power and role as one of Yhwach's Schutzstaffel? Whatever it was, Lille was still living and breathing.

"I was the first of the Sternitters to be granted a Schirft by His Majesty…...to be able to taste his blood…..to be able to stand beside a God. This makes me his finest weapon! I am immortal! I am invincible! I am a messenger of God that will erase all sinners that dare go against God and his messenger!" Lille was slowly losing himself to this zealously. It was now apparent that having drunken Yhwach's blood had completely changed him personally, especially when this new form was activated. As a matter of fact, it was uncertain whether Lille could even be classified as a Quincy given what he had become.

Lille suddenly moved his long right arm up in the air, only to release a beam of Reishi soon after. It was quite a destructive display of his power. This beam was so powerful that it could cut the icy cityscape in half. The slicing beam of Reishi left noting but destruction in its wake. But still, Lille knew that his attack had not taken Shunsui, meaning that the Shinigami had managed to escape from his move. He kept floating above the carnage, searching for his opponent.

"You are there, aren't you?" Lille asked, gazing towards one of the icy towers that dotted the cityscape. "Even with the hole in your stomach, you still have enough energy left to escape my Sabaki no Kōmyō. As expected, the "so-called" head-captain's sin…...runs truly deep" he noted, realizing that Shunsui was hiding somewhere behind the towers.

Shunsui was panting deeply while listening to Lille's insults. But then again, he could care less about insults, as he was more focused on his own survival in this fight. But he was interrupted when his Zanpakutou called to him once again. "Sakuranosuke…" Shunsui uttered out the name of the woman once again.

"There is no time fooling around anymore, Shunsui. We need to escape" the woman insisted to him while holding her arms around him. "We're up against someone that survived Karamatsu Shinjū. And we've no other options left to fight with" she told him.

Shunsui had to glance at her with a raised eyebrow, still trying to catch his breath. "What are saying…..I need to…." Shunsui was interrupted by her before he could even speak any further.

"Just let it go, Shunsui. You've fought enough already…and now you're hanging on to your last breath and consciousness…" the woman told him while sounding very distressed at the moment. "Believe me, no one would blame you, even if you escaped. Now close your eyes, and I'll take you away with me" she then told him.

Shunsui could feel his own energy slipping away. But something inside him just wanted to keep being awake and fight on. He was the Head-Captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads. He had no time to rest and had to stay vigilant. But deep down, he knew that he was running out of options. Closing his only eye, Shunsui slept, allowing his Zanpakutou to help him escape from this dangerous opponent.

* * *

 _Flashback, many years ago, outside the home of the Kyoraku Family, Soul Society_

It was a beautiful day in the outskirts of the Sereitei, where most of the Soul Society's noble families had their homes. Even though some of these noble houses didn't possess much influence over government institutions like the Kuchiki clan, Shihoin clan and the Tsunayashiro clan, they were still prestigues and powerful in their own ways, depending on their wealth. There existed high-ranking families like the Kyoraku Family and the Feng Family and lower-ranking families like the Omadea Family and the Ukitake Family.

Sleeping on the porch of a manor owned by the Kyoraku Family was a brown-haired teenage boy dressed in clothes worn by those who studied at the Shin'o Academy. He was sleeping so sweet, even while the sun was shining brightly up in the sky. Even when someone blocked him from the sun, the teenage boy didn't awaken. This only lead to the one who stood before the sleeping boy to wake him up gently.

"Wake up, Shunsui" a gentle female was spoken to the young boy, who was actually a young Shunsui Kyoraku during his teenage years. But he did not open his eyes when he heard this voice. A hand was put on Shunsui's left shoulder and the figure was pushing him gently. "Come now, wake up" the female voice called out to him again.

This time, Shunsui's grey eyes finally opened and he rubbed his face before seeing who it was that had awoken him from his sleep. Standing before him was a young and beautiful woman with black hair. She had her hair tied with the help of a hairpin while she wore glasses and a pink kimono dotted with flowers. The young woman smiled as Shunsui's eyes met his, although the teenager was still feeling quite sleepy.

"Ah, good morning, Madoka. Boy, am I glad to see you" Shunsui said before yawning deeply. "I just had to catch a few snoozes, and it looks like I overslept again" he then noted to himself.

The woman, whose name was Madoka simply giggled when she heard what the teenage boy was saying. "It's the middle of the day, silly. You haven't been sleeping here for long" she told him.

"Really?" Shunsui asked, his grey eyes filled with curiosity. "Oh crud, I really gotta do something to shape up a little. My studying at the academy has been quite a pain lately" he then groaned while recalling how he actually hated the Shin'o Academy.

"I take it you are finished with the lessons for today" Madoka said to him, to which Shunsui simply nodded his head as a yes.

"Yeah, I just came back from kendo practice with Old-man Yama" he said and leaned onto one of the porch's pillars. When he did that, he groaned in pain as he felt something hurt behind his head. "Ouch! I almost forgot the bump on my head he gave me the other day for sneaking into his office. Damn that hurt!" he said while rubbing the back of his head.

Madoka mused to herself and even sat beside Shunsui on the porch. "He really takes great interest in you. Maybe he sees your potentiality as a Shinigami in you" she noted to him. "Speaking of which, being one of Genryusai's favorite students, I take it you're one of the most enthusiastic students at the academy, aren't you?" she then asked the teenage boy.

Shunsui rested his arms behind his neck while scoffing at her words. "Those rumors are greatly exaggerated. The lessons I have are usually boring. Hell, I don't pay much attention to the teacher and focus more on writing a letter to the girls in the classroom. And I'm not one of the more "enthusiastic" students. That would be Jushiro, one of my classmates" he told Madoka as she listened closely.

She couldn't help but to raise an eyebrow in confusion. "Well…...your brother told me that you were sort of a pervert when it came to interacting with the female students. Is that a fair statement or…" Madoka was interrupted by Shunsui, who was furious over hearing this.

"What!?" Shunsui snapped before slumping his face in irritation. "That son of a bitch…how dare he spread those rumors about me…..." he then asked to him while grumbling.

"Those aren't rumors, punk. They're actually facts if you look at it from another perspective" a brash and strict voice came from a man dressed in black shihakusho. This man was similar to Shunsui in terms of appearance, only to have slick-back brown hair and a more stern-like appearance. He crossed his arms as his grey eyes met Shunsui's. "And not only that, but you also disrespect Genryusai's advices. How's that for a truthful fact?" he then added while glancing at the teenage boy.

Shunsui only glanced at the young man with little enthusiasm with in his eyes. "Hey there, Shunsuke. How was work?" he asked the man by addressing his name with a sarcastic voice. He even formed a smug smile in the process "I bet Central 46 rejected your job application once again, eh? Well boohoo, I say" he then taunted him.

Shunsuke gritted his teeth in irritation. "Quit playing jester with me, Shunsui. You've idea how the system even works" he told the teenage boy. "And why the hell are you at our home once again? I've told you before, I don't want you…" Shunsuke paused as he could see Madoka stand before him smiling. Seeing her wonderful grace made the young man forget about the teenage boy and focus on the four-eyed woman instead. Shunsuke felt stunned as his eyes met hers. "Madoka…I…" he uttered out that name lowly.

"Welcome home, my love" Madoka told him while planting a kiss on his right cheek. "How was your day in Squad 8?" she asked him.

Shunsuke let out a deep sight before answering. "It was good. Even though it bored the hell outta me" he told her, feeling more angered and irritated by the minute he spoke up. "Honestly, this isn't what I signed up for! I busted my ass at the academy to become a member of Central 46, not some low-ranking grunt in the Court Guards! I'm the heir to the House of Kyoraku, I don't deserve to be placed in something I don't like" he added to his frustration.

"I understand your disappointments, Shunsuke. But you just have to accept your current level. Don't let the stress overtake your mind" Madoka encouraged him while putting a hand on his left cheek, thus stunning Shunsuke. Madoka continued smiling as she moved closer so that her face was near his. "Please my love, let me help you ease your pain. I will bring you the comfort that you deserve" she then said to him.

As he stood and listened, Shunsuke was completely enamoured with what she just told him. "Madoka…...you…you're the best wife one could ever ask for…I mean….." Shunsuke was interrupted by his wife planting a kiss on his lips. It was a passionate moment for the married couple. The kiss soon ended and Shunsuke and Madoka glanced at each other with so much relief in their eyes. "Thank you…Madoka" he then told her lowly.

Madoka only giggled as she saw how her husband was acting strangely. "You don't need to thank me. A husband and his wife are always supposed to support one another. Never forget that" she told him sweetly.

Shunsuke soon caught glimpse of Shunsui, who was found snickering behind one of the poles on the porch. He quickly reverted back into his irritated and angry expression on his face. "Hey Shunsui! I can see you hiding there!" he called out, forcing the teenage boy to come out of hiding. Shunsui was grinning mischievously and it only angered his brother. "Quit snickering, ya damn mutt. And get your ass out of here! Me and my wife need some…." Shunsuke was once again interrupted by Madoka, as she was holding around him with her arms.

"Please dear, there's no need to be angry at Shunsui. He's just feeling lonely and has nothing to do" the four-eyed woman insisted to her angry husband, who was starting to calm himself. She looked at him. "Why don't we let Shunsui stay with us? He can always stay in the guest room where he will not bother us" she then insisted to Shunsuke, while giving her brother-in-law a quick smile.

Seeing how much she wanted to have him here, Shunsuke sighed deeply. However, he soon formed a smile on his own, facing his wife before planting a kiss on her forehead. Madoka happily accepted it and giggled.

"Alright. We can let him stay with us. After all, he's a student at the Shin'o Academy. He does possess some balls to behave" Shunsuke told her before facing his younger brother with a cocky grin on his face. "Do you, Shunsui?" he asked the teenage boy in a taunting matter.

Shunsui simply shrugged his shoulders in return. "Is that supposed to scare me? Get real! Old-man Yama is WAY better at intimidating people than you! Speaking of which, why don't go and ask him for help with your…" he taunted back at his brother only to see both Shunsuke and Madoka enter the manor through the door. The teenage boy felt offended over being ignored like this. "Hey! Were you even listening to what I just…" Shunsui was interrupted when his brother turned around to glance at him annoyingly.

"I don't have time for this monkey business. We're going upstairs to have some rest. And in the meantime, I want you to stay in the guest room until we say you can come out" Shunsuke told Shunsui before forming a cocky grin at him once again. "Oh, and by the way, I've left some scrolls for you to look at in the guest room. They're all about having manners and how to approach women in a civilized manner. Enjoy!" he then said before continuing on with Madoka to their bedroom.

Shunsui only stood and stared at them dumbfounded. "What?" he asked in confusion. The teenage boy crossed his arms while grumbling to himself over what his brother had told him. But that expression soon changed into that of a laidback smile. In truth, Shunsui was actually happy on his brother's behalf. Sometimes, he had envied him being married to a sweet and gentle woman such as Madoka. One day, he had hoped to find a similar woman and get married. But then again, Shunsui was a lecherous womanizer, who actually chased all kinds of women, even the rude and snobby ones.

* * *

 _Back in the present, Warhwelt, Royal Realm, Soul Society_

"Captain! Wake up!" a familiar voice could be heard while Shunsui was still in his sleep. "Shunsui! Wake up" the voice called out to him again. But as he felt himself getting shaken, Shunsui finally awoke, only to be stunned from what he was seeing before him. "WAKE UP, CAPTAIN!" the voice came from his lieutenant: Nanao Ise.

Having been awoken by her, Shunsui was very surprised in seeing Nanao standing there. "Lil' Nanao…you're here?" he spoke up lowly while glancing at her. "Thank God...I thought you…." before he could speak any further, he began coughing out chunks of blood.

"Please, don't speak!" Nanao pleaded to him while watching her captain having blood running from her mouth. "Now let me use my Zanpakutou!" she then spoke up, thus snapping Shunsui out of what he was doing.

The head-captain could not believe what he just heard her say, and he didn't open his mouth to even say "why". However, he was somehow reluctant. Nanao only became more distressed by seeing this.

"This isn't the time to hesitate or think about! Hurry!" Nanao said before looking closely into Shunsui's own face. "For now, I just want you to forget it all! Forget about the promise you made to my mother! So please, let me use my Zanpakutou!" she then pleaded to her once again.

This time, Shunsui only widened his only eye in shock as he heard what was coming out of his lieutenant's mouth. Never had he imagined that Nanao would ever call him by that word. It made him recall everything, about what kind of promise he had made to someone he was close with. So many thoughts began swirling inside his head right now.

"Nanao…..." Shunsui uttered out her name lowly.

But things were not going great for the duo. Before either of them even knew it, someone had been using Hirenkiyaku to appear above them. And that "someone" was Lille Barro, gazing upon the duo with his new owl-like eyes.

"I thought it was getting a little noisy around here. So, it appears that the lieutenant is back too?" Lille asked while observing Nanao. "After all he did to let you escape.…...you truly must not value your own life, do you?" he asked Nanao, who was too shocked to even make a move. "Not that is truly a great sin" the Quincy then said.

But while Nanao was in deep shock and unable to make a move, Shunsui seemed pretty confident only glanced at the Sterntiter with an annoyed look on his face. "Tch…lunatic" he muttered under his breath. Lille however raised his right arm in the air, intending on delivering his Sabaki no Kōmyō on the duo. Once again, the attack left disastrous results and Lille floated amidst this carnage he just created. But the Sternritter knew that his opponent and the lieutenant had escaped from his wrath, and it wearied him greatly.

"Resorting to running away once again. My eyes are getting….so dry" Lille spoke while narrowing his owl-like eyes. "HAVING TO WATCH OUT FOR ALL THESE SINNERS, DRIES OUT MY EYES!" he then exclaimed out in anger, once again beginning searching for his opponent.

Unbeknownst to Lille, Shunsui and Nanao was actually hiding somewhere hidden from. It was something that was least expected to be done. They were actually hiding in Lille's shadow, due to Shunsui using his Kageoni technique. The duo was sitting across one another in the dark room, face to face. It was apparent that Shunsui now wanted to have a talk with his lieutenant. And since they were now safe from Lille's vindicating madness, they were now free to have this conversation without getting interrupted.

"So you knew…...about your mother?" Shunsui asked the young woman.

"Yes" Nanao replied firmly while nodding her head

Shunsui wanted to know more from Nanao. "All this time?" he then asked her, this time being more serious than usual.

"Yes" the four-eyed woman replied firmly again, thus conforming what Shunsui had been looking for.

The head-captain sighed deeply in defeat, realizing what he had to do now that the truth was out. "Geez…well, it looks like the cat's out of the bag now. Since we seem to be left with no other options…..I'll give it back to you…your Zanpakutou…Kyokotsu" he told her.

Nanao was surprised to hear this, yet she become only more surprised when she could feel someone approach her from behind. The four-eyed woman could see a young girl with turquoise eyes and chin-length violet hair, which was styled so only her right eye was visible, with a skull decorating it. She wore a dark top which covered her lower face, her neck, and her arms, close-fitting shorts, and knee length socks. Over this, she wore a purple, hip-length coat fastened at the front by a dark purple sash. The tops of her thighs and the middle of her torso were left exposed. Somehow, her appearance was similar to that of the true form of Shunsui's Zanpakutou.

But yet, confusion plagued Nanao's mind right now. "W-what is this? I always knew that Katen Kyokotsu could split up into Katen and Kyokotsu but…." Nanao glanced at the young girl with covered by a mask. "Then that means she, Kyokotsu, is my Zanpakutou?" she then asked.

"Well, yes. But that's not exactly all there is to it" Shunsui told his lieutenant while the violet-haired woman suddenly appeared behind him once again. "You see, Katen gave birth to Kyokotsu in order to hide your Zanpakutou. This was done at your mother's behest, Nanao" he revealed to her.

Nanao was completely stunned to hear this, and there was so many questions that swelled in her head. But she could only ask her captain one. "But.…...but why?" she asked him.

Shunsui sighed deeply before opening his mouth to answer her. "I think it's time that I told you more about your family, Lil' Nanao. Your mother: Madoka Ise was born into the House of Ise. And from what I now, that house is and always has been a lineage of women. As far back as our records exist, there have only been women born to it" Shunsui explained while revealing the name of Nanao's mother, which was Madoka. "That is why they will always have to search for husbands from outside the family. But problem is, all the men that marry into the House of Ise…are all said to be stricken with the curse of Ise and die early deaths" he then revealed to Nanao, who was only shocked when hearing this. Shunsui realized that as much as this shocked her, he had to tell Nanao about everything. "There are, of course, many people who think that all this curse business is nonsense…...but your mother didn't think that way. Madoka wanted to sever herself from that legend….and was prepared to end the Ise bloodline by leaving the family and marrying outside. But ultimately…...her husband passed away soon after" he then revealed to Nanao, who was listening closely.

"Who was that husband?" Nanao asked her captain. "Was he…...my father?" she then asked him lowly.

Hearing this made Shunsui nod his head weakly in return. "Yes, he was. But there's something that you should know about him as well, Nanao" he said before sighing deeply. He was about to reveal yet another shocker to his lieutenant. "The name of her husband was Shunsuke Sōzōsuke Ichiro Kyōraku…he was my older brother….as well as your mother's husband. That makes us family, Lil' Nanao" he then told her.

Nanao was completely stunned to hearing this revelation. The man sitting across her right now, the man whom she had serve dutifully as his lieutenant...was her uncle! All these years and she had never known this until now. But then again, Nanao never really knew who her father was.

"Shunsuke and I didn't get along all that well. But after he and Madoka got married, things between us began to change for the better. Visiting my brother's home become a thing of serenity and comfort. I even found myself visiting more and more often and taking afternoon naps on the porch" Shunsui then told Nanao more about her parents. But he soon fixed a slightly sad expression as he kept going. "But then…...Shunsuke died. And when the man of the house dies, it's common in noble families for his wife to sever ties with the husband's family and return to her original house. And thus, Madoka returned to the House of Ise. Yes, she who had resolved to throw away her own house….in the end, could not escape from it after all" he then told her about the death of his brother.

"This Curse of the Ise…what was that?" Nanao asked Shunsui. "I mean, did someone every discover the reason why people were affected by it?" the four-eyed woman asked her uncle, who listened closely.

"As a matter fact, your mother did. Madoka had always her suspicions that the root of this curse…...existed in the family's sacred sword…...the same thing she was charged with to carry onto" Shunsui revealed to her lieutenant. "But she was desperate to free his daughter she had given birth to..…..from the clutches of this curse. So that sword…...she entrusted it to me…in the hopes that Kyokotsu could hide it and conceal its whereabouts from all others" he said before motioning for Kyokotus to pull something out from her mask.

Nanao turned around to see what it was she was pulling out and it turned out to be a sword wrapped in around in paper. The four-eyed woman was stunned. She realized that this was her Zanpakutou. The little girl handed over it to Shunsui and he held it for his lieutenant to see. Somehow, Shunsui was still feeling reluctant over handing over the weapon to Nanao. She could see that and wondered whether he actually was right in what he said.

"After all these years of trying to find out the reason for why Shunsuke died…...I think Madoka's suspicions turned out to be true" Shunsui said before glancing up to face Nanao with a serious expression. "That blade is cursed, Nanao. It's as if it spreads a plague to someone without the person who receives it knowing" he added to his explanation.

Nanao was mostly glancing at the sword packed in paper, her mind filled with so many questions. But she had a feeling in her gut and it told her to know more about her family than what she knew from before. Her eyes were focused, which surprised her captain.

"Captain…...what kind of family was the House of Ise? Honestly, there must be more to it than what the scrolls tell you right? Please, tell me more…uncle" the four-eyed woman surprisingly called Shunsui by something he had never expected to have been called.

Knowing that she deserved to know the answers, Shunsui gave in to his niece's request. "The House of Ise is actually a lineage of Shinto priests, charged with carrying out and governing rituals and rites. Fact is, they do not individually possess Zanpakutous like other noble houses. However, the head of the house inherited and passed on this single Zanpakutou. This sword, which was used for rituals, has no blade….and as such, is a sword that can't strike a person down" he explained while his niece was listening closely. "Rather, it was made to face off against Gods, to take the power of a God into its own body and disperse it off into the eight directions. It goes by the name….Shinken Hakkyoken" he finally revealed the name of Nanao's Zanpakutou, the one she had always desired to know the name of.

Nanao could see that Shunsui was slowly reaching out the blade to her, although she had wanted him to take it with her own hand. But first, he had wanted to knew whether this was what his niece really wanted. Would she be willing to take blade that had cursed those whoever it's carried loved? That was what Shunsui wanted to see. The head-captain was surprised when he saw Nanao grab onto the other end of the blade, facing him determined.

"Captain…...of your strong desire not to hand this sword over to me…was it truly for my own sake?" she asked Shunsui, who didn't open his mouth to speak. He glanced at her without even doing anything, not even nod his head at her. "Just as my mother's own will was to turn her back on this curse and throw it away…...I too have my own will….and I've decided to embrace every bit of this curse" she told him stubbornly. But Nanao soon formed a slight smile as she glanced at her uncle. "And besides, even if I welcome this with open arms, it's possible…or rather I just know that the one whom I love would just look at this entire situation and laugh…...while calling curses nothing more than silly superstition" Nanao then said, having some hint of defiance and humor in her voice at the same time.

Hearing his made Shunsui smile, as Nanao was now beginning to sound more like her mother, if not also her father. In fact, he had to admit that he was proud to call himself an uncle of hers. "Heh, she's just keeps reminding me about the two of you..….Madoka…..Shunsuke…..you must be proud to have her as your daughter" he said inside of him while thinking about his family. No longer being able to deny Nanao's will, Shunsui let go of the sword, this leaving Shinken Hakkyoken in his lieutenant's hands. "Thanks, Lil' Nanao. You finally gave me what I was searching out of you. I no longer have any reason to hold this blade. You can have it. With that sword, I'm sure you'll have no problem. But remember this: possessing this weapon comes with great responsibility. Use it wisely, my dear niece" he then told her, smiling while explaining this to Nanao.

As weird as it felt to actually hold a blade, those thoughts were swept away by Nanao's happiness over finally being able to have something to fight with. No longer would she rely on Kido to defend herself. She was a lieutenant in the 13 Court Guard Squads. As such, she knew what kind of responsibilities she had on her shoulders.

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Author's note: That was this chapter about Shunsui using his Bankai. For those of you who are familiar with the Bleach databooks, I have decided to add that into my story, like Roka Paramia joining the Imperio de Hierro. And the Tsunayashiro clan is one of the Four Great Noble Houses in the Soul Society as shown in the databooks and Bleach novels. But then again, this chapter was focused on Shunsui and I even showed you a flashback on how he knew Nanao's mother, whom I have decided to name Madoka Ise. And Shunsui's older brother's name was Shunsuke Kyoraku, which I think fits well with the family and all. But enough of that, about the next chapter. I admit that I want to write more on how Shunsui's past was like, but I also want to focus on Nanao's fight with Lille. And believe me, Lille will ABSOLUTELY not die the way he did in the canon story. That was just…lame. And another note, I could begin writing on how Gerard and Nianzol are doing in Wahrwelt. Stay tuned for more!**

 **Picaro – Spanish for "Rogue": This is a group of Arrancar-children that were see in the Bleach databook. I thought they would match in well with the Imperio de Hierro, even though the databook shows them as creations of Aizen.**


	42. Of Angels and Devils

**Author's note: This chapter will have some flashbacks, as well as dive into more about how Lille did NOT die when he was attacked by his own ability. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 42: Of Angels and Devils**

 _Flashback, many years ago, outside the Kyoraku Family home, Soul Society_

The young and easygoing Shunsui Kyoraku was resting at the home of his older brother Shunsuke Kyoraku and sister-in-law Madoka Ise. He always enjoyed coming there, especially to speak with Madoka. In fact, the marriage between her and Shunsuke had changed the brash and stern-headed man's personality. It had also helped heal the former strained relationship between the Kyoraku-brothers. This was one of the many reasons why Shunsui had started to quickly accept Madoka into the family, feeling grateful for her help in getting rid of Shunsuke's arrogant and brash behavior.

The brown-haired teenage boy was sitting on the porch of the manor, leaning against one of its pillars. Meanwhile, Madoka was sitting by the doorway sewing a kimono. Having just returned after a day at the Shin'o Academy, Shunsui wanted to talk with Madoka, while she was waiting for her husband to arrive home. Madoka appreciated her brother-in-law's company.

"So how was academy today, Shunsui?" Madoka asked him while focusing on sewing the kimono.

"It went better than what I had expected, actually" Shunsui said with a smug smile. "Today was kendo practice. I was up against that arrogant prick Tokina Tsunayashiro" he told the young woman who was slightly stunned from what she was hearing.

"You mean the heir to the Tsunayashiro clan? Goodness, that sounds terrible" Madoka remarked from what she was hearing. "From what I hear, that boy is quite the loose cannon when it comes to getting what he wants" she then recalled what she had heard.

Shunsui simply shrugged it off. "Yeah, well he's not good when it comes to swordsmanship. Cause guess what, I owned his ass three times in a row! You should've seen the look on his face. He began pouting like a baby, claiming that I should've dialed it back" the teenage boy remarked from what he had experienced today. "And of course, Old-man Yama had to step in and make Tokina act more "noble-ish". It really cracked me up" he added to his experience.

Hearing this forced Madoka to laugh, as she had to admit that Shunsui was funny when telling about his day at the academy. "Well, you certainly sound like you had a perfect day today" the four-eyed woman remarked.

"Then there was also my classmate Jushiro Ukitake. He was up against Sojun Kuchiki the heir to the Kuchiki clan" Shunsui noted, thinking about his friend.

"Oh, how did he fare in this the duel?" Madoka asked him out of curiosity.

"Surprisingly, Jushiro won. And I'll admit that I had expected Sojun to win due to the immense discipline he receives and the fact that Jushiro is kind of…..timid when it comes to combat" Shunsui answered her, still thinking about how his friend won the match. "And then there was this duel between Seinosuke Yamada and Kenji Kurayashiki, which ended in Kenji winning. I swear, that guy really has some moves when it comes to swordsmanship" he then went on telling about another duel which was between another classmate of his.

"I have a feeling that you will become a great Shinigami in the future, if not a captain" Madoka remarked to him, stating what she personally felt about Shunsui and his talents.

Shunsui yawned before answering. "Nah, I really don't have THAT kind of ambition. Although I do wanna have something to contribute to the Soul Society" the teenage boy told his sister-in-law before scratching the top of his head. "I just want to find someone pretty, getting married and have a family" he told her as honest as he could.

Madoka was a first stunned to hear what the teenage boy was saying, but she soon formed a sweet smile when realizing what her brother-in-law desired. "That sounds like a great ambition, Shunsui. But starting a family comes with responsibilities, especially if you plan on having children" she told him while continuing sewing the kimono.

Shunsui could help but to notice how relatively small this kimono was, as if it was designed to fit a child. It made him very curious to know more from Madoka. "I don't mean to be nitpicky or anything, but what's that kimono made for?" the teenage boy asked the woman with glasses.

"Why, it is a kimono made to our future child" Madoka revealed sweetly, causing Shunsui to almost drop his jaw on the porch. She could see how shocked he was.

"Woah…...are you saying you're…..." Shunsui uttered out those words between his astonishment, only for Madoka to interrupt him.

"No, I'm not pregnant" she blurted out in order to help Shunsui understand her reasons for sewing this kimono. Even now, she couldn't help but to blush while thinking about it. "But I've always wanted to have child….and I know that Shunsuke would love it too. But at the moment.…...he's not very interested in the intimate aspects of our relationship" the woman with glasses told the teenage boy.

Shunsui only scoffed while listening to Madoka's words. "Tch, tell me about it. That arrogant prick's been more turned on by Central 46 than you" he said with sarcasm, in an attempt to mock his brother's obsession with become a member of the highest judicial authority in the Soul Society.

Madoka couldn't help bit to be slightly amused from hearing this. "That may be true. But Shunsuke's love for me is stronger than his desire to become a member of Central 46. Of that, there can be no question" she told Shunsui, who was still listening to her.

But their conversation was interrupted by hearing the steps of someone walking towards them. Looking up, they saw Shunsuke Kyoraku standing there, surprisingly carrying a smile as he glanced at both his wife and younger brother. For Shunsui, this seemed a very rare thing for him to be doing, given how Shunsuke was much tougher on him than any others.

Madoka stopped with the sewing and headed straight towards her husband, he embraced her in a loving hug. "Welcome home, Shunsuke. How was your day?" she asked, only to notice her husband having some tears in his eyes. But they were not tears of sadness as she first thought. Those were tears of overjoy. "My love…..did something happen?" she asked him lowly.

Shunsuke rubbed his eyes before speaking, tears still falling from his eyes. "I did it, Madoka….I finally did it….." he told her, yet his wife was still uncertain about what he meant. He but his hands on her shoulders. "I'M FINALLY GONNA JOIN CENTRAL 46! THEY HAVE ANSWERED MY APPLICATIONS!" he then loudly declared out of joy while hugging her wife tightly.

Madoka did not know how to respond to this, yet she happily accepted the hug from her husband. The tight hug soon ended and she glanced at him surprised. "So does that mean that you'll leave the Court Guard?" she asked him.

"Madoka. I already told you that I never wanted to spend my life as a grunt in the Court Guard. I have greater ambitions" Shunsuke said while feeling very confident in himself. "And besides, the Court Guard are powerless compared to Central 46. With me getting a spot over there, the Kyoraku Family will blossom into a new era. With me as its head…and with you as my wife" he explained while holding hands with Madoka.

While stunned to hear this from him, Madoka eventually smiled and held his hands with her own. The couple embraced in a brief kiss before ending it. "Then I will support you, my beloved husband. I must trust in your judgement as a nobleman" she remarked.

Shunsuke nodded his head at her before grinning smugly. "Well, this calls for a celebration!" he said with so much enthusiasm, only to realize how rude it was of him to neglect his wife. "Or we can spend an evening together, just you and me" he then told her.

Madoka shook her head as a no while giggling. "There's no need to be so careful with me, Shunsuke. We will of course celebrate. And maybe then we will go out in the evening for a walk, just you and me" the four-eyed woman told him before she snapped as she almost forgot something. Madoka pulled something out from the back of her hair and showed it to her husband. Shunsuke watched in bewilderment as his wife was showing him one of her own pinwheel hairpins. From the looks of it, she wanted him to have tit. "Here, my love. I want you to have this hairpin" she told him while her husband took it from her hand.

Shunsuke was confused while glancing at the hairpin. "Huh? But why?" he asked. "I apricate it and all, but I don't think I need it on my hair" he told her while stroking his shoulder length hair.

"No, my love. I'm not giving you this so you can wear it on your hair" Madoka told him while chuckling to herself. "I want you to have it as a token to our marriage. When I'm suppressing Hollows and you're not around, I still know you holding onto one of the same things I am. It inspires me and keeps me strong. You will also feel the same thing when you're in Central 46" she then told her husband.

So far, Shunsuke had not opened his mouth to speak. He had only listened to his wife in utter amazement. In fact, the young nobleman had been enamored from listening to Madoka's reason for giving him a hairpin. Smiling, Shunsuke held his wife's hands.

"Then I really have to thank you, Madoka" he told her. But his wife soon took off, yet she turned around to tell him why she had to go.

"I have some errands to run with my family from the House of Ise. So I'll be gone for a while. You and Shunsui take care now" Madoka said before walking on towards the path.

Shunsuke could only stand and watch as the woman dressed in pink kimono walked away. He felt proud. Proud over being married to a woman like Madoka Ise. Her kindness had only begun to have an effect on the brash and hotheaded nobleman.

Shunsuke was interrupted in his thoughts when he could hear somebody laugh behind him. He immediately recognized who that voice belonged to and turned around to glare at his younger brother, who took pleasure in seeing Shunsuke gush over getting closer to Madoka. The young nobleman went over and delivered a powerful headbutt at Shunsui.

"The hell are you snickering for!?" he demanded while his younger brother groaned in pain. But even as Shunsuke had headbutted Shunsui, the teenage boy was still laughing at him. Shunsuke only felt more annoyed by the minute. "Go home and study or something! Freaking moron" the young nobleman suggested to Shunsui, who did not stop laughing. Shunsuke returned to glance over to Madoka, who was still walking on the long path.

"Hey Shunsuke" the nobleman was interrupted when he heard Shunsui call to him. The teenager had stopped laughing, yet he was still rubbing his sore nose that he had been given by Shunsuke's headbutting. "You've really mellowed in your old age, haven't you?" Shunsui asked his brother, who only glanced at him with a raised eyebrow in return.

Eventually, Shunsuke smiled and looked back to the directions where Madoka was walking towards. "It's not like I made a conscious effort to change. But….it looks like I've grown calm and content" he answered Shunsui, who was not getting his words. "It's only because her kindness…is finally beginning to show through me" Shunsuke then admitted to his younger brother.

Shunsui could not help but to smile, knowing well how Shunsuke spoke the truth about Madoka changing him or at least influence his growth as a nobleman. There had been times that Shunsui envied the marriage between his brother and someone as kindhearted as Madoka, yet deep down inside, he knew that those two were perfect for one another.

But as much as this marriage was wonderful between, it didn't last long. The Curse of Ise had begun to take hold on Shunsuke Kyoraku, and it was an illness that seemed incurable. The leading members of the House of Kyoraku was saddened and depressed over what had become of their supposed heir to the noble house. Even Shunsui himself felt sad and shocked once he heard the news from his family. And yet, Madoka had somewhat vanished. However, Shunsui would eventually learn more about his sister-in-law from his dying brother.

On his deathbed, Shunsuke and Shunsui had one last conversation as brothers, knowing well how they would never see one another again. Shunsui had been crying, yet Shusnuke had many times told him to stop doing that. Rather, the teenage boy listened as his brother gave him some revelations about Madoka Ise and her past.

"What!?" Shunsui said in slight outrage over what he was hearing from his older brother. "Are you saying that Madoka is repsoniblie for your illness?" he asked Shunsuke.

"No! You misunderstand, Shunsui!" the dying nobleman still had some strength left to speak. "Madoka isn't the one responsible…but the curse from her family is" he then insisted to his younger brother.

Shunsui was filled with so many questions, and he wanted them answered. "A curse…what are you talking about?" he asked his older brother.

Feeling that his life was slipping away, Shunsuke knew that he didn't have much time left. "You need to find out more on your own, little brother. I don't have much time left. And I want to use the last moments I have with you…..to ask a favor out of you" the slick-haired man then revealed to his younger brother.

As much as he wanted to know more about Madoka, Shunsui knew that it could wait. Right now, it was important for him to hear the final words of Shunsuke and what he wanted.

"I never told mom and dad about any of this…but I'll tell you, since you're my brother" Shunsuke said, still sweating intensively. "Madoka…..has given birth…..to a baby girl…..I'm a father now" he then revealed, with tears of joy falling from his eyes. Shunsuke could even be seen smiling as he told this to Shunsui.

The teenage boy's grey eyes widened in surprise. "Woah…...are you serious, Shunsuke? You better not be fooling now" he then told his brother.

Shunsuke couldn't help but to grin cockily. "Dumbass. If Madoka never gave birth, I wouldn't have shared this wonderful news with someone close to me" he told his younger brother while coughing intensively. Shunsui was getting more uncomfortable in seeing his brother in such a terrible condition. "But enough of that! I need you to promise me on something, Shunsui. Since I'll never be able to see her again…so please.…..….watch over Madoka…and my girl. I'm trusting the responsibility to you now…since you're the only one I can trust to do this…" he then pleaded to Shunsui, who had listened carefully to those heartfelt words from his dying brother.

The young teenager did open his mouth to protest. All that he could do was to reflect on what was being said from his brother's mouth. Without hesitating, Shunsui weakly nodded his head as a yes.

"Yes…I'll watch over them both….." Shunsui said while wiping out a tear from his eyes. "They are after all…family to us" he then said while starting to get more emotional about the subject.

Knowing the honesty that could be heard in Shunsui's voice, Shunsuke smiled. He felt grateful to his younger brother over being able to carry on the commitment to safeguard both Madoka and his newborn child. It was a great relief for him to hear. He would die, knowing that Shunsui would watch over them in his stead.

One of the last tokens that Shunsuke gave to his brother, was the pinwheel hairpin he was given to by Madoka. As such, Shunsui realized that Shunsuke was entrusting him more than the safety of Madoka and their child to him, he also entrusted him to safekeep this hairpin, hoping to carry onto Madoka's promise. That, Shunsui could never forget. He would never go back on the promise he swore to his brother on his deathbed.

* * *

 _Back in the present, in the icy cityscape of Wahrwelt, Royal Realm, Soul Society_

With his targets having escaped him once again, Sternritter X – The X-Axis: Lille Barro, was floating above the icy cityscape, searching for the whereabouts of Shunsui Kyoraku and his lieutenant. The transformed Quincy had begun to grow weary about his opponent's constant fleeing. It had only made the desire to annihilate him only more satisfying in Lille's mind.

Amidst the rubbles from the destructive attacks he had caused, Lille surveyed the landscape, yet there was no sight of the Shinigamis.

"They are gone. Where could they be hiding?" Lille wondered, as he began closing his owl-like eyes. Somehow, the Sternritter had the ability to figure out where his opponent had been hiding. This was all thanks to the powers of his Jilliel. After seconds of having his eyes shut, Lille opened them once again, before glancing down below at his shadow on the ground. "I see. They are down there. Apparently, this "Kageoni" can remain within a shadow for quite some time. A sneaky move, indeed" he then said while glancing at his own shadow.

Lille knew that his shadow had somehow been infiltrated thanks to Shunsui's ability and they were hiding there now. But the Sternritter was growing impatient over being taken advantage of by the head-captain's tricks. He only felt an urge to crush his targets until they were nothing but ashes. The transformed Quincy moves his big hands towards his shadow and started generating a ball of Reishi underneath him. Lille laughed as he prepared this powerful attack of his.

"Well in that case, I wonder what would happen if I simply erase all the shadows from the ground?" he wondered as the ball of Reishi only grow bigger by the minute. "I grow tired of these sinners' games! IT IS TIME TO OBLITERATE THEM TILL THEY ARE ASHES!" Lille loudly exclaimed, intending on actually blowing the whole district into oblivion.

But before Lille could even get that chance, something unpredictable happened to him and it made the Sternritter surprised. Something began appearing out from the gap between his eyes and just over his beak. Lille glanced up to see a silhouette appear out of him, but it wasn't just anyone. To his surprise, he could see Nanao Ise jumping into the air, clutching onto something with her hands.

Lille was astonished by being witness to this action. "You.…...you actually managed to come of a shadow as small as this!?" he demanded an answer out of the four-eyed woman, feeling very outraged over someone being able to pull something like this on him.

Once being up in the air, Nanao safely landed on a nearby rooftop belonging to the icy buildings in the cityscape. She held onto her blade which was still packed in paper. But the paper was slowly beginning to disappear from it, due to Nanao holding into it tightly. The young lieutenant faced the powerful Sternritter up in the air, who had so far remained unfazed by seeing that only she had arrived to fight him, and not Shunsui.

"What is the meaning of this? It appears that the only one to show themselves, is the lieutenant" Lille noted from his observation. "Do you honestly think one single lieutenant alone can stand up to me? You run bravely into your demise, woman" the transformed Sternritter told Nanao while trying to taunt her at the same time.

Glancing up, Nanao knew that it was time for her to make her move. With her quick reflexes, she tore off the paper that covered her blade. It didn't take long before Nanao was finally being able to hold her own Zanpakutou. She was brandishing her own blade: Shinken Hakkyoken. This blade was considered a family heirloom in the House of Ise. It perviosuly belonged to her mother Madoka Isa. Now, after many years of hiding it, it now was in Nanao's hands.

As Lille got a clear view of what Nanao was holding, he started to get curious about her blade. "Hmmmmm…what sort of blade is that?" he asked the Shinigami. But before he could even be given an answer, he noticed how shiny the blade was, and it reflected in his owl-like eyes. "I must admit, the blade you carry is quite shiny. As a matter of fact, it shines so brightly one cannot see the blade itself" Lille added while starting to narrow his owl-like eyes in annoyance. He also moved his hands in an attempt to cover his eyes. "Such an eyesore" he remarked lowly.

While Nanao was confused at first, she understood what her opponent was trying to do. She decided to go along with Lille's sentiment. "Is that so? Well, I'm glad to hear it" Nanao said while clutching onto her blade. So far, she seemed to have Lille's attention, which only made it more tempting to tell him more about her Zanpakutou. "This sword reflects the ability of the God it is facing off against. If it is reflecting the light from your eyes…..then that means it is diffusing the light you are emanating" she went on explaining the reason for why Lille felt like her Zanpakutou had been shining on him.

While listening to her explanation, Lille was still not sure whether he got the point. "Forgive my rudeness, but I simply do not understand what you are implying…though it does not displease me to be referred to as a God" the Quincy told her.

But Lille's attention was focused on Nanao as she jumped up in the air with her Zanpakutou in her hands. It was obvious she was intending on attacking him. But the powerful Sternritter was for some reason not taking Nanao seriously. She was just a lieutenant. A powerless lieutenant from his standpoint. There was absolutely no way that she could possibly harm him.

"Do you plan to cut me down with that sword? So be it. I would like to see you try, woman! There exists no such sword anywhere that can harm me the likes of me!" Lille taunted Nanao while stretching out is left elbow in a mocking gesture to block against her attack. Obviously, he was giving her a chance to prove her how foolish she was in challenging him.

Without hesitating, Nanao swung her blade, attempting to cut Lille's left hand. But to her surprise, it managed to cut his hand. But as soon as his left hand was cut, Lille went on to parry her attack by pushing her away. Nanao fell down towards the nearby rooftop, yet she could see that she had managed to actually cut Lille.

"It seems that his guard wasn't down as I first suspected he had. But then again, I managed to cut his arm" Nanao remarked to herself as she looked up to Lille, who was beginning to observe the injury he had gotten from her.

Lille was laughing smugly as he studied it. "I thought you had a rather peculiar sword. But now that I inspect it closely, it doesn't even have a blade" the Sternritter remarked before glancing down at the Shinigami. "A daring gambit, indeed. For you to come slashing forth with a sword such as this, I never imagined that you would actually be able to cut me. But either way this is the end for you" the Quincy told Nanao and used his right hand to generate a ball of light once again.

Nanao could only stand and look up as Lille generated this ball of light, feeling awed at such destructive powers. She could not believe that her opponent was that powerful.

"THIS WILL BE THE VERY LAST THING YOU SEE. YOU WASTED YOUR ONLY OPPORTUNITY TO KILL ME….FOR I WILL NEVER AGAIN LET MY GUARD DOWN AS A MESSENGER OF GOD!" Lille exclaimed out in zealously.

As she heard this exclamation coming from the Sternritter, Nanao could feel her own energy be at its limits. She fell on her knees and panted deeply, still holding onto Shinken Hakkyoken. The four-eyed was now in deep thought at the moment. Even now, her thoughts began drifting back into her past.

* * *

 _Flashback, many years ago, at the Ise Manor, Soul Society_

After the death of her husband: Shunsuke Kyoraku, Madoka Ise was forced to return to her family in the House of Ise. But she did not get back alone. The young woman had given birth to a beautiful daughter, whom she named Nanao. However, she had told her husband on his deathbed that she was pregnant with his child, and it made Shunsuke cry with joy. He could die, knowing happily that his daughter would survive.

But despite Madoka fully embracing motherhood, she still felt depressed over not being able to accomplish what she had long since desired: to free herself from the Curse of Ise. In the end, even she could not escape from it and had lost the great love of her life. Personally, Madoka blamed herself for Shunsuke's death. As she raised her daughter in the safety of the Ise Manor, Madoka also sought to find out the root of this curse. In doing so, she hoped that since she couldn't save herself from it, she could at least save her daughter from being exposed to it. Madoka did not want Nanao to experience the same grievances as those before her. In the end, she finally discovered the root, or at least she found a hypothesis for it.

To this end, she had requested a private visit from the one person she knew she could put her trust in. Her former brother-in-law: Shunsui Kyoraku. Even as Madoka had returned to the House of Ise, she and Shunsui still kept in touch with each other. Shunsui had never blamed Madoka for Shunsuke's death, even after he gained more knowledge about the House of Ise and it's curse on women. Instead, it encouraged him to look after Madoka, and honor his brother's dying wish.

While Madoka was having a private talk with Shunsui in the Ise Family's private garden, none of them had expected someone to be listening to what was being said between them. Hiding inside the manor and close to the doorway leading to the private garden little Nanao Ise. The young girl had been very curious to know who her mother was going to speak with. However, her mother had told Nanao to stay in the room and wait for her to come and get her. Regardless, the little girl's curiosity could not hold her back, so she defied her mother's request and eavesdropped on this conversation Madoka had with this visitor.

Nanao had never seen this man before. He was a young man with shoulder-length brown hair. He had grey eyes, as well as having a faded goatee on his chin. The clothes he wore were those worn by the students at the Shin'o Academy. But young Nanao had no idea of what clothes it was. Rather, she was more curious about who this man was, and why he and her mother was having this talk.

"I'm so glad that you could come, Shunsui" Madoka told him while sighing deeply in frustration. "In these days, I really need someone outside my family to talk to" she then admitted before him.

Shunsui simply shrugged his shoulders easily. "No problems, sis. Despite what happened between our families, you and I will always be friends" he assured her, to which Madoka smiled weakly in return.

"Thank you, Shunsui. I promise that I won't keep you here long" Madoka said before her smile soon faded into a deep frown. Even the eyes behind her glasses had begun showing Shunsui her grim expression. "There is something that I really need to tell you…...something about…..my family" she then said lowly while making sure no one was eavesdropping on them.

Shunsui's grey eyes widened in surprise when hearing. But he soon nodded his head weakly towards her. "Okay, Madoka. Tell me everything. I'm all ears" he encouraged her to speak.

Mustering enough courage to speak, Madoka decided to let her former brother-in-law in on a secret. "I have finally discovered it, Shunsui. I have finally discovered…the root for all this curse that has plagued my family" she revealed to him.

The brown-haired man gasped in what he was hearing from her. "Woah…...what are you…." Shunsui was filled with disbelief, yet he did not sure what to make of it. "Are you telling me you know the reason for why…." he added, not daring to speak any further about the tragedy.

Madoka nodded her head weakly as a yes. "That's right. I may have figured out the reason for why it has happened…...not just with me…...but also the other Ise women before me" she told Shunsui while reaching for something underneath her pink kimono. It was obvious to Shunsui that Madoka was trying to hide something from others to see. It was a blade wrapped around in paper. "The root of this curse….lies in this sword…..which is a Ise family heirloom" she then told him.

Shunsui looked at the blade and cooked an eyebrow. "So you're saying that your Zanpakutou is the one that causes all this drama?" he asked Madoka, feeling very confused. "But that doesn't make any sense. I mean, I know about Shinken Hakkyoken and what it does, but still….how?" Shunsui asked the four-eyed woman.

"I know this may sound preposterous to you. But just think about it, Shunsui" Madoka said while facing the ground with a hint of sadness in her eyes. "It's been always said that a woman from the House of Ise can never escape from the House of Ise, nor the Curse of Ise. And despite my own determination to escape from it…I couldn't" she told the young man as tears started to slowly fall from her eyes. She glanced at the blade packed into paper. "And from reading all the archives of my family about those who were exposed to this curse…all of them were carrying onto this sword. That is why I think the root of this curse…...is this sword…...my family heirloom" she explained further.

Shunsui couldn't believe what he had heard from Madoka just now. True, he had his share of info on the House of Ise, yet he knew Madoka was smarter when it came to facts such as this. He looked into Madoka's eyes with a sympathetic glance.

"I think you may be right there, Madoka" he uttered out those words lowly. "But if this blade really is the source of it all, what will you do now?" he asked the woman.

Without hesitating, Madoka held out the blade for Shunsui to take, yet he was only surprised from what he saw. "I must get rid of it, Shunsui. That blade will only curse my family as long as it's with us. That is why I want you to have it" she told him.

"Woah! Are you serious, sis?" Shunsui asked while feeling very uneasy about her suggestion. "You know the rules of your house. The House of Ise has been charged as caretakers of this blade. If you throw it away and refuse to fulfill your duties, then Central 46 is gonna come after you!" he then told her.

"I know, Shunsui" Madoka said lowly, thus recognizing the risks she was taking.

Shunsui put his hands on her shoulders, facing Madoka seriously. "Look, I get it that you wanna make it up for what happened between us. But going against a family tradition is crossing the line, Madoka. It could lead you to be executed as…." Shunsui was interrupted by Madoka's voice of frustration.

"I know that! I know what my responsibilities are! But is holding onto a cursed blade something you call family tradition!? No, it isn't! It's a torturous lifetime in hell!" the four-eyed woman snapped angrily at Shunsui. But Madoka soon realized the error of her outbursts and hung her head in shame, regretting what she just did with him. "I'm sorry, Shunsui…I…I really didn't mean to…" Madoka suddenly felt a hand touch her right shoulder. Looking up, she saw Shunsui smile at her reassuringly.

"It's alright, sis. I know you didn't mean to get pissed at me. And I now fully understand the frustration you're in" he said to her before forming his mouth into a slight frown. "However, I need you to be honest with me here and now, Madoka. Why are you willing to defy your customs? Just tell me why" Shunsui asked her, wanting to know why she was determined to go through this process.

Seeing this made Madoka smile heartily at him. "It's because for the sake of my daughter….or more specifically for my daughter's future" she told the young man as he was stunned to hear her words. "I don't want Nanao to go through the same suffering as I did. She doesn't deserve to go through the same things I did. That is why I am willing to defy family traditions by refusing to hand over this weapon to her. Believe me, with that thing out of the home, she will avoid getting affected by the curse" Madoka insisted to Shunsui.

While Shunsui was listening, he had to smile when he heard what the name of Madoka and Shunsuke's daughter was. It made him recall the day his brother died, about his promise to watch over them both. The young man knew that he could never go back on that vow, especially since it revolved around not just Madoka, but also his niece.

"Believe me, Madoka. I really wanna help you and all" Shunsui told her, yet he was still feeling reluctant. "But I'm not sure whether I'm up for this. You do know that you're playing a dangerous game here" he added while making sure his former sister-in-law got it in her head.

Once again, Madoka held the blade packed in paper for Shunsui to see. "This sword is something that will not respond except to those of the House of Ise. No misfortune will befall you for having it. Besides those from the Ise Family…...you are the only one I can trust. So please, I implore you. Take the Zanpakutou and hide it from me…...for Nanao's sake" the four-eyed woman desperately pleaded to the young man.

To her utter surprise however, Shunsui grabbed the blade and held it in his left hand. He faced Madoka with a slightly determined glance on his face. Nodding his head weakly, Shunsui accepted her request. "I'll do it, Madoka. I'll do it for Shunsuke and your kid" the brown-haired man told the woman.

Madoka smiled and couldn't help but to have tears in her eyes once again. Right now, she was feeling happy over the fact that even though she had become a widow and that the great love of her life was dead, she still had the support of Shunsui.

"Thank you…Shunsui" Madoka told him while taking off her glasses to wipe off those tears.

From that day forward, Nanao had always been curious to know who this man was. Having listened to everything that was being said, she decided not to ask her mom about anything, knowing how she would've caught her eavesdropping on them if the little girl ever mentioned something. The young girl still lived with her mother in the Ise Manor, until the terrible day came when her mother was sentenced to execution. Even though Madoka had succeeded in entrusting the Zanpakutou to Shunsui, it did not go unnoticed by the authorities.

On that day, it Shunsui was in for a terrible shock. He along with his best friend Jushiro Ukitake had become full-fledged members of the 13 Court Guard Squads, serving as important officers in Squad 8 and Squad 13, respectively. It was while they were having a talk by the terrace of the Squad 1 Barracks. The two friends gazed upon the view and admired the Sereitei as it was.

"Well, it's a fine day for being off-duty. Wouldn't you agree, Shunsui?" Ukitake asked his friend who was leaning towards the edge.

"You could say that, pal. Nothing beats being off-duty while the sun's shining" Shunsui said while stroking his shoulder-length hair.

Ukitake glanced at his friend. "Speaking of which, didn't Kenji, Sojun and the others want to come with us?" he asked Shunsui.

He simply shrugged his shoulders in return. "Nah, you know them well, Jushiro. They're more all business and no fun guys. Especially Kenji. That lazy bum always likes to do three things: eat, sleep and fight" he replied while talking about their classmates from their time at the Shin'o Academy.

"But you also tend to do those three things, don't you?" Jushiro teasingly asked his friend, who only grew more annoyed by hearing this.

"Tch, showoff" Shunsui muttered beneath his breath while yawning loudly, despite the fact that it was the middle of the day. "Speaking of which, I overheard something about a big celebration taking place in the Sereitei yesterday. Do you know what the fuzz wasabout?" he then asked Ukitake in a lazy manner.

Being asked about this made Ukitake frown a little, indicating that he knew what Shunsui was asking out of him. "I wouldn't necessarily call it a celebration, Shunsui. This was actually a very serious matter" the white-haired man told him. "What actually took place here in Sereitei was an execution, the execution of Madoka Ise of Squad 9" he then revealed to him.

The moment Shunsui heard what his friend just told him, his entire body froze. His grey eyes even widened in shock over hearing the news. "An execution!?" he asked loudly. "But…..why!?" he then asked once again.

"Apparently, Central 46 made their ruling on the charges related to loss of the Ise Family's sacred treasures. Madoka, who was the head of the Ise Family was accused of neglecting her duties by throwing away the family heirloom. And this, the execution was held yesterday" Ukitake answered, yet he did so very reluctantly. As Ukitake was telling his friend all this, he took notice of the sadness in Shunsui's eyes. It made him feel bad for telling him this. "Sorry…..I should've kept this to myself….." Ukitake was surprised when he was angrily grabbed on his collar by Shunsui.

The young man was having tears flowing in his angry eyes. "TO HELL WITH KEEPING THIS TO YOURSELF! WHY WASN'T I NOTIFIED ABOUT THE EXECUTION!?" he angrily asked, still holding his friend firmly. But he soon let go of the grip, as his sadness and sorrow was starting to take over him. "Damn it…." Shunsui uttered out while sobbing.

"Shunsui…settle down…...allow me to…..." Ukitake tried to comfort his friend in a half-heartily attempt, only for the brown-haired man to run away with tears in his eyes.

"DAAAAAAAAAAMMMNNNNNIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTT!" Shunsui yelled out, crying hysterically as he ran towards the exit of the Sereitei.

As much as Ukitake wanted to pursue in hopes of comforting Shunsui, he knew that it would not be of help to him at the moment. The green-eyed man only sighed deeply as he thought about what to do with his friend. True, he was actually one of the few of Shunsui's friends, who knew about the friendly relationship between him and Madoka, plus the fact that she was the former wife of Shunsui's late brother. Seeing this as a family issue, Ukitake decided to let Shunsui take his time to grieve for the loss.

Shunsui's spirit had almost shattered that day. He felt like he had failed the promise he made to Shunsuke on his deathbed. Even now, he started to regret ever agreeing to take Shinken Hakkyoken. If he had refused it that day, Madoka might've been still alive. Crying before the grave of his brother, Shunsui had begged for his forgiveness. In fact, he had asked for his brother to give him another chance. True, Shunsui had not forgotten about the little child: Nanao Ise. If he could not protect Madoka, then he could protect Nanao.

After her mother was executed, young Nanao Ise was taken in by an elderly couple, who was related to the Ise Family. They gave her the much support she required to function in the Soul Society. She was eventually enrolled in the Shin'o Academy, where she excelled in Kido which was surprising for someone at her young age. But despite this, Nanao was unable to imprint on her Asauchi, thus leaving her without a Zanpakutou. She had hoped to join the Kido Corps, and had even put it in her assignment preferences. But she was in for a surprise when she found out that she had been placed in Squad 8.

Nanao had been stunned to see this. But little did she know that it was Shunsui who had been responsible for her being transferred to Squad 8. Days before the graduations were announced, Shunsui, who at that time had risen to the rank of Captain of Squad 8, had visited the academy's headmaster, where he laid into a request to have Nanao being assigned to Squad 8, despite her inability to have a Zanpakutou. His request was granted. It was during that visit when Nanao had gotten a glimpse of Shunsui, as well as taking notice of the pinwheeled hairpins and kimono that he wore. The hairpins were similar to that worn by her mother.

On the day when Nanao arrived at the Squad 8 Barracks, she was once again surprised to see Shunsui being her captain. But not only that. She quickly recognized his face, as well as his voice. Nanao also took notice of the pink kimono he wore, it was the kimono worn by her mother. Since being inducted into Squad 8, Nanao had always wanted to know more about her captain, while at the same time work to become a reliability to her comrades due to her not possessing a Zanpakutou. Being a little girl while joining the Court Guard, Nanao would develop a close friendship with the Lieutenant of Squad 8: Lisa Yadomaru, who would always read stories to her.

* * *

 _Back to the present, Wahrwelt, Royal Realm, Soul Society_

After being reminded about her journey, Nanao immedaitley realized that she could not focus on the past. Right now, her own life was at stake here and she was dealing with an opponent more powerful than her. Nanao was for the first time experiencing feelings, usually felt by those in combat. It was alien to her.

"I had no idea…." Nanao said to herself as she slowly got up on her feet. But even as she tried, something began to plague her mind right now. Could this be fear? Nanao even saw her hands, even as she held onto her Zanpakutou with them both. The four-eyed woman felt conflicted in herself right now. "…fighting with a sword….could be this frightening" she admitted, knowing that it was just fear of her opponent, but also the fear of holding a blade that was taking hold on her.

But Nanao only felt more distressed as she noticed something running across her left foot. Slowly looking towards her left, she was shocked to see that her foot was now bleeding. The woman felt herself getting weakened by the minute.

"It's already cut me…..the light that burst out just now probably caused the injury…" she noticed, feeling that it was the work of her own Zanpakutou. She panted deeply while holding onto her weapon. "It hurts…..I didn't know being cut…..would hurt this much. It hurts…I'm scared…..my feet…they won't budge" she then added, starting to feel her own fear taking hold on her. It was the truth, Nanao had never been able to hold a blade, let alone fight against an opponent one on one. She had also rarely felt injuries, especially cuts.

As Nanao closed her eyes in despair, hoping to not be witness to her own demise, she was stunned when she could feel a soft touch on her right shoulder. Someone had approached her from behind and was now doing this in an effort to calm her down, as well as ease all her fears. Briefly moving her head, Nanao was surprised to see Shunsui standing there, smiling at her with confidence.

"C-Captain…." Nanao said weakly, feeling surprised over seeing her superior standing behind her.

Shunsui only nodded her head weakly. "It's all right, Lil' Nanao. I'm here by your side" he told her while still holding her right shoulder firmly. "Now do you recall the time you were promoted to lieutenant in Squad 8? There was something that I told you when it came to facing your fears" he then told her.

Nanao quickly snapped as she remembered that day, when she was made the Lieutenant of Squad 8, despite her not being much of a fighter. But even so, her counsel and tactics had vital assets to Shunsui when it came to battles. But there was something that he had told her on that day.

"When you're standing in hell itself, you need to keep going forward until you see the exit. The same thing also applies to a battle. Therefore, you must make your stand here and face your combatant, regardless of whether you're weak or strong" Nanao spoke up the words that Shunsui had told her on the day of her promotion to lieutenant.

Realizing how she fully remembered that day, Shunsui chuckled to himself and slowly let go of Nanao's right shoulder. "You still remember that day. I'm proud of you" Shunsui told her before glancing up to Lille, who was still generating his ball of light with the help of Reishi in the area. "Then do it, Nanao. Honor the legacy of those who have come before you. Honor your parents" he suddenly encouraged her while speaking in a slightly emotional tone when mentioning Nanao's parents.

While she had listened to this, Nanao had tears running from her eyes. They ran past her glasses and down to her cheeks. All this talk made her eyes burn with passion. She glanced up to Lille while gritting her teeth.

"Bring it on….." Nanao said weakly. "BRING IT ON, YOU TOUGH BASTARD!" the four-eyed woman yelled loudly towards her opponent, signalizing her intend to make her stand on her own.

While Lille was gathering Reishi, he had taken notice of Shunsui's arrival on the battlefield. Shunsui had finally come out of hiding, yet Lille could see him standing behind Nanao and letting her be in charge of this fight. It did not amuse Lille for one bit.

"So, you finally decide to show up, Shunsui Kyoraku? How pathetic of you to hide behind your own subordinate. It seems like a sad excuse for a head-captain" Lille remarked while suddenly forming his fingers before his beak as if he was playing an instrument. Something happened to the ball of light, as it was now beginning to resemble a giant trumpet. "I grow bored of you sinners. So I will end your existence this instant. Now, listen to the sound of my Trompete and perish!" Lille said, feeling confident in his own abilities.

Nanao remained focused on the Sternritter's attack, and she looked back at her superior one more time. Shunsui nodded his head with his usual smug smile. "That's right. Go get her, Nanao. You can do this!" he encouraged her.

Feeling very confident in herself, Nanao returned to her focus on Lille, who was prepared to blow his attack on both her and Shunsui. As she stood and made preparations, Nanao could not help but to muse over the things she and her captain had been through throughout the years.

"The captain's passion…...it's almost as if it's flowing outwards. I had returned to provide support for him….but in the end he's the one supporting me…..who can't even stand on her own feet…me, who he's always supported…" Nanao recalled those in her head, only to remain focused on the task ahead of her. "But that's not gonna happen now! This time, I'll make my stand here! This I do as a member of the 13 Court Guard Squads!" she said to herself.

Lille unleashed his terrible attack on the Shinigami duo, feeling confident as his Trompete blew at them with chaos. But as he watched and waited for their bodies to get blown to bits, he noticed that none of them were moving. This only made the powerful Sternritter only more outraged by the minute.

"DAMN IT! WHY ARE THEY STILL STANDING!?" he angrily demanded, only to feel something hit back at him. As Lille got a closer look, he could see that Nanao was holding her blade, as if it was directing something towards him. The Sternritter couldn't believe his eyes. "NO…..IT CAN'T BE…..NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Lille yelled angrily as he was blown up towards the sky by the powerful blast he had just unleashed. It was now becoming clearer to him. Nanao's Zanpakutou was able to reflect the ability of the God it was facing. It started coming back to Lille. But the Quincy was blown up towards the sky, vanishing behind the clouds.

Nanao was still standing, breathing deeply in relief over being able to accomplish something that no Shinigami-lieutenant had done before her: defeating a powerful Sternritter such as Lille Barro. The young woman continued gazing up towards the sky, until she began losing her own balance with her feet.

But before she could fall, Shunsui quickly grabbed her by her arms, thus holding her up. He mused to himself while holding his niece.

"You really gave everything you had, Nanao…..I'm proud of you" Shunsui told her as she sat on the ground listening to this.

"Captain…I mean….….uncle…" Nanao spoke up, not knowing what to address him with all that she knew about him.

Shunsui chuckled. "You can call me whatever you want. And you may as well want to drop the honorifics. I am what I am…and always will be" the pink-clad Shinigami said while still holding Nanao by her arms. But he soon let go of her niece and concentrated on looking towards another direction, especially towards the imposing palace of Silbern. "Now then, shall we go and meet up with the rest of the gang? They're probably starting to miss us as we speak" Shunsui suggested, only to feel himself lose balance of his walking, just like what Nanao did. "Woah…what the…" he spoke as he fell on his behind.

"Captain! Are you…" she stopped as she could see that Shunsui was just feeling very tired. She walked up to join him.

Yet despite feeling tired, Shunsui was still smiling. "I'm okay, Lil' Nanao. I suppose that this fall was my body's way of telling me to get some rest… I suppose you feel the same thing, don't you?" he noted while asking the four-eyed woman about whether she was feeling tired.

As much as Nanao tried to remain tall and being willing to move on, her own legs felt tired and she felt the need to just sit on her behind and do nothing. In fact, she did that, much to her own embarrassment.

"Fine.…..we'll rest for a while before moving on" Nanao said in agreement while panting to catch her breath. Butut the four-eyed woman's eyes were suddenly fixated upon the imposing palace lying in the distance. "Damn…...this battle is hardly over…. and we have yet to make it to the palace. I hope the other groups have managed to make an effort" she then pleaded as she surveyed the icy cityscape.

"They have, Nanao. I can sense all of them moving towards the destination" Shunsui said before forming a slight frown on his face. "But that said, they may to contend with resistance along the way, especially from other Sternritters" he said while sighing deeply for some reason.

Nanao understood how serious this situation was for them. But then again, she could not help but to smile at her uncle whilst sitting close to him. Now that Lille was gone and they were from now on undisturbed, Nanao felt this was the perfect opportunity to have this talk about her parents, as she wanted to know more about them.

"Captain…I need to…." Nanao was about to ask something out of Shunsui, only for the two of them to hear a loud bang coming from behind. This only meant that it happened near them, on the same rooftop they were sitting on. But what was it? Nanao could not help but to froze as she realized who it was. Her eyes were filled with despair once again. "No…...it can't be…NO!" the four-eyed woman said.

Even Shunsui had to look behind him and see who it was. "Holy shit…..this can't possibly happen right now!?" the head-captain exclaimed out in anger and frustration. "How many times does it take before he dies!?" he then asked out in frustration

The smoke that had erupted soon vanished and it revealed to them someone they had never hoped they would see again. It was Lille Barro! He was still in his second form of his Jilliel, yet something was different from him. This time, he didn't have his Heilligenschein hanging around his head. Even so, he still remained pretty much the same, except for the bruises and blood that could bee soon across his body.

But from the looks of his owl-like face, Lille was furious, specifically glaring at Nanao. "Damn you…..." the Sternritter uttered out those words lowly. "DAMN YOU, SHINIGAMI-WHORE!" Lille yelled out once again, his voice so hateful and filled with curse words. "YOU FIEND! SCOUNDREL! FILFTH! BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO ME!? HOW DARE YOU TAKE AWAY MY GODLY POWERS!?" he then angrily asked while pointing a finger at Nanao.

Nanao was too disturbed to even listen to what Lille was hurling towards her. She was more shocked over the fact that Lille was still alive, despite the fact that he was being blasted up into the sky by his own attack. She was once again filled with doubts and despair in her own abilities.

But Shunsui had taken notice of how different Lille was, especially with the lack of Heiligenschein. "I thought something odd felt about you…...that halo above your head…it's gone" the head-captain noted while observing what Lille had lost.

The Sternritter only narrowed his owl-like eyes when hearing the Shinigami talk to him about what was missing. "Because of that cursed blade and its ability to reflect my attacks….my Heiligenschein got destroyed…...thus losing my godly powers" he spoke up bitterly. "NOW, IT IS I WHO HAVE COMMITTED A GREAT SIN!" he then exclaimed out in anger.

Shunsui had managed to stand up on his feet, and he even helped Nanao do that in the process. But neither of them had the strength to make a run from this troublesome Sternritter. He still had his Reishi Wings and could follow them. But there was something that he began wondering about. Now that Lille had lost his Heiligenschein, was he still the same dangerous adversary as before? Or had he grown…...weaker? These were some of the questions that Shunsui would like to find out.

"I won't forgive you for this, Shunsui Kyoraku! I WON'T FORGIVE YOU AND THAT MISERABLE WENCH STANDING BESIDE YOU!" Lille exclaimed out in anger once again. "But even your deaths will not be enough to satisfy my vengeance!" he then said.

Nanao had to admit that she was confused when hearing what Lille just said. "Not satisfied? What are you saying?" she asked while demanding an answer out of the creature standing before them.

Lille glared angrily at Nanao. "Shut your mouth, little bitch! Once I've disposed of you and that pathetic superior of yours, I will then start hunting down the rest of your comrades that skulks around Wahrwelt. And then, as punishment for depriving me of my godly powers, I shall destroy the Sereitei and all the rats that infests it! It needs to be cleansed from sinners!" the Quincy then made his dark proclamation while making sure the Shinigami-duo were listening to him.

While Nanao was feeling uncomfortable, Shunsui was feeling unfazed by this behavior. "You gotta be kidding me. You just got your own ass blown off by your own attack and now you wanna do all these things all of a sudden? Man, you really are a showoff" the head-captain told him in a smug manner. "And for the record, who're you calling pathetic? You're the one who got blow off by your own attack. So if you wanna try that again, then we're happy to oblige. Lil' Nanao will only deflect your blasts or whatever tricks you got under that beak of yours!" he then taunted the Sternritter while holding onto Nanao, who seemed to be surprised at hearing how confident her captain was acting in face of this challenge.

"Bold words from the foolish oaf of a head-captain. A shame that you waste them in throwing taunts at me. But allow me correct your assumptions" Lille told him before something appeared above his head. From the looks of it, it seemed like a star only that it was glowing with Reishi. But not only that. Before Shunsui and Nanao knew it, they could see enormous amounts of Reishi gather above Lille's head thanks to the star. "I WILL FIRST ENSLAVE YOU ALL!" he then loudly exclaimed out in madness.

Shunsui and Nanao were very about this, yet they even got more shocked as they could notice they bodies gradually being driven towards Lille. It was shocking.

"Shit….WHAT'S HAPPENING TO US!?" Shunsui cursed.

"CAPTAIN! OUR BODIES ARE BEING DRAWN TO HIM" Nanao told her captain while holding onto herself.

Lille only laughed as he watched them suffer. "NONE OF YOU CAN ESCAPE ME NOW! THE SKLAVEREI ALLOWS ITS USER TO GATHER REISHI IN THE MOST POWERFUL WAY: BY ENSLAVING IT!" he told them while stretching out his hands as the Reishi gathered above him. "LOOK AROUND YOU, SIMPLETONS! EVERYTHING THAT IS COMPOSED OF REISHI COMES TO MY SIDE! AND CONSIDERING HOW POWERFUL IT IS, IT ALSO HAS THE ABILITY TO ABSORB THE BODIES OF SPIRITUAL BEINGS AS WELL!" he then revealed.

Shunsui and his lieutenant were stunned to hear this. "SHIT! SO DOES THAT MEAN WE'LL BE SUCKED INTO YOU!?" he angrily asked the maddened Quincy as he felt his skin being drawn to Lille.

"NO, IMBECILE! I WILL ABSORB YOU! YOU AND THAT WHORE YOU CALL A LIEUTENANT WILL BECOME USEFUL IN MY CRUSADE AGAINST YOU SINNERS! ENJOY YOUR LAST MOMENTS WHILE YOU STILL CAN!" Lille taunted them while laughing over the fact that he was about to absorb both Shunsui and Nanao.

Nanao could also feel her body gradually losing skin. It happened so fast and neither she nor her uncle had any idea how to solve this.

As Lille continued his maddening enslavement of every Reishi in the area, the Sternritter was too occupied to take notice of other threats that lurked near him. Out of nowhere, a powerful read beam headed straight towards Lille, or perhaps more specifically the star on his head. It managed to hit it, thus undoing Lille's use of the Sklaverei. The Reishi that he had gathered soon disintergrated and it made Lille outraged.

"WHAT!? WHO THE HELL DID THIS!?" the Quincy angrily asked.

Both Shunsui and Nanao had also been stunned to see the read beam destroy Lille's Sklaverei, given that it appeared out of nowhere. But both Shinigamis knew this wasn't just an ordinary beam. It was something they had seen before.

"Captain…this beam…..it was a…." Nanao spoke up lowly, only for Shunsui to agree with her.

"Yes. It was actually….a Cero" Shunsui remarked underneath his breath before slowly turning around to see if there was someone standing there. "But then again….I did not expect someone like you….to interfere in this match" he then noted.

"What do you mean by…" Nanao was asking him as she also turned around to see what it was. But when she did, she froze. "It's…..you" the four-eyed woman noted.

Wanting to know what the Shinigamis were so focused on, Lille himself looked beyond them and saw who was standing on the other side of the rooftop. The transformed Sternritter was not only slightly confused, but also surprised to see who was standing there.

"What in the….you….what is the meaning of this!?" Lille demanded an answer out of the mysterious figure who revealed himself.

It was a red-skinned Arrancar with an eyepatch on his right eye, devilish horns in his head and a cloth covering his mouth while hanging right underneath his nose. Shunsui and Nanao knew who he was. This was one of the Dechados of the Imperio de Hierro: Diablo Gallante. He walked towards the scene, wearing the cape worn by the paragons while carrying his scythe-like Zanpakutou on his shoulders.

"I sensed a great disturbance in this area, and happened to find you trying to absorb endless amounts of Reishi. And based upon my own calculations, you would have become a danger to some Arrancars who are with the Substitute Shinigami: Ichigo Kurosaki" Gallante explained as he glanced at Lille with his only eye. "I can't let you become a threat to my fellow Arrancars, which is why I have stepped in to end your madness" he added coldly.

As Lille only stood and listened, Shunsui had to muse over what he was hearing. "Ah, so you decided to help us in this war, after all?" he smugly asked the Arrancar.

"You misunderstand my intention for interfering here, Shunsui Kyoraku. As I said, I can't allow this madman to become a danger to the Arrancars who are in the Royal Realm. That is why I will end him" Gallante told him codly, not showing any signs of kindness towards Shunsui.

The pink-clad Shinigami only shrugged his shoulders in return. "Geez, isn't that just another way of saying that you're here to help us?" he questioned the Dechado, but Gallante was already focused his attention on the Sternritter.

Lille was intrigued by this Arrancar, yet he was also disgusted by just looking at him. "Vile creature. You dare set foot in His Majesty's domain!?" Lille expressed his dissatisfactions about Gallante. "But on second thought, only a sinner like you would be brave enough to confront the likes of me, a messenger of God" he then said while narrowing his owl-like eyes.

"You judge me based on my appearance? Quite ironic coming from someone who's allowed himself to be made into a demented monster such as this" the Arrancar pointed out to him. "In a way, it's as if a monster was judging a monster. But either way, my appearance alone is natural, unlike yours. Yours us an affront to all living beings you embody" he then explained what he thought about Lille's appearance.

"Insolent Arrancar! This form is a gift, not a curse. My Jilliel symbolizes the judgement I deliver to all sinners who dares stand against me and the God I serve!" Lille exclaimed while stretching out his arms before pointing a finger at Gallante. "You on the other hand, are an abomination, a hapless creature born out of the poor and unfortunate souls. That is the difference between you and me" the Quincy insisted.

Narrowing his only eye in irritation, Gallante lifted ups his Zanpakutou and brandished it for his opponent to see. "I suppose there is no point in continuing this conversation. You are dangerously deluded, even for an arrogant Quincy" the red-skinned Arrancar said. "The only thing that can free you from this madness…is by ending you" he added to his words.

"You ending me?" Lille asked while moving his head curiously. The transformed Quincy laughed at the Dechado's threats, still feeling overconfident in himself. "Honestly, why am I even talking to an inferior being like a Hollow? And truth be told, for being an Arrancar, you have a hideous and hellish appearance. But no matter, I won't fall so easily" he spat out in defiance towards Gallanter.

The Dechado narrowed his only eye once again. "Best not to insult me, Sternritter. You are challenging one of the Imperio de Hierro's Dechados: Diablo Gallante. Many foes before me have prayed to their saviors before confronting me" he told Lille.

Lille, who was getting more angered over hearing the arrogance in Gallante's voice, responded to this by moving his Reishi Wings, thus flying up in the air. Even though he had lost his godly powers, the Sternritter still had enough power to attack foes. The holes in his wings began loading, indicating that he was planning on killing Gallante with his Reishi Beams.

"I may have committed a sin by losing my Heiligenschein, but I still have a chance of redemption!" Lille exclaimed, still feeling so incredibly overzealous as usual. "And I will redeem myself…BY SMITING UPON YOU, CREATURE OF HELL!" he added before firing a round of Reishi Beams upon Gallante.

Gallante stood while facing up against the Sternritter. From the looks of it, Lille was still a dangerous adversary, despite losing his godly power. This alone required Gallante to get real in this fight. Closing his only eye, the red-skinned Arrancar slowly moved over his hand to the eyepatch, sighing deeply in the process.

"I will make this quick and clean. That would teach him a lesson" Gallante said as the Reishi Beams neared him. "Incinerate…Infierno!" he then said the release command of his Zanpakutou while removing the eyepatch. The moment he did it, a large pillar of fire erupted around him and it surprised everyone. The pillar was powerful to even deflect the incoming Reishi Beams.

Shunsui grabbed Nanao and ran quickly away from the battleground, even having enough strength to jump over to a nearby building. They both sat and watched as the fire began burning up towards the.

"Captain…what is…" Nanao was stunned from what she was seeing.

"Stay sharp here, Lil' Nanao. Things are about to take a hit here" Shunsui told her while glancing at the pillar of fire. "So, you're showing it once again, huh? You're showing your Resurrecciòns. This outta be fun to watch" he then noted smugly, admitting that he was going to enjoy seeing this fight.

The fire soon stopped burning and Lille was given a slight shock of this form he was being witness to. From what he could see, Gallante now resembled an archdevil with hooves, grayish armor and two white horns sticking up. However, he was still carrying his scythe-like weapon, which was now covered in flames. With his Hollow-shell gone, Gallante had black facial hair around his chin. Meanwhile, his exposed biceps and his eyes were enveloped with golden fire. The sight of him somehow affected Lille.

"By the gods….." Lille uttered out lowly before speaking out in frustration. "WHAT KIND OF CREATURE ARE YOU!?" he demanded while feeling slightly uncomfortable with the Arrancar's appearance.

Gallante looked up, his fiery golden eyes locked upon his opponent. "You mentioned something about me being too hellish for an Arrancar, and the fact that I was a creature from Hell. Those were true statements. I am indeed a creature from Hell" he said before glancing at his demonic hand and fingers. "I was once a dweller in Hell, sent there as punishment for the crimes I committed in my pervious life. That is until I was purified and saved…from His Highness" the Arrancar then told his story, only in small details.

Lille was still floating in the air listening to what was being said. But he soon dismissed it when he began lifting his right arm up in the air. It was obvious that he planned on attacking Gallante by using his Sabaki no Kōmyō. "Is that supposed to make me fear you, cretin!?" he asked out loudly before light was fired from his arm. "DIE BY MY DIVINE PUNISHMENT!" he then yelled.

But Gallante had also prepared an attack of his own and he was charging something with his left finger. It looked like a Cero, except for the fact that it was more powerful than the average Cero.

"Then allow me to respond to you in kind with our Cero. The Cero that only those of Hueco Mundo's true champions are able to master: Cero Oscuras!" Gallante exclaimed before firing the dark and red Cero as a vast and massive attack up to meet with Lille's beam of light.

To Lille's own shock, his beam of light was no match for the powerful Cero and he was soon consumed by it. He yelled out in pain as the beam critically injured him.

"NOOOOO! AAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGHHHHHHHH!" Lille yelled in pain as he began diving towards the nearby ground, thus crashing into a pile of rubbles.

By now, Lille's body was in a seriously condition, with his right Reishi Wing being torn off, and his legs of a centaur being destroyed, thus leaving him legless. But Lille still had his arms, body, left Reishi Wing and face. He was lyig the ground while bleeding seriously.

"HOW CAN THIS…BE!?" Lille asked before he threw up a pool of blood from his beak. His owl-like eyes had also started to weaken and Lille realized that he was at his limits. "NO! I WON'T BE DEFEATED LIKE THIS! NOT BY AN INFERIOR BEING LIKE YOU!" the Quincy spat towards his opponent.

Gallante had arrived near him by using Sonido, in which he was quite an expert in. He simply glanced at the Quincy with his golden eyes while holding his Zanpakutou onto the ground.

"I respect your zealous demeanor, Quincy. But when it comes to fighting, it will not help you in any way" Gallante told him as he began taking small steps towards Lille.

"YOU DAMN MONGREL!" Lille cursed before generating a ball of light with his right finger. He was pointing it towards Gallante. "I will use my last trump card with my Trompete! There is nothing you can do to avoid my attack. I AM LILLE BARRO, HIS MAJESTY'S ULTIMATE CREATION I WILL….." Lille stopped saying anything as he could feel his right arm suddenly getting slashed by Gallante's Zanpakutou. He cried as he was bleeding seriously. "AAAARGHHHH! MY ARM!" he yelled in agony.

But Lille's face was suddenly grabbed by Gallante's right hand as he was holding his weapon with his left hand. Using his sharp devlish nails to stay put, the Quincy screamed in pain as his face felt like getting ripped off. But that was not the case here. Gallante pushed his handpalm against Lille's face and proceeded to do something with his body.

"Since you are a dangerous foe indeed, I will make sure that there will be little of you left to bury. All that will remain of you…will be ashes and bones!" Gallante said without a slight of remorse as hellish fire began infiltrating Lille's body, starting with his face. "Now perish in the flames of the unforgiving! Ardiente!" he exclaimed while Lille screamed loudly in pain.

Fire began infiltrating everything in Lille's body, especially his veins. Even though he was using his Blut Vene, they were powerless against Gallante's ability called Ardiente. His entire body burned and it didn't take long before his skin disappeared.

As Lille perished in the flames, he could only reflect on his life and the fact that he had failed his liege. "Lord Yhwach…...I have failed you…..my lord…..my God…..my Soul King…." Those were the words Lille thought as his body was incinerated into nothing but ashes and bones.

By the time, Gallante was finished, all that remained of Lille Barro was nothing but a pile of ash and few bones, even though they also began to wither. The skull the Arrancar was holding began to turn into dust as well. It was now over. Diablo Gallante had won against this powerful Quincy, and the first to drink the blood of Yhwach.

"I take pity on your journey, Lille Barro. Perhaps the afterlife will be more kind to you" Gallante spoke up lowly, his golden eyes still focused on the pile of ashes.

As he was still standing there, he could take notice of Shunsui and Nanao walking up to him, yet he never did anything to attack him. The Dechado simply let them walk up to him. The Head-Captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads clapped his hands as a means to show his admiration of Gallante's fight.

"Congratulations! You won. I was wondering whether that guy would ever die or not" Shunsui complimented the Arrancar. "But then again, I guess we owe you a little thanks for stepping in and helping us" he then remarked.

Nanao snapped at her captain in slight outrage. "What…..you can't be serious!?" she told him in slight disbelief.

Gallante turned around to glance at the Shinigami-duo with stern eyes. "I thought I made myself clear to you, Kyoraku. I acted only in the interest of the nearby Arrancars, not for you Shinigamis and your pathetic….." while Gallante was speaking, he quickly took notice of the blade Nanao was holding. Somehow, it made him widen his fiery eyes in surprise. "That blade…what is it?" he asked Nanao.

While feeling slightly uncomfortable to speak, Nanao tried to muster enough courage to answer Gallante's question. "It's a family heirloom…one that has been used by my family for generations. The name of it is Shinken Hakkyoken" she replied, albeit sternly.

Listening to this, made Gallante ease his surprise. To the Shinigamis' surprise, he weakly nodded at her as in understanding. "I see. You…..must be her descendant…..good fortune to you" the red-skinned Arrancar said before taking his leave.

Nanao had only remained stunned to listen what the Arrancar had said to her. "A descendant…what are you talking about!?" she demanded an answer out of the Dechado.

"And where do you think you're going!?" Shunsui then joined in on demanding an answer out of Gallante.

He stopped and used the ability to open a Garganta, which was called Descorrer. The Garganta opened and Gallante entered. But as he stood inside, he looked over his shoulder to glance at the Shinigamis with his fiery eyes. "Don't waste my time, Shinigamis. Now that I have made sure that my fellow Arrancars are safe from that raving madman, I will return to Hueco Mundo. You and the others may continue your march towards Silbern. However, I would be careful to rush towards the enemy if I were you. All of you are only doing what Yhwach exactly wants you to do" he said as the Garganta closed.

This left Shunsui and Nanao alone among the rubbles in the streets. After a brief silence, Nanao faced her captain once again.

"Captain….what do we do now?" Nanao lowly asked her superior as he was fixing his gaze towards the towering palace of Silbern.

"I think that it's obvious to both of us, Lil' Nanao. We better regroup with the others and hopefully, we'll be able to lay siege on the palace and bring Yhwach to justice. That should be our number one priority at the momen" Shunsui said before taking off running, with Nanao following suit.

As they were running, Nanao had to smile as she saw the kind of leader Shunsui actually was. "Perhaps I was a bit too judgmental on you earlier…uncle" she noted, addressing the man as such once again.

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Author's note: Another chapter completed! This was mostly focused on Shunsui and Nanao. I also wanted Lille's death to be very different from the one in the canon story, which is why I had Gallante step in. He deserved to be given the honor of finishing off Lille. The flashbacks were also something I added due to give more detail about Shunsui's past. But now let me tell you about the next chapters. Yes, Ichigo and his group are currently contending with Askin, while the main group of Shinigamis will have to contend with Gerard. But then there is Nianzol. I actually think that this is something I want the Sternritter rebels or Uryu to deal with. It's been a while since we last saw Uryu. What has he been doing while all this commotion as going on? Most of the scenes will be loyal to the canon story, but I have plans on adding more flavor to them, like what I just did in this chapter by letting Gallante step in. I have many ideas, but I need time to plan them wisely. Until then, stay tuned for more!**

 **Ardidente – Spanish for "Burning": This is an ability that Diablo Gallante is able to use to let his hellish fire infiltrate other's body, eventually burning them till they explode. But to do this, Gallante needs to be physically contact the target with his handpalm.**


	43. A Miraculous Twist

**Author's note: While Lille may have died, there may be a chance that we will play a part in this story. But for now, he's out of the picture. This chapter however will tell us about Gerard. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 43: A Miraculous Twist**

 _In the icy cityscape of Wahrwelt, Royal Realm, Soul Society_

While the main group of Shinigamis and Vizards had left Head-Captain Shunsui Kyoraku to deal with Lille Barro and his sniping, they had proceeded towards the towering palace of Silbern, knowing better than to waste time waiting for their superior. And as expected, they reached the towering palace, yet they could notice a pack of soldiers standing and waiting for them. At first, the Shinigamis thought this would be easy, but they were wrong.

Before they could even attack the soldiers, someone crash-landed before them, thus preventing them from laying siege. It was one of Yhwach's appointed Schutzstaffel, Sternritter M – The Miracle: Gerard Valkyrie. The Quincy with the winged helmet was impressed over the Shinigamis to have reached so far, yet insisted that he would not let them pass. He even boasted proudly that he could take on everyone in the group and would not let anyone else go past him.

The group of Shinigamis, seeing how stubborn and determined Gerard was, decided to give what he wanted and began attacking him in full force. And he was now currently sitting by a pile of boulders glancing smugly at the group of Shinigamis before him. At this point, Gerard was overmatched by the combined powers of the captains, lieutenants and Vizards that stood against him. Yet despite this, he was grinning towards them in defiance.

As Gerard kept explaining to them about what a miracle was, none of the Shinigamis took his words seriously. In fact, Captain Byakuya Kuchiki of Squad 6 unleashed his Shikai: Senbonzakura and silenced Gerard by covering his face with the thousands of cherry blossoms. Most of the Shinigamis were happy, given that they grew tired of Gerard and the diarrhea in his mouth. Gerard's body was made headless and his winged helmet fell off with blood on it.

"That should silence him" Byakuya stated, having no remorse for his actions.

Some Shinigamis like Lieutenant Momo Hinamori of Squad 5 were slightly stunned to see how Gerard was executed like this, despite being beaten so badly. The young girl was shocked as she saw the winged helmet rolling by her.

"Did we really need to go this far? He looked like he could've died from his own wounds" Momo asked those around them. But the young girl felt her captain put a hand on her left shoulder.

"Don't be naïve, Momo. That Quincy was clearly hiding some trump card up his sleeve" Captain Shinji Hirako of Squad 5 told her before glancing over at Gerard's headless body. "Besides, the way he was talking, he's obviously the kind of guy that would be able to turn the entire situation around with a single attack as soon as he figured out the extent of our abilities" the blonde-haired man noted from what he was seeing. He then began looking at Byakuya. "If we didn't go at least this far in killing him, there's no telling what he would have been capable of. Wouldn't you agree, Captain Kuchiki?" he asked the calm-mannered man.

Byakuya proceeded to completely destroy Gerard's body with his Shikai, much to the surprise to some of his fellow Shinigamis. But this was all done to make sure that Gerard was died and remained put on the ground. Realizing that it was done, the black-haired man turned his attention towards the streets that lead them to the towering palace of Silbern.

"We should move soon" Byakuya said while glancing at the street. "But let us make sure that everyone is here with us" he then suggested to his fellow Shinigamis.

"Any job worth doing is worth doing right…twice for good measure" Shinji remarked with sarcasm in his voice.

"Something doesn't feel right here" Rukia said as she got suspicious. "The soldiers that used to stand here…where are they?" she wondered while noticing how empty the streets was right now.

"Beats me" Renji said before forming a smug smile. "I bet they probably ran back into the palace the minute they saw us owning that loudmouth's ass. Some soldiers they are" he said while musing over the fact that there was no one else to meet them.

All the Shinigamis were having a quick gathering, now that the way to Silbern was free. But at the same time, they had to reflect on whether they should go on ahead without waiting for the others. So far, none of them had taken notice of the Spiritual Pressures belonging to Shunsui, Ichigo or Kenpachi. Should they just charge straight ahead without waiting for the others?

"Alright, buttheads! Now what?" Hiyori Sarugaki asked foulmouthed as usual. "Are we gonna wait for the others or shall we just head straight to the palace?" she then asked impatiently.

Shinji dropped a sweat as he heard this. "Do you always have to be this miserable?" he annoyingly asked the young girl before deciding to focus on something else. "But there's one thing I agree with her, though. Either we can sit ducks and wait for the others, or we can head into the palace and kick the Quincy Emperor's ass" the laidback captain then came up with two alternatives.

"What do you suggest, Captain Hirako?" 3rd seat Matsuri Kudo of Squad 5 asked him.

"Tch, what I always suggest in a situation like this. Screw waiting for the others! We just go on ahead and cause ruckus already" the blonde-haired man responded to her question.

Byakuya calmly nodded his head in agreement. "My sentiments, exactly" he said, meaning that he agreed with Shinji's suggestion.

"Then that settles it" Fujimaru Kudo of Squad 5 remarked with cockiness in his expression. "Let us bust the doors of that palace and then find our way up" he then said as he glanced up to the palace.

All the Shinigamis did that, but they all couldn't help but to notice how tall this palace really was, especially since they were standing very close to it. "Man…so…high" Lieutenant Marechiyo Omaeda of Squad 2 spoke up lowly, feeling somewhat tired as he looked up at Silbern. "How many stairs must we go up to reach wherever the enemy is!? It will probably take us days before we're there!" he then asked in frustration.

"Tch, that's your big issue?" Renji asked him while raising an eyebrow. "Get real, Omadea. I would rather walk upstairs than be standing here listening to you whining" the red-haired Lieutenant of Squad 6 told him before taking small steps towards the street.

Marechiyo was filled with anger over hearing this and he was about to say something back to Renji, only to stop when he could feel a shadow cover him and his comrades. The other Shinigamis soon took notice of this shadow as well, and it was as if something tall was standing behind them. All their eyes widened in shock.

Standing behind them was Gerard Valkyrie, although in a very much different size. Everything on him had grown in size, including his Spirit Weapon. Since his winged helmet was now destroyed, it showed them Gerard's bright eyes and the m-like markings running across his eyes. Needless to say, the Sternritter was gigantic, though not as tall as Silbern itself.

"TAKE COVER!" Rukia yelled as Gerard almost was on the verge of stomping on them with only one feet, yet they were fast enough to avoid it. But the stomping was so powerful that it sent shockwaves through the urban environment.

All the Shinigamis could only stand and watch as Gerard grew taller and taller. It was a sight they had never expected to see.

"Holy fucking asscrackers!" Shinji cursed from what he was seeing.

"What the hell happened!?" Byakuya asked as even he was feeling stunned to see this take place. "I thought I had disposed of him!" he then added to his distress.

"Call me crazy but that Quincy is…FUCKING GIGANTIC!" Renji said while yelling at the end of his sentence.

Gerard soon took notice of the group of Shinigamis underneath him, who only seemed like a pack of ants from his viewpoint. He felt so high and mighty when seeing the reactions of the Shinigamis. "YOU WILL ADRESS ME AS GERARD VALKYRIE!" the Quincy loudly exclaimed as he demonstrated what his power was. "My Schrift is the letter M – The Miracle. It gives me the power to turn the damage I have taken and convert it into what you see standing before you…..this godly size!" Gerard told them about his ability.

The Shinigamis were now beginning to notice something. Despite the fact that Gerard was gigantic, he was not necessarily slow. The Sternritter was still as fast as he was in his previous size. They could see this by the way Gerard took his steps, let alone grab a nearby tower from one of the icy buildings.

"I must admit, you have left quite the impression on me. To think that the captains and lieutenants of the 13 Court Guard Squads were capable of inflicting this amount of damage on my body" Gerard suddenly commended the Shinigamis for the efforts as he held the icy tower with his tall fingers on his right hand. "Using my "conversion", this is the first time I have ever been able to become…." Gerard said as he picked up the tower from the building with ease. "THIS GIGANTIC!" he then proudly boasted before throwing the tower towards the group of Shinigamis like a spear.

As the tower headed straight towards them, all the Shiniamis knew that they needed to move. "EVERYONE MOVE YOUR ASSES!" Shinji screamed before the tower landed on the ground, thus separating the fleeing Shinigamis from one another. But Shinji could suddenly notice his lieutenant falling off from the ground, yet Momo was quickly saved by Shinji. "HOLD MY HAND, MOMO! DON'T LET GO OF IT!" he urged her to never let go of his hand.

Momo smiled as she looked at her captain, yet she became shocked once she saw something behind him. "CAPTAIN HIRAKO, BEHIND YOU!" she yelled.

It was too late for Shinji. The giant hand belonging to Gerard plunged upon him and Momo. Gerard was overwhelming the Squad 5 duo and he seemed to take pleasure in seeing this. But it stunned the rest of the Shinigamis who were able to witness this chaos.

"No…he just…" Rukia spoke while being shocked in seeing this

"MOMO! CAPTAIN HIRAKO!" Renji yelled, upset over seeing his classmate and a captain getting squashed so easily. But both him and Rukia could soon notice Byakuya unleashing his Shikai. The Captain of Squad 6 was standing on a nearby building. Despite the endless amount of cherry blossom blades, it was not enough to overpower Gerard. The Quincy easily swatted away the many cherry blossom blades with his shield, which had also grown in size along with his Spirit Weapon. Using his shield, Gerard laid waste to the building Byakuya was standing on, thus swatting the Shinigami away was well. "CAPTAIN KUCHIKI!" Renji yelled in despair.

"BROTHER!" Rukia yelled before fixing her eyes upon the giant Quincy. "YOU SELF-RIGHTEOUS PIECE OF SHIT!" she cursed at him in all her anger. Rukia could not stand when someone injured Byakuya.

But Gerard didn't seem to have forgotten the Shinigamis on the ground before him as well. Surprisingly, he began sucking in air, thus bloating his cheeks. He then proceeded to blow out air towards the Shinigamis, yet it came out as a hurricane. Rukia and Renji were blown away by it and they crashed onto the nearby pile of rubbles. The gigantic Sternritter was laughing so loud over what he was seeing. The Shinigamis he now saw before him had been defeated.

"POWERLESS! UTTERLY POWERLESS! WALLOW IN THE TERROR OF YOUR OWN HELPLESSNESS!" Gerard boasted cockily, feeling so much satisfaction over seeing him standing as the winner. "BUT DO NOT BOTHER LAMENTING IT. BECAUSE NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU LAMENT OR PRAY….NO MIRACLE WILL BE COMING FOR YOU!" he then told the Shinigamis lying among the rubbles in defeat.

But fortunately, not all Shinigamis had been defeated. Hiding underneath the pile of rubbles and boulders were several Shinigamis: the Kudo-twins of Squad 5, Marechiyo Omadea of Squad 2, Isane Kotetsu of Squad 4 and Kiyone Kotetsu and Sentaro Kotsubaki of Squad 13. These Shinigamis had managed to grab the unconscious bodies of Momo and Shinji and take them to safety. Hopefully, they would be treated for any injuries.

"So far, so good. That Quincy is too busy boasting that he's failed to notice us" Matsuri remarked as she watched Momo and Shinji lying on the ground. "This should be a perfect opportunity for us to hide and see to them being safe" she then told them.

"Tch, why are we hiding? Our comrades just busted their asses confronting this Quincy and we hide beneath boulders like a bunch of homeless people?" Fujimaru asked her twin sister, while making sure those around them were listening as well.

But Isane suddenly hushed him. "Keep it down! He will hear us!" the woman lowly demanded that he be silent and thus Fujimaru did as she requested, The Lieutenant of Squad 4 proceeded to check on the conditions of Shinji and Momo. "Okay, now let me do the job here. The rest of you guys better watch outside to monitor his movements" Isane told them before starting her treatment.

Both Kiyone and Sentaro tried to watch for Gerard. Surprisingly, they did a good job working together, especially since they didn't make noises by starting their usual arguments.

"He's still standing there acting all high and mighty" Sentaro remarked while looking at Gerard.

"Yeah, he hasn't made a move. But wait a minute, did he catch every one of us? Now that I think about it, he has yet to find out where the Vizards ran off to" Kiyone then told her friends while starting to remember something.

"Damn it! This totally sucks! We were almost at their doorstep, until that smug bastard had to show up! Now our siege of the palace has been delayed!" Marechiyo cursed while folding his arms in dispassion. "I swear, things can't possibly get any worse…." Marechiyo was interrupted when he along with the other hiding Shinigamis could feel the effects of Gerard taking some steps near them. His gigantic feet caused the ground to shake, yet they only made sure that he wouldn't spot them.

Gerard was now surveying the landscape and noticed how much destruction he had caused in the cityscape. But that didn't matter. Everything in Wahrwelt would be fixed once the invaders were taken care off. But there was something else on his mind right now. It revolved around his fellow members of the Schutzstaffel.

"Hmmm….it seems to me that Pernida and Lille is out of the game…heh but not completely killed, I see. But I can see that Lille has is critically injured. Arrogant fool. But I can feel that Nakk Le Vaar is still in the game. Hopefully, he will get the job done. Otherwise, I will personally end his miserable life" Gerard thought as he glanced up in the air to feel the Spiritual Pressures throughout the Wahrwelt. "But Nianzol is also still in the game, yet I can't sense him fighting any opponents. Obviously, he must be slacking off, as usual. But what this other Spiritual Pressure I sense nearby? Ah yes, the newcomer: Uryu Ishida. It looks like he has now entered the battlefield as well. Then this means the Sternritter rebels have been taken care off. Good riddance. But I have to say, I'm curious to know what he is doing right now" the Sternritter continued pondering over what he could sense in the Wahrwelt, given his huge size.

While Gerard was standing there to ponder over the current situation in the Royal Realm, someone had snuck up near to him. It was the group of Vizards, who had been hiding in one of the nearby towers. Ever since Gerard unleashed his true power upon the Shinigamis, the Vizards had used this commotion to hide from the gigantic Quincy. Gerard had been too distracted to even notice the Vizards enter the tower, on which half of the top was damaged. They spied on Gerard from the broken windows, seeing how he was passing by the tower without noticing them in it.

"What the hell is with that monster? This probably means everyone had their asses handed to them! Damn!" Hiyori cursed while noticing how Gerard was not fighting anyone right now. The young girl grumbled in anger. "Must you always approach things with a cup-half-empty attitude?" she then wondered.

"It couldn't be helped, Hiyori. Apparently, we all underestimated that Quincy and his abilities" Hachi replied to her lowly, trying to not make much noise with Gerard near them.

"You could say that right. Speaking of which, I don't see Shinji lying among the rubbles anymore" Love suddenly told his friends with a smile forming on his face. "That means he's still alive and kicking" the man with glasses added to his statement.

Hiyori simply shrugged her shoulders while listening to this. "So what? We've got bigger fish to fry than go looking for him" she told Love.

The Vizards attention were on Gerard as they could hear him closer to their location. The gigantic Sternritter was resting his left elbow and shield upon a nearby building. From the looks of it, Gerard was starting to feel bored, especially since he had just managed to eliminate the opposition and that there was no one left for him to take care off. The tall Quincy sighed deeply as he leaned onto the building.

"Talk about a waste of my time! For the captains and lieutenants of the 13 Court Guard Squads to be reduced to this pathetic showing before the might of my Miracle" Gerard expressed his boredom, as well as dissatisfaction over how the Shinigamis weren't as much challenging as he first thought. "Even your Spiritual Pressures has grown so small, it's barley registering on my radar" he then continued lamenting his defeated opponents.

As Gerard kept doing that, Hiyori and her fellow Vizards secretly peeked out of their hiding place in the ruined tower, hoping to get a clue of what the Sternritter was doing. They noticed how he had constantly been talking to himself since defeating the group of Shinigamis. Something was not right, yet the Vizards kept listening to what Gerard was saying.

"With this godlike body of mine, I have no choice but to search through this rubble for survivors. Simply preposterous. This is akin to sifting through sand to kill an ant. I sure have my work cut out for me" Gerard spoke up. But to the surprise of the Vizards, the gigantic man suddenly moved his left arm and spun around to attack something. And that "something" was the ruined tower the Vizards were currently hiding in. "WHICH IS EXACTLY WHY I WILL DRAW YOU OUT!" the Quincy loudly declared as he used his powerful hand to shatter the tower to asunder. Gerard grinned as he watched the building collapse. "DID YOU ACTUALLY THINK THAT I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO FIND YOU!? HAH! HOW CLUELESS OF YOU! MAKING THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE, THAT IS THE VERY DEFINITION OF A MIRACLE!" he then told the Vizards, assuming that had destroyed them with the attack. But he was wrong.

Gerard could soon notice something appear above him in the air. He even became more surprised when he heard one of the Vizards talk. It was Hiyori.

"This little speech of yours is just going in one ear and right out of the other" Hiyori said smugly before frowning at Gerard. "So all this incessant babbling about you and your "Miracle"…..WELL YOU CAN TAKE IT AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR ASS, BALDY!" the young girl then proceeded to verbally assault Gerard, even going as far as to give him a nickname.

The Sternritter quickly turned around and looked up to see Hiyori in the air. "I have a full head of hair thank you very much!" Gerard said, trying to correct the Vizard on her assumptions.

But Hiyori didn't seem to care what he said and right now, she had activated her Hollowfication. Her Hollow-mask then appeared on her face. "I didn't really mean that…screw it" she said while she began loading something with the help of her Hollowfication. Hiyori was now preparing a Cero to fire at Gerard. "You'd be wise to take this more seriously!" Hiyori said before unleashing her powerful Cero towards the gigantic Quincy.

But as powerful as the Cero was, it didn't inflict damage upon Gerard in the slightest. He easily withstood it and proceeded to go after Hiyori. Gerard laughed in order to mock the Vizard's flawed attempt to injure him.

"DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH! SOMETHING OF THAT CALIBER WON'T EVEN PHASE ME!" Gerard boasted arrogantly.

Despite seeing how her attack failed, Hiyori remained relatively calm, even though it was possible to see that with her Hollow-mask on. "Maybe so…." Hiyori spoke up before pointing her fingers to each of Gerard's ears. "But who said the purpose of that attack was to take you out?" she then questioned him smugly.

Gerard was caught by surprise as he could notice more enemies surround him near his head. Hachi, Lisa and Love finally made their move on Gerard and he was too slow to even react to their presences. Each of the Vizards launched their own attacks upon the gigantic Sternritter. And to empower their attacks, they had also activated their Hollowfications, thus wearing Hollow-masks.

"CHOCHOLATE BAR SLIDER!" Hachi yelled before unleashing his Kido upon his target.

"HIFUKI NO KODZUCHI!" Love yelled before unleashing his attack with his Zanpakutou.

"NIJUUICHIJOU TONBOKUDARI!" Lisa yelled before unleashing her attack with her Zanpakutou.

Together, the three Vizards rained their attacks upon Gerard. These attacks combined resulted in a large explosion around the upper parts of Gerard's enormous body. A cloud of smoke appeared in wake of the attack. The Vizards remained calm and watched to see if they had been successful in their attack. But Hachi was in for a surprise as he could see the giant shield belonging to Gerard.

"What!? It can't be…." Hachi was too late, as Gerard swiftly swung his shield on his left arm, hitting all the Vizards that was near him. To their disbelief, he hadn't been injured by the combined attacks. Gerard's swinging with his shield was so powerful that it sent all the Vizards crashing towards the nearby buildings.

Gerard only rubbed his face as he had dealt with the Vizards. It didn't leave him any signs of satisfaction. "I grow weary of these games. At this rate, I might as well die from boredom" Gerard said before an idea suddenly got to his head. "Aha! I think I just got a perfect idea! Instead of wasting my time searching for these insolent Shinigamis, I will simply lay waste to this pile rubble! His Majesty can take care of reparations later!" the Sternritter suddenly said and he was about to crush the entire area with his bare fists.

But before his right fist could even hit the ground, Gerard was stunned to notice that his entire right arm had begun freezing. The reason he was doing that, he saw who was standing on the ground. The Sternritter was outraged from what he was seeing.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?" he asked loudly as he watched the Shinigami who was standing on the street before him.

It was Rukia. She had managed to survive Gerard's earlier onslaught and was now in a different form. She was currently standing with her Bankai activated. "Bankai…..Hakka no Togame" the young woman said, with the area surrounding her beginning to freeze. She glanced up to Gerard, who was still stunned to see someone being capable of doing this to him. "I can't let you flatten this area. Many of my allies are still here, which is why I stopped you just now. So do me a favor and stay frozen for all eternity" Rukia then told Gerard.

But Gerard managed to break the ice, thus freeing his right arm. He looked down at Rukia with a smug grin. "Now that is one fantastic outfit you have there, young lady! Who are you?" he asked her.

The woman covered in icy clothes only narrowed her eyes in dispassion. Yet she did answer his question. "Lieutenant of Squad 13: Rukia Kuchiki. A pleasure in meeting you, enemy of the Soul Society" Rukia told Gerard with sarcasm in her voice.

"A lieutenant, huh? Well, for being one, you sure are unique. How about you and become friends?" he then asked and was about to grab Rukia with his right hand, only for it become frozen once again.

"Try it and you will get frozen once again!" Rukia sternly warned him.

Despite the warning, it didn't stop Gerard from wanting to grab her. So he used his left arm to try and grab Rukia, only for a large skeletal arm to intercept it. The skeletal arm is strong enough to even push Gerad a bit back. The Sternritter sees who it is that has sent him this arm. But Rukia immediately recognizes it and smiles.

"I hope you enjoyed meeting Hihio" the voice came from Renji, who had just activated his Bankai: Soo Zabimaru. Hihio came back to Renji's side as he walked towards the gigantic Quincy. "Just to give a fair warning. Nobody touches Rukia! And that goes for a big-ass monster like you!" he then told Gerard.

Gerard couldn't help but to grin over what he was seeing. These two Shinigamis had survived his onslaught. And now, they were back to face his up against him. Perhaps they weren't as weak as he thought they were.

"Finally! Someone who still possesses the will to stand up and face me in combat! I am only beginning to feel satisfaction grow within me!" Gerard yelled, the blonde-haired Quincy getting excited about this upcoming fight.

* * *

 _In another district of Wahrwelt_

As Gerard was continuing his rampage in one of the districts, Sternritter D – The Deathdealing: Askin Nakk Le Vaar, was currently sitting from afar and watching his comrade having pleasure in taking on his opponents. The Sternritter had decided to take a break from his activities to observe how things were going around in Wahrwelt so far. He sitting upon a pile of boulder while observing Gerard's actions.

"Well. It appears that Gerard has finally unleashed his Schrift as well. But that's not surprising to say at least. Given that he noticed how Lille had his ass handed to him, I guess Gerard didn't have much of a choice either. Speaking of which, I don't think that big oaf has even noticed that Lille has been defeated…...or at least is out of the game" Askin spoke to himself, although it could be seen as if he was speaking to someone. "But there is a reason why some us Sternritters were appointed to join His Majesty's Schutzstaffel. Why me and Nianzol were appointed to that vanguard has no meaning, but others have reasons to be appointed. Maybe I should recall the reasons. Lille Barro is the Captain of the Schutzstaffel. He was the first Quincy to ever be bestowed a Schrift by His Majesty. So his position is unwavering and ironclad. But the two remaining members of the Schutzstaffel: Pernida Parnkgjas and Gerard Valkyrie, were Quincies that weren't bestowed any special powers by His Majesty. Their powers had long been in place. But they weren't the only ones. Gremmy Thoumeax, who wasn't even appointed to the Schutzstaffel, also had his powers all along. These three were the only ones who already possessed their own abilities. It was only a matter of time before His Majesty bestowed Schrifts to them as a recognition of their status" Askin went on explaining the details of some his fellow Sternritters, especially the reclusive ones such as Pernida, Gerard and Gremmy. "That's why those three constantly had rumors swirling around them as to their true identities. It is said that Pernida's true identity was the "Soul King's Left Hand", Gremmy's true identity was the "Soul King's Brain" and Gerard's true identity…...was the "Soul King's Heart" he then recalled what he knew about them.

True, these three individuals had always been the ones to possess the most curious powers as Sternritters. They always had their powers since the beginning. Yhwach had never granted them their powers, yet he did grant them Schrifts as a recognition of their titles. But how did they come to bear such titles? Had they indeed been separated from the Soul King? While there existed some evidence that the Left and Right Hands of the Soul King did exist, the Brain and Heart of the Soul King was a mystery. If Gremmy and Gerard were those, why did their appearance seem so "humane"? This was probably due to their own powers to recreate their own images.

Askin got up on his feet. "I don't even know how the rumors began about them being the Soul King's anything, especially with those three being Quincies and all. But one look at that absurd amount of power they wield, and it's no wonder those mysterious rumors and theories began to take hold. And of course, Gremmy was sent out to test his might against Kenpachi Zaraki, yet he failed. And due to Gremmy being out of commission, me and Nianzol were appointed to the Schutzstaffel to fill in the power gap left by Gremmy" Askin said before looking over to see someone. "Was that a short enough summary for you, Ichigo? Oh…." Askin stopped explained as he could see Ichigo Kurosaki

The reason the Substitute Shinigami was doing that was because of Askin having his Deathdealing against him. The poison was now starting to take hold on Ichigo and he was lying on his stomach, unable to make a move.

Askin smirked. "I suppose it's hard to take all of that info when your face is planted on the ground. Seriously, it almost looks like as if you're kissing it" he then said before bursting into laughing.

But the Sternritter's laugh was short-lived as he could see Ichigo's friends Orihime Inoue and Yasutora Sado emerge from the rubbles to see their friend lying there motionless. It shocked.

"Ichigo!" Orihime said before glaring at Askin. "What have you done to him!?" she demanded an answer from Askin, who did not seem to pay attention to her. He was paying attention to Chad, who was jumping in the air, preparing an attack on the Sternritter.

"BRAZO DERECHA DE GIGANTA!" Chad yelled while readying his attack on the Sternritter.

Askin avoided his attack and in the moment Chad struck his fist on the ground, something happened to him. Orihime, who was running to catch onto Askin, also stopped, feeling her body getting sloppier by the minute. They both fell on their knees and eventually began coughing.

"Wha-what's happening!? I can't….!" Chad wondered as he realized how weakened he was beginning to feel.

Askin simply approached the couple friends, as if he was unaffected by whatever it was that was plaguing Chad and Orihime. He smirked as he glanced down at them.

"Let me finish that sentence for you. You can't stand. Not as long as you're standing on my "Gift Bad" Askin revealed to them smugly while stretching out his arms to show how Orihime and Chad were currently standing in a pool of poison. "Stepping into this pool isn't exactly lethal, but I can lower any resistance I choose of any who steps in its radius. And this time, what I have chosen is Reishi. In other words, all of you right now are being overcome by the super-dense Reishi here in Wahrwelt. In essence, you're all being "poisoned" by Reishi" the Sternritter explained his abilities to Orihime and Chad.

"Did you say poisoned…..by Reishi?" Chad lowly asked, the tall man still being paralyzed by the Gift Bad.

"Yes. A "lethal dose" of my ability. To be more precise, I kill by causing a lethal dosage of the chosen element that I manipulate. But in order to do that, I need to take a great amount of whatever it was I want to manipulate into my own body. For example, if I wanted it to be blood, then I need to drink an obscene amount of blood" Askin went on explaining the nature of his ability before he suddenly robbed his own stomach. "Unfortunately, my stomach is about to explode from drinking too many café au laits. So until my stomach settles down a bit, I'll have you all just wait here patiently" the Sternritter then said why he was unable to dispose of them fully.

As Askin kept watching Orihime and Chad getting weaker by the minute, he was filled with satisfaction. That is until he could hear someone calling to him from behind. It sounded very female.

"Now that's interesting" the smug voice came from Yoruichi Shihoin, as she was hanging from a boulder upside down. This meant she was just a few feet away from Askin, who did not react to hearing her speaking. "From what I can gather from your diarrhea in your mouth, it seems to me that if your opponents aren't able to move, then it seems rather simple to just reach out and strangle them while you can" the purple-haired woman told the Sternritter, probably as an attempt to taunt him.

Even so, Askin remained unimpressed of what he was hearing. "Did you seriously just say those words? Well, Bambi also said something quite familiar a while back. It pissed me off then….and it pisses me off now" the Sternritter said, recalling a conversation he had once with a fellow Sternritter: Bambietta Basterbine. But Askin slowly began moving his right feet a little, trying not to let Yoruichi take notice of his movement. "Honestly, would it kill to have some good-fashioned….DELICAY!?" he then asked before moving his right feet in order to kick Yoruichi. But the Shinigami was too fast for him, as Yoruichi avoided Askin's kick.

Yoruchi landed a few feet away from Askin and faced the Sternritter smugly. "Yeah, well I don't do delicacy. Do you really think your opponents are that much beneath you?" she questioned him.

Askin mused to himself when hearing that question. "Not at all. I just prefer defeating my opponents with a certain amount of…..elegance" he told her, still wearing his mask of overconfidence. "After all, controlling and manipulating lethal has such cachet. Wringing peoples' necks is more suited to women such as you and Bambi" Askin then stated drawing a comparison between Yoruichi and Bambi.

But the Sternritter could suddenly see bolts of lightning gathering around the purple-haired woman. Something was not right and Askin could feel it. Now, it was Yoruichi's turn to act all high and mighty towards him.

"I see what you're getting at" Yoruichi told him before two wings of lightning soon erupted out from her back. It became apparent to Askin that she was planning on something. "I don't know who this Bambi-person is, but the point you're trying to make is that this is "how the beautiful" do things.

"Well, you and Bambi are both beautiful, although I think you're too Amazonian while she's a little squirt. But it matters not. A woman's value isn't in her superficial qualities" Askin told her as he moved his left hand. He activated his Heilig Bogen, which functioned as an armband on his left wrist. Askin was preparing to fire a Reishi Arrow at his target. "IT'S IN HER STYLE AND PRESENTATION!" Askin exclaimed before firing two Heilig Pfiels towards Yoruichi.

The young woman ran towards the couple of arrows, determined to reach Askin without avoiding them. To the Sternritter's surprise, Yoruichi grabbed hold of one of the Reishi Arrows and proceeded to throw it back at Askin. The Quincy was stunned, yet he was slow to react. As a result, the Reishi Arrow landed on his left shoulder, thus sending him flying backwards in the air. Still, Yoruichi pursued him, like a cat chasing a mouse.

"I'm sorry. You seem like an interesting guy and all. But we're in a bit of hurry. So you'll be letting us through now" Yoruichi told Askin as lightning erupted out from her once again. It would seem that she was now activating her Shunko. From the looks of it, it seemed much more powerful than that of Sui-Feng's. "SHUNKO: RAIJIN SENKEI!" she yelled as she gathered enourmous amounts of lighting to her side. Yoruchi was unleashing a thunder strike upon Askin, and it was quite explosive. There was no way for Askin to avoid the attack and he was taken by the thunder strike. It was so powerful that it even destroyed some of the icy buildings nearby.

Once Yoruichi was done, she could see that the Gift Bad was vanishing slowly. She landed beside Orihime and helped her up to her feet. Orihime was still feeling weakened due to the poison she had received from Askin's trap.

"For now, it's probably best if you heal yourself, Orihime. Once you regain your composure, tend to Ichigo and Chad. Then, you three go on ahead without me" Yoruichi told Orihime as she listened closely.

"But what will you do, Yoruichi?" Orihime asked her, only to see the purple-haired woman standing ready to face Askin in combat. Apparently, she was not keen on underesting the Sternritter.

"No need to worry. After I make sure he's good as dead, I'll be right behind you" Yoruichi said before looking her shoulder to face the auburn-haired woman. "No begin heal yourself. Let me deal with the Sternritter" she then told Orihime, who started it without hesitation.

"Yoruichi!" the purple-haired woman snapped as she could see someone appear towards her and the group. It was Tessai Tsukabishi, Ganju Shiba, Jinta Hanakari, Ururu Tsumigiya and Nelliel Tu Odelschwank. They all appeared behind the rubbles, with Tessai the one calling. "We were worried how you suddenly headed off without us. What's wrong with you?" Tessai spoke up.

"It couldn't be helped, Tessai. Ichigo, Orihime and Chad were facing a more cunning Sternritter than what they thought. So I had to rush to their rescue" Yoruichi told them before facing the smoke left by her attack. "Now make sure that they're protected. Orihime will heal herself, Ichigo and Chad. I'll deal with that smug bastard" she then told them.

Nelliel, who was already shocked to see Ichigo lying on the ground rushed to her side. "Right!" the Dechado said and she used her Sonido to appear right beside him. Ganju also appeared beside Ichigo, with Jinta and Ururu standing with Chad. The sea green-haired woman glanced at Ichigo with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry Ichigo. I won't let anyone lay a hand on you" she told him.

As Yoruichi kept watching the smoke for any signs of Askin reappearing, she snapped when she could feel a familiar Spiritual Pressure lurk nearby her. It came towards her in an incredibly speed. Yet despite her feeling it, Yoruichi did not feel surprised. As a matter of fact, she felt bored. As soon as that person neared her, Yoruichi avoided getting caught by him when she swung her head sideways.

"SISTER!" the voice came from none other than her younger brother: Yushiro Shihoin. He was trying to catch her in an embrace, but missed when Yoruichi avoided him. As a result, Yushiro crashed into the pile of boulders. But that didn't stop Yushiro, as he still continued going after his older sister. Yoruichi was not impressed. As Yushiro jumped towards her, Yoruichi was about to grab him, only for the young boy to use his incredible speed to avoid her hands. He landed right behind her and and could finally embrace his sister. "GOTCHA!" he said, only for his embrace to be interrupted when Yoruichi headbutted him by leaning backwards. It lift quite a bump on his head and he landed on the ground. "I…..I'm here….." he uttered out words lowly.

Yoruichi glanced at him dispassionately while folding her arms. "What the hell did you come here for, Yushiro? Weren't you supposed to be with Kisuke!?" she questioned him sternly like any older sister would.

Yushiro quickly fixed an enthusiastic expression on his face. "Yes! But with so many captains running around over there, I figured it would be fine if I came here! I thought I could come to your rescue, so I raced over here without a second thought and leap right into the fray!" the young boy explained to his sister, as she only raised an eyebrow when hearing how Yushiro was acting so enthusiastic.

"Ohhhh, my rescue, you say? You…rescuing…me?" Yoruichi questioned him dumbfoundedly.

Yushiro responded by nodding his head repeatedly. "Yup! That's why I came here!" he replied quickly

"Yushiro, in the short amount of time I've been away, it looks you have gotten a bit stronger" Yoruichi then told her, although this compliment was rather sarcastic.

Even so, Yushiro took her words to the heart and he even shed tears over being complimented. "Yes! I'm so happy you've noticed! I've…...I've really become stronger!" he said while breaking into tears. He was actually crying!

Yoruichi sighed in irritation over seeing this. "Oh yeah…...I completely forgot. Yushiro is so dense, the concept of sarcasm is completely lost on him" she noted, realizing how naïve Yushiro really was, especially when it came to certain subjects like irony and sarcasm.

Even Tessai was facepalming over seeing Yushiro's behavior. "That boy….so many years, yet he still hasn't matured one bit.…." Tessai noted, feeling annoyed of this sort of behavior.

"Is this really Yoruichi's brother?" Ururu asked as she was filled with curiosity.

Both Jinta and Ganju were both laughing their butts off, especially since they were able to see what kind of guy the brother of the legendary Yoruichi Shihoin really was.

"Seriously? This guy cracks me up!" Jinta spoke up, not being able to contain his laughs. "No wonder why he's mostly ignored" the teenage boy said.

"Yeah! I told you that you would be surprised once you got to see him! And he's supposed to be the head of one of the Four Great Noble Families!" Ganju spoke up while also laughing. "And people say I'm an immature younger brother? Get real, sis! Here's a good example!" the long-haired man then thought about how his older sister Kukaku as well as some of the other residents of the Soul Society often saw him as more immature and reckless than her.

As Yoruichi could hear the laughers, she glared at them furiously. "All of you! Shut up and continue with what I just told you! Got it!?" the young woman told them all in her anger. She could not stand hearing them laugh about her family.

"Okay, okay, I hate to interrupt this poignant family reunion" Yoruichi snapped, as she heard the voice coming from Askin Nakk Le Vaar, who had just emerged out of the smoke. Just as she suspected, he was still alive. But he was covered in bruises from her powerful attack earlier.

Yoruichi fixed her golden eyes upon him. "Poignant? Clearly your ears aren't working so well. Just because some kid is crying, doesn't mean it's a conversation worth crying over" Yoruichi told Askin, who was still facing her smugly.

"Is that so? In that case, enough of the not-so-poignant family reunion" Askin said while stroking his slicked hair. "But then again, these guys aren't necessarily your relatives, are they?" the Sternritter then said while motioning his head towards Tessai and the others that had arrived.

Yoruichi's attention was soon focused on Ichigo, as he had finally been healed thanks to Orihime….or perhaps due to Nelliel and her salvia. She also noticed that Chad had also been healed. She watched as Ichigo rose up with both Tessai and Nelliel standing beside him. The purple-haired woman had to admit she was impressed with how fast Ichigo was with recovering from his paralyzing condition.

"Looks like you've recovered enough to stand already. Fast as always" Yoruichi remarked as she watched Ichigo get up on his feet. "You probably overheard my conversation then. Go ahead with the others and I'll follow behind after" she then told him. The purple-haired woman then glanced at both Nelliel and Tessai. "Tessai, Nelliel, you will also accompany Ichigo to Silbern. While your talents could be needed, we can't waste more time. You must help Ichigo reach the palace before it's too late. I trust the two of you to guide him through this" she told them.

Nelliel nodded her head firmly. "Right! You have my word!" the female Arrancar told her. "I don't know where Grimmjow is, but he will be helped…..I'm certain of it" she insisted to Yoruichi.

Tessai had to admit he was feeling some reservations over leaving his childhood friend. But deep down inside, he knew how Yoruichi was right in her sentiment. They were out of time and couldn't waste any more time. Smiling underneath his moustache, Tessai saluted by holding his fist close to his chest.

"It shall be done. I will assist Ichigo in any way I can" Tessai said before forming a serious frown with his mouth. "But do not let me down, Yoruichi! If you don't show up, then I will not forgive you!" the tall man told her, to which Yoruichi had to smirk when hearing it.

Ichigo was surprised when he heard what those two were saying, yet he could see how Nelliel was determined to carry on, as was Tessai. The orange-haired man had to smile when facing Yoruichi, knowing that he would have to put trust in her to hold off against the Sternritter.

"Alright. I'll leave this Sternrritter to you. And thank you, by the way" Ichigo told her before forming a slight frown with his mouth. "But watch your back, Yoruichi. This one's quite tricky" the orange-haired man advised Yoruichi, who was still feeling confident that she could take care of him.

Yoruichi scoffed at him. "Who do you think you're talking to? It'll take a lot more than this creep to slow me down. I'll handle him easily" she told Ichigo before facing all the others she could see. "Now go! All of you! Me and Kisuke are counting on you reaching to the palace in time!" she then told the entire group, who immediately responded without hesitation.

Askin watched as Ichigo and his friends were on the move towards Silbern, leaving him alone with both Yoruichi and Yushiro. Neither of them had any intentions of letting him go after the group. The Sternritter sighed in annoyance once he realized that he was at an impasse.

"They're getting away….damn" Askin said while stroking his slick hair. "His Majesty is going to give me an earful when I get back to Silbern" Askin then lamented what would happen to him later.

"Relax….he won't even get an opportunity to scold you. Because we're gonna put both you and Yhwach out of your misery" Yoruichi told him smugly.

Hearing this only caused Askin to glance at her with a raised eyebrow. "Put us out of misery, you say?" he asked before forming a smug expression. "Excuse my insolence for asking you this, but how exactly do you plan on defeating His Majesty? By sending him and his groupies straight towards their demise? It seems to me that you have false confidence, my dear" he told her.

Yoruichi remained unmoved by that statement. "It's too soon to get cocky with me, Sternritter. Yhwach will be defeated, and Ichigo will see to that" she told him.

"You expect him to best His Majesty, the same man you wanted to make him your Soul King?" Askin asked her while forming a cunning grin underneath his lips.

The woman's golden eyes snapped in shock as she heard that, yet she quickly narrowed them. "You shut your trap! As if we would ever let Ichigo live with such fate, given what he has done for us in the past!" she spat at him, finding that assumption to be ridiculous.

"Your fellow Shinigamis would disagree, Yoruichi Shihoin. It's not hard to see why not only the Wandenreich and the Court Guard, but also the Royal Guard took a great interest in Ichigo Kurosaki" Askin spoke up. "Surely, you must have already realized that by now" he then tried to taunt Yoruichi, who decided not to mince her words.

"I grow tired of you and your arrogant attitude. How about we let our mouths have some rest and let our fists do the talking?" Yoruichi suggested while cracking her knuckles. She glared at Askin with a cunning smirk of her own. "I talking is part of your delicacy in fighting, then you're a huge letdown. Time I whipped you into getting tougher!" she added to her suggestion.

"With that "Wonder Dog" attack you used earlier? Well, I can't have that now can I….." Askin used his mouth to once again verbally assault Yoruichi.

But Yuhsiro did not take kindly to the Sternritter's rude remarks about his sister's ability. "IT'S CALLED "THUNDER GOD! DON'T DARE MAKE FUN OF MY SISTER, UNLESS YOU WANT TO INCUR MY WRATH!" the young black-haired boy spoke up while his older sister only watched him with a raised eyebrow.

Askin had to muse himself over hearing how someone like Yushiro had quickly fallen trap to his insults. "Oh? You wanna have a go, little missy? I'll warn you though, I won't hold back just because you're coming at me bare-fisted" Askin told Yushiro while activating his Heilig Bogen. He then proceeded to prepare a Reishi Arrow for his target. "I suppose my Reishi Bow alone is more than capable of handling someone as dimwitted and whimsical as you. What do you say, girly?" he tauntingly asked Yushiro, yet he could see the young boy feeling somewhat angered and embarrassed over the things the Sternritter just told him.

Yushiro faced the ground. "I….I….." he said before suddenly charging towards the Sternritter in full speed, which slightly surprised Askin. "I'M A BOY!" Yushiro yelled towards his opponent, still feeling embarrassed over being mistaken for a girl.

While stunned at first, Askin had to muse to himself over seeing how his taunting worked. "Oh, really? Then I guess I owe an apology, Mr. Girly Boy…" when Askin just said the last sentence, he was getting punched right in the middle of his face by Yushiro, who had just arrived before him. Blood sprouted out from Askin's nose and mouth. But Yushiro was not finished just yet. He began punching the Sternritter repeatedly, forcing Askin to back off with the help of his Hirenkiyaku. He was in disbelief over the strength this boy possessed. "HOLD ON! THIS IS RIDICULOUS! YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY BE THAT STRONG! YOU AREN'T EVEN A CAPTAIN OR A LIEUTENANT!" Askin said, rubbing his bruised face.

"OF COURSE I CAN! I AM THE 23RD HEAD OF THE SHIHOIN CLAN: YUSHIRO SAKIMUNE SHIHOIN! THERE'S NO WAY I COULD LOSE TO THE LIKES OF A MERE QUINCY!" Yushiro exclaimed loudly, a burning determination being born within him. Some of his clothes vanished and it was clear that Yushiro was planning on attacking the Quincy. Only this time, he would give it all out. "SHUNKO! BAKUEN MISOU!" Yushiro activated his own Shunko, a large explosion of fire suddenly appearing.

Whereas Yoruichi's and Sui-Feng's Shunko had elements in lightning and wind respectively, Yushiro's Shunko had fire as its main element. It was quite destructive and Yoruichi herself had to admit that she was amazed with how powerful Yushiro's Shunko had grown. But at the same time, she was also displeased with her younger brother having a short fuse, in a same manner as Sui-Feng. But all things considered, Yushiro had dealt quite a blow to Askin.

"Geez, way to think before charging in. If I hadn't gotten to him first, how do you even know that type of attack would have been effective against him?" Yoruichi asked her younger brother while folding her arms.

Yushiro felt slightly embarrassed as he heard his older sister criticizing his methods. "I'm sorry. I really didn't think it that way" the young boy told her, yet he could see she was still not pleased.

"That said, I taught you the Shunko fairly recently. I suppose it's commendable that you were able to develop it this far in such a short amount of time" Yoruichi remarked before she glanced at her younger brother once again, this time forming a slight smile at him. "But I can see that you have potential to be something greater, Yushiro. Never let your emotions get the best of you. If not…..you'll end up becoming the same as Sui-Feng" the purple-haired woman told him.

Yushiro gushed when hearing this. Yoruichi was actually speaking positively about him, even going as far as to consider him slightly better than Sui-Feng. The young boy was filled with so many thoughts, and he didn't know what to say in return.

"Heh! You just taught it to him and he's already mastered it to his extent?" both Yoruichi and Yushiro snapped once they could hear a familiar voice coming from the smoke as it was disappearing. Turning around, both siblings became shocked as they could see Askin still standing and breathing, yet he did sustain some bruises on his body. But then again, he was still alive as they had hoped he would be. "Come now, don't look at me with those faces. I told you, didn't I? I can control the lethal doses of anything that I take in a massive amount of" Askin said while rubbing his face and hair. "But enough of that. I truly must thank you both for bringing upon me a near fatal amount of Spiritual Pressure. Now, your Spiritual Pressures…...will no longer be able to kill me" Askin told them, still feeling overconfident.

As the smoke completely vanished, Yoruichi felt something odd about Askin. "Your wounds…..have they already healed?" she asked, her voice filled with supsicions. Something was not right about this man.

Askin smirked. "Of course. By raising the lethal dosage, I've become immune. Honestly, I don't think you have the luxury to be shocked" he told Yoruichi. "After all, if you don't hurry now, you'll all be killed….without having left so much as a single scratch on me" the Sternritter taunted the Shihoin-siblings.

While Yoruichi remained calm, Yushiro was still furious over listening Askin's insults. He simply responded by charging towards the Quincy, activating his Shunko in the process.

"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOUR ABILITIES ARE, BUT THIS ENDS NOW! SHUNKO!" Yushiro yelled as he activated his flames. Askin remained unfazed and proceeded to walk towards the young boy as if he wasn't scared.

"WAIT, YUSHIRO!" Yoruichi yelled at her brother to make him stop, but it was too late. He was already on the offensive and launched an attack on Askin by punching his stomach. But once his fist connected to the Quincy's stomach, it didn't budge.

Yushiro was stunned as he saw this, yet Askin remained calm while glancing at the boy with slightly bored eyes. "You simply don't get it, do you? I've already taken that head on earlier" he told Yushiro, who was too paralyzed at the moment. The reason for that was because of three Heilig Pfiels suddenly piercing through Yushiro's body from the behind. Askin smirked as he proceeded walking. "So I've already "acquired that immunity" Askin told Yushiro, who fell onto his knees sprouting blood from his mouth, much to his older sister's distress.

"YUSHIRO!" Yoruichi screamed as she ran towards her paralyzed brother, but stopped once she could hear the voice coming from Askin once again.

"You were too late. Just as I suspected, it took you far too long to finally realize my true power" Askin said before turning around to glance at the woman smugly. "That is lethal…Yoruichi Shihoin" the Sternritter told her, finally having the upper hand against the Shinigamis.

* * *

 _In another district of Wahrwelt_

With his comrades already focused on their own battles, Sternritter W – The Wind: Nianzol Weizol, was wandering the icy streets all by himself. Unbeknownst to him, the district he was currently in had been untouched by the ongoing conflict between Shinigamis and Quincies. At this rate, Nianzol was alone. But that didn't matter to him. All that mattered to the long-haired boy was to find the intruders and put them out of their misery.

"This sucks! How long till I find an intruder!?" Nianzol said impatiently. "Lille and the others probably sent me here because they knew I wouldn't find anyone. Those sons of bitches! This will be the last time I'm listening to them!" he lamented on how he had been foolishly told by Lille to search this district for any opponents. In Nianzol's mind, he had been tricked so that his fellow Schutzstaffel could enjoy their opponents.

So far, it didn't seem that Nianzol had taken notice of Lille being defeated, or that he was at least out of the game. But that didn't matter to him. Truth be told, Nianzol pretty much despised his fellow Sternritters, even Haschwalth. But he knew better than to challenge those who were powerful than him, especially Pernida. The only Sternritter Nianzol considered as a friend of his, was Gremmy. But then again, he thought that way because Gremmy was the only one who seemed to be talking to him.

"Man! I really miss Gremmy sometimes. Is he really dead as His Majesty say he is?" Nianzol wondered as he kept walking through the streets. "Wherever he is, I sure hope we can meet each other sometime" the Sternritter added, never stopping with his feet.

However, Nianzol did stop once he could hear voices coming from an alleyway he was passing by. The young boy stopped and turned to his left side to see what was in the alleyway. From the looks of it, this alleyway would take him through narrow passageways between the icy buildings. Hoping that he had finally stumbled upon intruders, Nianzol decided to check it out, considering that he had nothing to do anyways.

"Those voices sound familiar somehow. Who are they?" Nianzol wondered as walked through the passageway until he reached its end. He would have to make a left turn to continue walking through this alleyway. Like the one he had just passed, it also had an end, yet he could continue by turning right. Furthermore, as Nianzol got closer to it, he could now hear the voices clearly and who they belonged to. "No freaking way…..are those…." Nianzol asked while taking a brief peek from the corner to see who it was in the alleyway. His usually lazy eyes widened in surprise.

Standing at the end of the alleyway, which was a dead end, were three Sternritters. They were Sternritter P – The Power: Meninas McAllon, Sternritter U – The Underbelly: NaNaNa Najakhoop and Sternritter T – The Thunderbolt: Candice Catnipp. From what Nianzol could tell, Candice was now throwing a fit, as she was seen arguing with NaNaNa. Meninas simply stood on the sidelines and watched the fighting escalate.

"Damn it, NaNaNa! This is all your fault!" Candice snapped at the lean man with the orange glasses.

"Mah fault!? Bitch, how da hell is it mah fault!?" NaNaNa barked back at the blonde-haired woman.

Candice folded her arms dispassionately. "I told you to hold off those damn guards so that I could join Lil and Gigi with getting to the throne room! But you had to screw it up, as usual!" she reprimanded her fellow Sternritter. "And because of that, we were left with no choice but to retreat! Fuck!" she cursed.

"But Candi, we didn't follow with what Lil suggested to us" Meninas spoke up lowly, trying to immediate between Candice and NaNaNa. "She suggested that we should've infiltrated Silbern instead of launching a full-scale assault on the courtyard. I think I know begin to see why we were foolish" the bubblegum-haired girl remarked as she thought about their mistakes.

But Candice simply scoffed at her statement. "Don't give me that crap, Meni. Even if we did choose to infiltrate, it wouldn't have worked anyways. How were we supposed to know that Yhwach had created an entire new army at his behest, let alone revive more Sternritters to beat us!?" she told her in return.

"It couldn't be helped, Candi. All of us just made a serious miscalculation" Meninas tried to calm her down.

"Me making a serious miscalculation? Hell naw! The only thing dat made our assault go wrong was because of those Sternritter showing up. I mean, dat mothafucka Driscoll was there! Dayum, I hate him" NaNaNa exclaimed while remembering how their assault on Silbern failed miserably.

"But what do you think happened to Lil and Gigi, as well as the zombies that followed them? And Bazz-B…..he too was with us" Meninas spoke up.

Candice sat against the icy wall and faced the ground with a miserable expression on her face. "The last time we saw Bazz-B, he was holding up against Haschwalth. Who cares what happened to him? He was just a hotheaded dumbass anyway!" she told her friends while having a low opinion on Bazz-B. "And who knows what happened to Lil and Gigi? None of them have returned since we fled, so it's safe to assume that they're also dead" Candice added.

"Then I guess it's only us three now" NaNaNa spoke up, his spirit also feeling quite shattered. "Dayum! And I only wanted to give Yhwach some ass-whoopin'! I ain't dyin' until dat mothafucka has his white ass getting fisted!" the lean Sternritter told both girls.

Neither of the girls didn't like the words NaNaNa was using in how to make Yhwach pay, and they simply decided to ignore him, although Candice was not above in leaving some insults for him to listen.

"You really have a peanut for a brain, NaNaNa" Candice remarked.

"So this is where you guys are!" the three Sternritters all snap in shock as they can see who is standing before them. It's Nianzol, the young boy glancing at them smugly with his two tongues stuck out of his mouth. "How're you doing?" he then asked them.

"WHAT…..HOW DID HE….." Candice was furious over what she was seeing.

"It's Nianzol….how creepy" Meninas noted with a concerned voice.

"You punk-ass, bitch-ass son of a bitch! You're one of Yhwach's Schutzstaffel!" NaNaNa said before pointing a finger towards Nianzol. "I was robed off mah power in order to resurrect your ugly, white ass!" he then said, still remembering Yhwach's Auswählen.

Nianzol simply began poking his right ear. "Ummmm…..thanks….I guess" he then said in response, which only infuriated the Sternritters before him.

"YOU GOT SOME BALLS SAYING THAT TO US, GIVEN THAT YOU'RE FAR AWAY FROM YWHACH, HASCHWALTH OR ANY OTHRES!" Candice yelled while lighting sparked from her right hand. "I'M GONNA FRY YOU TO CRISPS AND THEN MAKE TROPHIES OUT OF THOSE TONGUES OF YOURS!" the blonde-haired woman yelled as she prepared to face off against him.

Meninas was feeling concerned over her friend acting so confrontational. "Wait, Candi! Perhaps we can come to an agreement…" Meninas stopped when Candice glared at her angrily.

"AN AGREEMENT!? WITH HIM!? THIS ASSHOLE WAS ONE OF THOSE WHO STOLE OUR POWERS!" she snapped at her.

Despite this, Meninas remained calm. "That was Yhwach's doing….not theirs" she then tried to shift the blame, but it was too late or that.

Nianzol only glanced at those three Sternritter with a smug expression. "I get it now. The rebellion has failed, and you seem to have fled from Silbern" he said and began taking small steps towards the trio. "All who dares defy against His Majesty shall pay! And that includes for you three" the long-haired man then said while getting confrontational with them.

NaNaNa was standing his ground while preparing that ability of his. "Come any closer and I'm gonna make you sit on yo ass! And believe me, I ain't foolin' around!" the lean man warned the little boy.

Nianzol only chuckled before moving closer, even reaching out his arms towards the trio. "All of you know what happens when you go near me. And I see that you're at the end of the line here. So allow me to make you feel comfortable by blowing you off too….." Nianzol was about to take a step towards them, only to stop, as if he was getting pierced. It didn't take long before Nianzol finally fell onto the ground.

The trio of Shinigamis could then see a Reishi Arrow being stuck on the young boy's back. It made them all surpised and they both wondered who it was that could've done that. It had to be a Quincy, but who?

"That will silence him for a while. This specialized Reishi Arrow I made will get him to sleep for an hour. It's a good thing that I did that now that he back was against me. If not, it would've been impossible to pull this on him, given his ability" the voice came from around the corner. From there, three Quincies emerged. The three Sternritters were stunned to see who that person was in the middle. It was Uryu Ishida, the Prinz von Lichts. He was accompanied by two scientists: Reinhart and Kana Kido. They all approached the trio, who were still on the defensive, given that they knew him to be one of Yhwach's trusted subordinates. "Rest easy, Sternritters. We mean you now harm" Uryu insisted to them.

"Don't give us dat bullshit! We've heard the same thing from Yhwach! And look where dat got us!" NaNaNa spoke up.

Uryu still acted calm when being confronted about this. "I have my own individuality as a Quincy. Though I may carry His Majesty's blood within me, I am still me" the four-eyed man told them. "So please, lower your guards. I only wish to talk. Do not forget, I just silenced Nianzol for you right now" he then pointed out to the trio.

As much as the trio of Sternrittes wanted to attack Uryu, they some merit in his words. True, Uryu was an outsider, as well as the Crown Prince of the Wandenreich. But right now, he had "saved" them from getting picked on by Nianzol. Reluctantly, the Sternritters lowered their guards.

"Alright! We'll talk" Candice said, her eyes glaring at Uryu and his cohorts. "But know this, Prince Uryu! We're only doing this because of you silencing Nianzol. Nothing else!" she snapped.

Uryu smiled, feeling satisfied over seeing how reasonable these Quincies actually were, despite their different attitudes and appearances. "I appreciate your willingness to engage in dialogue. Believe me, it is more beneficial to you than wasting energy on fighting" the raven-haired man told them before moving on to more pressing matters. "Candice Catnipp, Meninas McAllon and NaNaNa Najakhoop. I have heard about the unfair treatment you three received from His Majesty. As crown prince, I am absolutely horrified about how he would use Auswählen on those who contributed greatly to our campaign against the 13 Court Guard Squads. And know that I don't condone his actions" Uryu revealed to them with a sympathetic expression on his face.

While Meninas was stunned to hear how Uryu was honest about feeling remorse for them, Candice and NaNaNa were still not convinced. The Auswählen had left them embittered over serving the Wandenreich.

"Just get to the point, already! I don't like to mince words!" Candice blurted out in irritation.

"Yeah, we ain't falling for your crocodile tears, dawg! Dat shit's old-school!" NaNaNa said.

"Very well, if you insist" Uryu told them, giving them his trademark cunning smile. "I know that you along with some other Sternritters had planned on breaking into Silbern and take revenge on Yhwach. But that rebellion ended in failure. However, do not give up hope yet. The door has not yet been shut" Uryu insisted to them.

"What are you talking about?" Meninas asked before Uryu suddenly snapped his fingers. Kana then began holding three small white bags of something and it made the Sternritters intrigued. "And what are these bags?" the young girl asked them.

Uryu glanced at Kana. "Kana, if you don't mind" he told her and the blonde-haired woman gave Uryu one of the bags. The four-eyed man opened it and began reaching for something, which made the Sternritters interested. "These small chips may not look like they're dangerous…..but they actually are. You get where I am going with this, right?" he asked them smugly.

"I'm not impressed" Candice told him flatly while folding her arms. "But enough of your smugness, just tell us why those things are so goddamn important!" she then snapped.

"You are a jumpy one, aren't you?" Uryu questioned her, yet he decided not to push the girl's buttons. "Very well, the reason why I just saved you from Nianzol, let alone reaching out to you instead of Yhwach's Schutzstaffel, is that I have a favor to ask of you three. Now do you wish to have revenge upon Yhwach?" he revealed to them while adding a question at the end, much to the surprise of the Sternritters. While hesitating at first, both NaNaNa and Candice weakly nodded their head at him in return. "Excellent! Then you will love what I have in store for you. I want each of three to take a bag with these chips in it and scatter them around Wahrwelt. Once all of them have been in place, I can then use them to my advantage and eliminate everyone, including Yhwach" the four-eyed man then revealed.

The Sternritters had to admit they were beyond shocked right now. Why would Uryu entrust this kind of mission to them? It appeared that he had far greater plans than what his superiors knew. Meninas, who had been calm so far, slowly reached out her right hand and grabbed one of the bags. She then nodded hear head at Uryu weakly.

"Wise decision. Let me assure you, these chips will not be any danger to you or your friends. All that I ask is that you travel around Wahrwelt and drop these chips through the main streets. Avoid getting caught by either the Shinigamis or Yhwach's forces. None of them must know of your activity, let alone these chips" Uryu said to Meninas, although he made sure that NaNaNa and Candice got this as well. "And don't worry, with the Gates of the Sun still intact, you will be done with this favor in no time" he then tried to motivate them.

It didn't take long before Candice and NaNaNa also got their bags. But both Quincies were still suspicious about Uryu's motives.

"Fine…..we'll do it" Candice spoke up lowly.

Uryu smile when hearing this. "Marvelous. Then you may begin your quest now. And because of you three doing this for me, I promise I will not reveal your locations to Haschwalth or anyone else. This conversation will be our little secret" he assured them. All those three could hear the honesty in Uryu's voice. Without hesitating, they all vanished from the dead end, leaving Uryu alone with Reinhart and Kana. "Well then, let's continue with what we were doing. We have time on our…." Uryu was about to have a talk with the scientists, until he hear someone calling to him.

"Prince Uryu! Prince Uryu! This is urgent!" Uryu snapped when he and the others could hear the voice belonging to one of the scientists named Hugo. He panted while trying to catch his breath. "I bring you some pressing news! It's about the Substitute Shinigami: Ichigo Kurosaki" the scientist told him.

Uryu's eyes widened behind his glasses. "Son of a bitch! Where is he!?" he spoke up while demanding an answer out of Hugo.

"From what our sources can tell, he's on his way towards Silbern as we speak. Askin Nakk Le Vaar failed to slow him down as we had hoped he would" Hugo answered while kneeling before the prince. "What are your orders?" he asked only to see Uryu, Reinhart and Kana already walking fast through the alleyway. Knowing better than to be left behind, Hugo caught up to them by running.

"Damn that idiot! I can't let him die right now! He needs to be stopped! We're heading back to Silbern this instant. We will let NaNaNa, Candice and Meninas do the work for now" Uryu said while leading the scientists towards the nearest Gate of the Sun. "Ichigo…..forgive me for doing this…..but I must stop you….even if that means…..fighting you" the raven-haired man said.

 _To be continued…_

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 **Author's note: A very terrific chapter! We got to see how Gerard had started terrorizing the Shinigamis, as well as Askin trying to undermine his opponents. But we got a glimpse of what happened to the Sternritter-rebels that fled from the battle, as well as how Uryu was doing. And don't you worry, Nianzol is not dead. He's just taking a nap thanks to Uryu's Reishi Arrow. In the next chapters, I want to either focus on Gerard and his fight against the Shinigamis, or Askin and his fight against Yoruichi. Since Urahara will be joining in on the latter fight, I may plan on doing a flashback chapter with how those two and Tessai were as children. But how I plan on doing that, I must think about.**


	44. Operation Pound and Ground

**Author's note: Inspired by a song from the English power metal band DragonForce, this chapter will tell us about how Gerard had his fight with the Shinigamis. And of course, it's only how the fight happened in my story. And trust me, it will be different from the canon story, in which Gerard will not die. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 44: Operation Pound and Ground**

 _In the icy cityscape of the Wahrwelt, Royal Realm, Soul Society_

The main group of Shinigamis were dealing with the only thig blocking their entry into Silbern: Sternritter M – The Miracle: Gerard Valkyrie. The gigantic Quincy, who was also known to be the Soul King's Heart, had overwhelmed his opponents, easily managing to defeat the majority of the Shinigamis. He had even managed to stand against the group of Vizards. But as he was about to break the place, he was stopped by Rukia Kuchiki, who along with Renji Abarai had activated their Bankais and were now challenging him to fight both of them. Gerard had to admit he was satisfied, given that he was now seeing that not all the Shinigamis were as weak as he had first assumed.

Right now, both Renji and Rukia were trying to avoid getting crushed by Gerard, who had begun chasing them. But in the meantime, the two Shinigami-lieutenants had also begun attacking back. They jumped from boulder to boulder as their opponent constantly tried to catch them.

"HAH! IS THAT ALL YOU CAN DO!?" Gerard taunted them as tried to grab them by his hands. "I AM BEGINNING TO FEEL DISAPPOINTED IN YOU!" he then added more to this taunting.

Rukia narrowed her eyes as she listened to what the Quincy said to them. "His size is enormous. Is there any way to defeat him?" she thought while trying to figure out the weak points in Gerard. "I may have to lower the temperature to below absolute zero. But I feel that I haven't been able to fully master my Bankai yet. How can I…." Rukia was interrupted in her pondering as she could watch something happen with Renji. The black-haired woman was stunned to see what Renji had in mind.

The red-haired man grinned cockily as he faced Gerard. He was now preparing an attack with the help of his Bankai: Soo Zabimaru. Clutching the blade on his right hand, Renji jumped up and towards the gigantic Sternritter. He grinned cockily at Gerard. "SO YOU WANT TO GIVE EVERYTHING I GOT, EH!? WELL GUESS WHAT, ASSHOLE! I'M GONNA GIVE YOU WHAT YOU DESIRE!" Renji yelled as sped right towards Gerard's face. The Quincy tried to grab him with his right hand, only for Renji to send Hihio in order to fend it off. This gave Renji a clear passage to reach Gerard's face and he stabbed his chin. His Zanpakutou was loading and it became clear to the Sternritter that Renji was keen on attacking him. "SUCK ON THIS! SOO ZABIMARU, ZAGA TEPPO!" Renji yelled as his Zanpakutou fired a powerful blast right towards Gerard's face.

The attack was quite explosive and it left a big cloud of smoke in its aftermath. Rukia could only stand and watch in shock from the top of the boulder.

"RENJI!" Rukia yelled out loud as she hoped that her fellow lieutenant had not committed a suicidal move just now. As much as she tried to sweat it didn't help with her Bankai activated. All that was liquid became easily frozen. "That fool….what is he thinking!? But at least he made an effort to attack the Quincy" the young woman noted beneath her breath.

The smoke began clearing itself and Ruika was hoping to be able to see Renji once again. Once it was gone, she did see him, albeit in a very dangerous position right now. Apparently, not even Renji's ability was able to inflect much damage upon Gerard, instead leaving him bruises all across his face. But that was not the most shocking view for Rukia. What was more shocking was the fact that Gerard was suddenly holding Renji in his giant right hand. Rukia's expression was filled with distress as she saw how Renji was getting squeezed by Gerard.

"REEEENJIIII!" Rukia yelled before angrily charging towards Gerard holding her comrade. "LET GO OF HIM, YOU COWARLY BASTARD!" she yelled and jumped towards Gerard, hoping to freeze him by getting closer to Gerard. That was the nature of her Bankai, the power to freeze anything near her to absolute zero.

Despite seeing how angry and determined Rukia was, Gerard did not necessarily seem intimidated or worried. He merely grinned cockily at the Lieutenant of Squad 13. Before Rukia could reach him, Gerard held up his shield, thus blocking her from saving Renji. The gigantic Sternritter proceeded to charge Rukia with his shield, thus sending Rukia flying towards the nearest rooftop of a building.

Gerard laughed cockily as he saw Rukia struggling. "HOW FOOLISH OF YOU! DID YOU REALLY THINK THAT YOU AND YOUR ICE TRICKS WOULD BE ENOUGH TO STOP THE LIKES OF ME!?" Gerard asked her tauntingly while holding up Renji for her to see. The Lieutenant of Squad 6 howled in agony as Gerard began squeezing him slightly. "NOW STAND AND WATCH, AS I SQUASH THIS LITTLE NOISY GNAT LIKE AN THAT'S ABOUT TO EXPLODE!" Gerard then told Rukia, who felt powerless to stop him now.

Renji was howling in pain and blood was even beginning to sprout out from his mouth. But he was in for a surprise when he could feel himself falling in the air. It didn't take long for Renji to realize that he was indeed falling from the air. Gerard had released him somehow. He could see what it was before crash landing onto the pile of rubbles beneath him.

Gerard's face was covered by thousands of cherry blossom blades and they functioned as a cloud blinding Gerard. This surprise attack enabled Gerard to lose focus on squeezing Renji. Both Shinigami-lieutenants knew who it was that was attacking Gerard just now. It was Captain of Squad 6: Byakuya Kuchiki.

Rukia watched in surprise as her adoptive brother arrived on the rooftop she found herself sitting on. Having just gained consciousness after being stuck by Gerard earlier, Byakuya had immedaitley stepped in to help save Renji, instead of focusing on killing Gerard. That was the reason he had first activated his Shikai.

"Brother…." Rukia uttered out the word lowly as she watched Byakuya control his Shikai.

Byakuya fixed his gaze upon her. "It is a good thing I arrived here as soon as I could. It seems to me that we have all foolishly underestimate this Quincy" he told her. But both the Kuchikis' attentions were fixed upon their enemy, as he many cherry blossom blades soon vanished. Gerard removed them while roaring up in the sky. As expected from Byakuya, it wasn't powerful enough to remove the skin on Gerard's face. But then again, he had only used his Shikai to save Renji from Gerard's grip. "We cannot hope to defeat him with only Lieutenant-level Shinigamis. As powerful as you and Renji have become, it will not be enough to defeat him. We will have to work together the three of us. But I am confident that the rest of the Shinigamis will join in the fight when they can" Byakuya then suggested to Rukia.

Rukia had to smile when she heard him say that. "My thoughts exactly" she told him. Rukia then took notice of Renji standing down on the pile of rubbles. "Oh, and your lieutenant is standing there. Shall I go and help him?" she asked Byakuya, who sighed lowly in return.

"No. Renji is a strong lieutenant. Don't underestimate his strength" Byakuya told her before glancing at him strictly. "You should rather concentrate on yourself in the fight. What Renji got himself into was his own undoing" he then added to his advice.

"Right…..forgive me" Rukia responded in return, before concentrating on Gerard, who had finally paid attention to the Kuchikis standing on the rooftop.

"I WILL CRUSH YOU LIKE ANTS!" Gerard roared before moving his giant right hand to grab the two of them.

Both Kuchiki's readied their Zanpakutous, preparing themselves for the battle to come. But before Gerard's hand could even reach them, it was cut off and fell onto the street. The Sternritter was outraged when he saw what had happened to his hand.

Both Rukia and Byakuya could hear a familiar laugh coming nearby their location. It was none other than Kenpachi Zaraki, Captain of Squad 11. But he was not alone, as he was accompanied by Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Captain of Squad 12. Both captains were having rather not so enthusiastic expressions on their faces.

"What the hell's this!?" Kenpachi asked as he managed to get a glimpse of Renji, Rukia and Byakua. "Are you guys holding hands and singing kumbaya? I think I'm gonna barf!" the aggressive man said sarcastically.

Mayuri only sighed when hearing Kenpachi's words. "Do your sentences always have to be sarcastic, Zaraki? I am beginning to grow tired of them" the scientist asked Kenpachi.

Kenpachi only grinned cockily when hearing this. "So you don't like them? Good, cause that's the point" he told Mayuri, who only fumed in irritation by that answer.

Rukia was filled with surprise and relief by seeing the two captains arrive on the scene. "Captain Zaraki. Captain Kurotsuchi. They're both here…..." Rukia uttered out beneath her breath, her eyes fixated upon the two.

Byakuya only sighed deeply when noticing them arrive. "Terrific….just when I thought things couldn't get any worse" the black-haired man remarked with no enthusiasm when seeing Kenpachi and Mayuri.

While Gerard was busy feeling the agony over losing his hand, Kenpachi and Mayuri joined their fellow Shinigamis, with Renji also meeting up. Kenpachi was keen on telling the three what he and Mayuri had been doing before arriving at their location.

"So that's pretty much it" Kenpachi said to them while feeling it was not that big of a deal. Ikkaku and Yumichika is also with us, but I dispatched them to carry Yamada to where they could feel Kotestu's Spiritual Pressure. They should be joining us soon" he added to his conclusion.

"Hmm….nice story" Renji said with sarcasm in his voice.

Byakuya glanced at both Kenpachi and Mayuri with dispassionate eyes. "Neither of you shouldn't have waited till arriving in the Royal Realm. We were supposed to lay siege to Silbern together" the Captain of Squad 6 told them.

"Hey. I told you, me and the boys just had a toilet visit while you were passing through the gates. It was only a coincidence that we stumbled upon Kurotsuchi standing there" Kenpachi insisted.

"Still, both of you disobeyed a direct order from the head-captain himself" Byakuya pointed out to them.

Mayuri only narrowed his eyes when hearing this coming from Byakuya. "Shut your mouth, Kuchiki. If you must know, then I will tell you that me and Nemu conducted a research after arriving in the Royal Realm. As such, I was doing you all a favor" the Captain of Squad 12 told Byakuya before pointing his finger at Gerard. "And besides, how could you even plan a siege on the palace when that thing prevents you from accomplishing such?" he then pointed out to them.

The Shinigamis were stunned to see that Gerard's right hand was suddenly regenerating itself. Gerard mused to himself on seeing this. "MY RIGHT HAND…...HAS GROWN STRONGER THAN EVER!" he boasted with pride, no longer feeling the agony several minutes ago.

Both Kenpachi and Mayuri were surprised to see this, unlike Byakuya, Rukia and Renji. "Now this is indeed intriguing. What just happened? Is this a new type of regeneration technique that Quincies use? I never recall them being capable of something like that" Mayuri questioned as he looked up.

"It is his ability. Any part of his that is wounded or decapitated regenerates and comes back stronger and more massive" Byakuya replied to Mayuri's question, while making sure Kenpachi listened to this as well.

"I see. Then I take it this Quincy was a lot smaller when you first met him" Mayuri spoke up, even going as far as to form a cunning grin underneath his lips. "But now, he is enormous. Perhaps this Quincy could be a perfect specimen. His power astounds even me" the scientist admitted, once again expressing his desire to research someone. But as he said those words, he could not help bot to notice Byakuya chuckle to himself in amusement. Although Mayuri first thought about ignoring it as a mere childishness, he decided to ask what was it that amused someone as stern as Byakuya. "What do you find so amusing? Care to explain it to me, perhaps?" the Captain of Squad 12 told the black-haired man, wanting to know the answers out of him.

Byakuya simply glanced at Mayuri with a smirk. "Nothing at all. I just find it astounding how someone with little power as you, even have the guts to capture something as big as that Quincy for a research. Haven't you ever considered abandoning some of those already?" he questioned Mayuri.

Mayuri only scowled when hearing what the Captain of Squad 6 just asked of him, and he was growing weary of his attitude. "Oh shut up, already. I won't entertain your childish humor. It escapes me" he told Byakuya in return.

"Well isn't this a kick in the balls!?" the Shinigamis could see Kenpachi jump down from the rooftop and preparing to face off against Gerard, drawing out his Zanpakutou. "Now that we know how that guy's ability works, let's what happens when I dice him up into tiny little pieces!" the aggressive captain exclaimed, being hellbent on fighting the Sternritter.

"Hold on…is he serious, right now?" Renji quizzed those around him, not getting what Kenpachi was so enthusiastic about.

Byakuya gritted his teeth in irritation and jumped down to block Kenpachi's path. "Damn that reckless idiot! I can't let him do as he pleases!" the captain noted to himself and as Kenpachi was about to swing his blade, Byakuya did the same thing, so that their blades were clashing. Kenpachi was not pleased when seeing him do that.

"What's your deal, Kuchiki? You better explain yourself. If I hadn't pulled back on my attack just now, I would have split that pretty face of yours in two" Kenpachi said, demanding an answer out of Byakuya for doing this to him.

"You caught on a lot quicker than I expected" Byakuya surprisingly complimented Kenpachi, even though he was not necessarily happy on doing that. "So how about you actually follow that thought through all the way to the end?" he then suggested to his fellow captain.

But Kenpachi only glanced at Byakuya confused, raising an eyebrow in the process. "Huh? The hell are you babbling about?" he asked him, not getting what Byakuya was trying to tell him.

The Captain of Squad 6 sighed before speaking up. "If you make him even bigger than what he is now, what do you think would happen if he were to fall down here?" Byakuya asked, trying to make it simpler for Kenpachi to understand.

"Fuck if I know! I'd be busy falling right alongside that asshole, cleaving him as we went…." Kenpachi replied, although Byakuya was not satisfied with this kind of answer.

"Fool. If someone that massive fell from that height, that would be more than force to obliterate the entire Soul Society!" Byakuya reprimanded him. "Haven't you learned anything from…" before Byakuya could finish, something interrupted their discussion.

It was Gerard, who stomped his enormous foot on the two captains. Apparently, he had taken advantage of their discussion to eliminate them by crushing them beneath his foot. The gigantic Sternritter mused to himself on what he had accomplished, yet could feel that his foot was not even standing directly on the ground. The reason it wasn't, he soon found out. Underneath his right foot, Kenpachi was holding it up with his immense strength. Eventually, Kenpachi managed to push up against Gerard so that he lost his balance and fell on his behind. Gerard's fall crushed many of the nearby buildings.

Now that Gerard was sitting on his back, Kenpachi jumped into the air, preparing to attack the giant opponent with all his might. From the looks of it, he didn't even seem afraid of fighting against the gigantic Quincy.

"I DIDN'T COME HERE FOR A LECTURE!" Kenpachi roared as he held up Nozarashi. "SIZE MATTERS. AND UNLESS YOU'RE READY TO GO BIG, THEN GO HOME! SO FOR STARTERS, I'M GONNA SEE WHAT THE INSIDE OF HIS HEAD LOOKS LIKE!" the aggressive man exclaimed, his hunger for battle starting to take hold on him.

Kenpachi slammed his blade on the shield, hoping to cut it into two. But it didn't work. Gerard quickly slammed him away with the help of his shield, thus sending Kenpachi flying through the buildings.

"CAPTAIN ZARAKI!" Renji yelled as he was stunned to see how Kenpachi was sent flying.

"What an idiot! He never uses his head right!" Mayuri remarked from what he was seeing so far.

Gerard got up on his feet, and began pulling out his Spirit Weapon, for the first time since he had ascended into this giant form. A gleeful expression could be soon on the blonde-haired man's face, and it only indicated that he was feeling happy.

"SOMEONE MANAGED TO TOPPLE ME OVER! THAT IS SOME OBSCENE STRENGHT YOU HAVE, SHINIGAMI!" Gerard spoke up, commending Kenpachi for what he just did. The gigantic Quincy held up his Spirit Weapon, accepting the challenge Kenpachi was giving him. "BUT SINCE YOU ARE THE TYPE THAT ONLY TAKES PLEASURE IN SADISTIC ACTS OF CRUELTY….FOR A POWERFUL INCARNATION OF DARKNESS SUCH AS YOURSELF, I SUPPOSE IT IS FITTING THAT I ALLOW MY HOFFNUNG TO RUST JUST A BIT!" he then added while brandishing Hoffnung for his opponents to see, or perhaps more specifically Kenpachi.

Standing among the smokes covering one of the icy buildings, Kenpachi, who was still alive, only felt satisfaction build in him. Meeting someone as powerful as Gerard only stoked his love for battle.

"I can't believe I couldn't cur it through…..a solid shield…for a solid body…..that just makes me want to cut it all the more!" Kenpachi exclaimed while brandishing his Zanpakutou. He was happy to accept this challenge Gerard was giving him. "Drink. Nozarashi!" Kenpachi activated his Shikai, carrying the blade on his shoulders. He was grinning viciously, feeling the urge to spill blood on the battlefield.

But both Renji and Rukia were stunned to see what changes happened to Kenpachi's blade. They had never seen him activate it before. But that wasn't surprising, given that he had gotten it recently.

"What is that!? Is that Captain Zaraki's….Shikai!?" Rukia asked, her eyes filled with disbelief over what she was seeing.

Renji also had the same reaction. "When the hell did he achieve it!? It's so…..big!" the red-haired man exclaimed.

Mayuri was not surprised, as he had seen, let alone gained knowledge of Kenpachi gaining his Shikai. "You must be pulling my legs. Are you both telling me that neither of you were informed about Zaraki and his preparations for the second invasion? Kyoraku had to convince Central 46 to go along with this plan" Mayuri informed them about this, yet neither of them seemed to understand. The scientist sighed deeply. "My, my, I didn't expect you lieutenants to be that lazy and clueless. I guess being a captain has its benefits" he noted to himself.

"So if this is Zaraki's Shikai, then our assumption that his katana was constantly in its released form erroneous" Byakuya remarked from what he was seeing. "Rather, it means that the constantly released form as we call it…never even existed to begin with" the captain then added to his analysis, although those around him were still not sure of what he was speaking off, even a genius like Mayuri.

They were rather concentrating on Kenpachi, who was charging towards Gerard with Nozarashi in tow. Both of them were eager to give everything they had in this duel and they even clashed with their swords. Surprisingly to the Shinigamis, Kenpachi managed to hold against Gerard, despite the Quincy's enormous seize. The Captain of Squad 11 even succeeded in winning this clash against Gerard and it astounded the Quincy. Kenpachi had managed to leave a dent on his Spirit Weapon. But Gerard was still feeling overconfident against the Shinigami, who had just jumped in the air and was about to strike at him. Gerard grinned smugly.

"FOOLISH OAF! YOU HAVE MANAGED TO LEAVE A DENT ON MY HOFFNUNG!" Gerard said, yet he was not finished. "BUT STILL, THAT LEAVES YOU AS THE LOSER OF THIS CLASH!" the Sternritter then exclaimed with pride.

Kenpachi was in for a surprise when he could feel a cut on his stomach. It caught him completely off guard and forced the Shinigami-captain to land on a nearby building. While the injury was not that serious, it still didn't make sense to Kenpachi why he had received this injury when it was him who had won this clash against Gerard. The long-haired man held onto his bleeding stomach while glaring at his opponent warily.

"What the hell just happened? How did I receive this cut? He didn't even slash me" Kenpachi wondered underneath his breath.

Gerard took notice of Kenpachi feeling confused over what had happened and mused to himself. "Something on your mind, Shinigami? I can tell it by looking at your face. As a matter of fact, why don't I let you in on a little secret?" Gerard asked him tauntingly. "MIRACLES IS MY POWER! AN ABILITY WHICH GIVES FORM TO THE VERY THOUGHTS, FEELINGS AND DESIRES OF THE MASSES!" the Sternitter boasted proudly while telling Kenpachi this. "BEING UNABLE TO DESTROY MY BODY, IT GREW GIGANTIC THROUGH THE FEAR OF THE MASSES. AND MY SWORD HOFFNUNG WAS SHEATHED IN THE HOPE OF THE MASSES. IF IT WERE TO BREAK, THEN IT WOULD ALL FALL INTO DESPAIR!" Gerard added, once again letting his pride get the best of him.

Gerard's explanation was loud enough for the other nearby Shinigamis to hear. But most of them were not sure if they understood Gerard's manner of heroism. But they did get what his ability was.

"I have no idea what that fool is talking about. The only thing I do understand though, is that whatever power he possesses, reason does not apply to it" Rukia commented from what she could understand from Gerard's speech.

Mayuri had to smirk when hearing the young woman's statement. "You are quite observant for being a lieutenant, Kuchiki. I give you points for that. It's good to see that someone at least have the courtesy to understand logic" he commended Rukia, although she didn't so much as respond or even look at Mayuri when hearing this.

After Kenpachi had gotten more information about Gerard and his ability, he couldn't help but to form a cocky smirk underneath his lips. "I see. Well, if I can't shatter your sword, then I'll just have to kill you, plain and simple. Seriously, could you be any more melodramatic? You're like a bad villain cliché! Talking us through all of your plans. What's next on the list? You wanna demonstrate your powers for us? I could give a rat's ass about it, really. Because like it or not, you'll live to regret it!" Kenpachi began opening his mouth badmouthing and taunting Gerard. He simply wanted to try the same thing about being all high and mighty towards others.

Despite seeing how Kenpachi was acting so smug towards him, Gerard didn't seem to pay much heed. Rather, it only encouraged him to say something back at Kenpachi, this time being more sentimental than usual. "I am simply telling you all this because the difference in our power is so overwhelming that you could never hope of overcoming that gap. What's really melodramatic is the fact that you still cannot or have not comprehended this. Therefore, this so-called regret…...will NOT be on my end!" Gerard spoke up in response to what Kenpachi just told him.

The Shinigamis were astounded to see how both Gerard and Kenpachi were having this kind of talk between one another. They didn't even know what to think of it. But as the two opponents were about to charge each other in combat once again, Renji couldn't help but to notice something.

"Is it just me or are these two a match made in heaven…...maybe hell is more appropriate" Renji quizzed his fellow Shinigamis. "I don't know what you guys think, but it seems as if Captain Zaraki has finally found a friend who's similar to him. What difference is there between those two?" the eccentric Lieutenant of Squad 6 added to his question.

"Your humor alludes me, Abarai" Mayuri told him in return, not even bother looking at Renji.

"There is a difference between them, although I can agree with both of them sharing a love for battle" Rukia told her fellow lieutenant. "Kenpachi may come across as a sanctimonious captain, but he knows the interests of both his squad and the Soul Society as a whole" she then told Renji.

Renji only shrugged his shoulders when hearing this and motioned for Rukia to follow him. "I guess we can find this out right now or later. But how about we go and take down this giant bastard alongside Zaraki? Captain Kuchiki is right. We can't defeat him alone" he then told Rukia, who responded by accompanying him. Renji glanced over to Mayuri. "You too, Kurotsuchi. How about you get off your ass and help us take him down?" Renji then tauntingly asked Mayuri before leaving for the fight. The Captain of Squad 12 did not like Renji's tone.

"Mind your tongue, or I will tear it off while you are unconscious!" Mayuri blurted out while unsheathing his Zanpakutou. "Kids these days…...have no respect for their elders…." Mayuri muttered to himself before making his move.

So far, Kenpachi and Gerard were having fun in their duel, with both warriors clashing and exchanging blows. But even though Gerard was now in a huge size, it didn't mean that he was slow. The Sternritter was fast, but so was Kenpachi. The Captain of Squad 11 was also quite resilient, emerging out of the rubbles to continue facing Gerard. Gerard had just managed to dodge his attack, and it only encouraged him to compliment the Quincy.

"WELL LOOK AT THAT! YOU DODGED ME! YOU'RE A HELLUVA LOT FASTER THAN YOU LOOK!" Kenpachi exclaimed loudly towards his opponent.

Gerard had to smirk when hearing this. "AND YOU AS WELL! I HAD PLANNED TO CRUSH YOU WITH ONE GRIP. BUT YOU ARE A SLIPPERY LITTLE BASTARD!" the Quincy rewarded Kenpachi with a compliment of his own.

As they were having fun, both Renji and Rukia snuck up on Gerard from behind, planning on using this distraction to attack the Sternritter. But unfortunately for them, Gerard took notice of their location and reached his left hand towards them, in an effort to swap them away.

"GET LOST, WEAKLINGS! YOU ARE NOT MY OPPONENTS!" Gerard said while moving his hand, yet both lieutenants proceeded towards him, not willing to let him underestimate them so easily.

But before Gerard could even reach both Rukia and Renji, Kenpachi suddenly appeared before the two, swinging them with Nozarashi so that they were sent flying to the ground. Gerard was surprised from seeing Kenpachi doing this, so he returned his left hand to himself.

Rukia and Renji emerged from the pile of boulders, both lieutenants outraged over what Kenpachi just did to them.

"WHAT THE FUCK'S YOUR PROBLEM, ZARAKI!?" Renji angrily asked, furious over being swapped away by Kenpachi instead of Gerard.

"YEAH, HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND!?" Rukia added her dissatisfaction to Renji's.

Kenpachi simply glared down at the two with dispassion in his eyes. "DON'T GIVE ME THAT BULLSHIT! DID I ASK EITHER OF YOU TO INTERFERE IN THIS FIGHT!? FUCK NO! SO FALL BACK OR SOMETHING! DON'T INTEREFERE AGAIN!" Kenpachi said before resuming his fight with Gerard.

Renji and Rukia became only more infuriated to hear Kenpachi's stubborn statement. "That sanctimonious son of a bitch! Who does he think he is!?" Renji muttered beneath his breath before Byakuya suddenly appeared for them, with Mayuri following him suit.

"Don't bother raging against him, Renji" Byakuya urged his lieutenant before looking to see how Gerard and Kenpachi were fighting. "It's pointless to reason with him. When an opponent does not apply to reason, it only makes it more tempting for Zaraki to fight him by himself" the calm-mannered captain explained to both Renji and Rukia.

"We both know that, brother. But we can't just abandon Captain Zaraki and go on without him. We've seen how powerful that Quincy is. This isn't an opponent that Zaraki will be able to defeat by himself" Rukia spoke up with the reason she and Renji were trying to interfere with Kenpachi's fight.

"Your hypothesis may well be true, Kuchiki. And that is not only because your own instincts tell you so" Mayuri told Rukia before pointing a finger at Kenpachi. "If you need real evidence, just take a closer look at Zaraki. He has already taken off his eyepatch, which means, he is currently fighting that Quincy with everything he has so far" Mayuri then revealed something about Kenpachi and it astounded his fellow Shinigamis.

"You're not kidding…he really is…" Renji noted, having not noticed Kenpachi fighting in his full power until now.

"I never noticed it until you said it, Captain Kurotsuchi" Rukia admitted as she got a better look at Kenpachi. "Even by now, he's probably figured out that this Sternritter isn't someone he can bring down without removing that eyepatch of his.

"All the more reason why he should've not prevented you from assisting him" Mayuri noted although he glanced over to look at Kenpachi with his usual disapproving eyes. "But as stubborn as Zaraki is, it may prove a bit of a challenge making him see it that way" he then admitted, not hiding his low opinion of Kenpachi.

Byakuya listened to what his adoptive sister and the scientist just stated. He absolutely agreed with her on how foolish Kenpachi was to take down this gigantic monster all by himself. And more importantly, Kenpachi was also a valuable asset to the 13 Court Guard Squads in their ongoing battle against the Wandenreich. Having cust managed to cut a meteor in half, thus sparing the Sereitei from certain doom, there was no question how important it was to not let Kenpachi die so soon. In fact, he could be one of the Shinigamis playing a role to defeat Yhwach.

"So how's the battle going on so far?" the four Shinigamis were stunned to see Captain Shinji Hirako standing there along with his subordinates: Lieutenant Momo Hinamori, 3rd seat Matsuri Kudo and 4th seat Fujimaru Kudo. But they were not the only ones. Ikkaku Madurame and Yumichika Ayasegawa from Squad 11 were also present, as well as Lieutenant Marechiyo Omaeda from Squad 2. Even the Vizards had also shown up, having survived getting swung at by Gerard. "Sorry for the wait, but we had to catch some snoozes before comin' here. I can already see that Zaraki's holding up pretty good against that tall bastard" Shinji then said while taking a brief glance at the ongoing fight between Kenpachi and Gerard.

"Captain Hirako" both Renji and Rukia uttered out his name together.

"I still see some of you that are missing" Byakuya noted, knowing some of the Shinigamis who was with the main group was not present.

"Don't worry. They're all safe and sound. Me and Yumichika just had to leave Hanataro with Lieutenant Kotetsu and those two Squad 13 members. He's still unconscious and needs to have someone watch over him, which is why we've left him their care" Ikkaku told him while he was referring to both Sentaro Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotestu. The baldheaded man then glanced over to see Kenpachi fighting with the giant Sternritter. "Woah, this Quincy's one hell of a giant. Why haven't you stepped in to help the captain?" Ikkaku suddenly asked those four.

Renji angrily slumped when hearing this. "Oh, we would've gladly stepped in to help Zaraki…...if he wasn't such a selfish asshole, that is!" he told Ikkaku, who only got up to his face in return.

"What was that, pineapple-head!? I dare to call Captain Zaraki that in front of my face! Assuming you have the balls to do so!" Ikkaku snapped as he and Renji got into an argument.

"Oh really!? Then why don't you go help him and see it for yourself!?" Renji hit back at him, thus enraging Ikkaku even further.

Mayuri waved his hands at Ikkaku dismissively. "I will have to take Abarai's side here. Honestly, Madarame. I expected you to at least admit some mistakes, given that you are Zaraki's buttslave" the scientist spoke up.

"Shut it, pedo clown!" Ikkaku spat at him.

"Alright! Break it up! We ain't got time for this bitching!" Shinji called on those three to stop with whatever stupidity they did. "We gotta find a way to assist Zaraki without pissing him off. Any of you got any ideas so far?" the blonde-haired man asked.

"I do, as a matter of fact" Rukia spoke up, thus gaining everyone's attention. She then looked at Byakuya. "Brother. I'm going to find an opening in their fight and freeze that goliath. When that happens, I want you and some others to smash him to pieces with whatever your Zanpakutous can produce. I may have not mastered by Bankai fully yet, but I must give it a try. Please help me with this" Rukia told Byakuya as he and the others around them listened.

Byakuya weakly nodded his head at her. "You can count my support. But do it fast Rukia. And remember, try not to let your Bankai freeze us. As powerful as it is, it comes with great responsibility" he told her, to which Rukia nodded her head as a yes.

"It doesn't sound like a dumb move. But remember, we better do it quick. Who knows what more that Quincy is capable of" Hiyori said, agreeing with Rukia's suggestion.

As the Shinigamis had plans on how to defeat Gerard, the Sternritter was still battling Kenpachi toe to toe. But as they clashed blades repeatedly, Kenpachi was struggling to hold his ground. He suffered more bleeding on his body as he managed to cut some of Hoffnung. Gerard could see this and grinned in amusement.

"WHAT'S WRONG!? IS THE POWER OF YOUR BLADE, WANING!?" Gerard tauntingly asked Kenpachi before taking a glance at his Spirit Weapon. "I GUESS IT CAN'T BE HELPED! ENGAGING IN AN ALL-OUT BATTLE WIHTOUT LETTING ANY NICKS BEFALL ONE'S SWORD WAS FUTILE FROM THE START! IF WE ARE GOING TO CROSS WORDS, BLADES WILL GET CHPPED! I'LL JUST BE SURE TO CARVE THAT "DESPAIR" INTO YOUR BODY!" the Sternritter explained to his opponent.

Gerard pushed Kenpachi away, yet the Shinigami had enough power to jump from the nearby building with his feet, thus dashing towards Gerard in fast speed. The Sternritter was amazed from seeing how determined Kenpachi was as a warrior.

"WHAT TENACITY! SUCH AMAZING SPIRIT! BUT SPIRIT ALONE CANNOT BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN OUR STRENGHTS!" Gerard exclaimed before tossing Kenpachi to the ground once again, the Captain of Squad 11 landing on it with his stomach.

Just as Gerard thought he was the victor, he noticed something tricky happening above his head. It was the many cherry blossom blades belonging to Senbonzakura, who were commanded by Byakuya. As they tried to hold his right hand, Gerard caught wind of it and proceeded to wipe it off easily.

"I SEE THROUGH YOUR PLOY, BYAKUYA KUCHIKI!" Gerard said before looking to his left side to see Rukia standing there ready to freeze him. But given his fast reflexes, Gerard moved on to attack her. "AND YOU AS WELL, RUKIA KUCHIKI!" he exclaimed before swinging his blade on the building where Rukia was standing on. The Sternritter had discovered about their ploy and he had successfully managed to deal with them.

"I HAVE SEEN THROUGH IT ALL! ABOUT HOW YOU PLANNED ON WAITING FOR AN OPENING TO EXPLOIT! BUT YOUR SCHEME WAS FLAWED!" Gerard said as he exclaimed loudly into the air. "I AM THE GREATEST, FASTEST AND MIGHTIEST OF THE QUINCIES! I AM THE WARRIOR WHO HAS BEEN BESTOWED WITH EVERYTHING! NONE OF YOU SHALL DEFEAT ME!" he added to his exclamation.

The many Shinigamis were stunned, wondering if there was any hope of them defeating Gerard Valkyrie. He was a powerful adversary, one that was capable of defeating all his opponents. Was there any hope for survival? Or was this the end of the line for them all?

While most of the Shinigamis were desperate to come up with something to attack Gerard, Kenpachi, though lying on the ground, was still alive. He saw that his sword was still functioning well, but he felt his life slipping away. The Captain of Squad 11 had suffered serious bleedings and they kept streaming out of his wounds. He continued struggling until he noticed a voice coming from his mind, and it sounded familiar to him.

"So this is it? This is the end of the almighty Kenpachi Zaraki?" the voice came from Kenpachi's own Zanpakutou. Right now, Nozarashi was speaking to him. "What an embarrassment. I had hoped that your story would continue" the voice added, earning him a growl from Kenpachi.

"Shut up…you piece of crap…you don't know anything!" Kenpachi muttered lowly beneath his breath. "And for the record.….what makes you think you know of my story? As far as I can remember, you never tried to talk to me once the moment I held onto you!" the long-haired man told his blade.

A chuckle could be heard coming from the blade and it irritated Kenpachi. "Is that so? Well that is quite ignorant for you to say. I expected a better response from my own host" the voice coming from Nozarashi started to gradually change into a deeper, brutish and devilish voice.

This time, Kenpachi's eyes widened in astonishment. He focused his attention on his Zanpakutou. "Something's not right…who the fuck are you?!…" Kenpachi spoke up lowly, feeling a hint of fear in himself. "You're not the same voice as I've heard from the blade before…and what the hell do you mean by calling me a host!?…I'm no one's host!" the long-haired man added to his statement, still having the strength to speak despite being injured.

The voice coming from Nozarashi chuckled deeply and it sounded very evil and demonic to the Shinigami's ears. "You are indeed, Kenpachi Zaraki. From the day you picked up this blade when you were just a mere child, you allowed yourself to become my host. As did many other Shinigamis whose minds were easy to infiltrate" the voice spoke up. "I always had the ability to infiltrate and manipulate the minds of Humans, Souls and Hollows alike and feed upon their rage and lust for blood. And you, were no exception" the voice continued explaining

Kenpachi gritted his teeth in anger and he was about to throw his blade away, only to notice something happening with his arms. Smoke began emerging from his fingers and it made Kenpachi wonder what was happening with him.

"The fuck…what's happening to my arms!?" Kenpachi demanded while trying to let go of his Zanpakutou. He couldn't let go of it, and it only made Kenpachi slightly stunned to see why he couldn't do it. "Are you serious right now!? What is it you really plan on doing to me!?" the long-haired man wanted answers from his Zanpakutou.

"One day, you will return back where you belong…in the fiery pits of Hell itself! It is there where you will rejoin with us, and more specifically me, Kenpachi Zaraki" the voice from his Zanpakutou called to him and fear was gradually starting to take hold on Kenpachi's eyes. "Now! Rest easy and let me help you. I shall destroy the chains that keeps you restrained from unleashing your potential. Now release your powers! Release your Bankai…..Akushitsuna Nozaraishi!" the demonic voice called to Kenpachi and he was suddenly drawn into a powerful release of Spiritual Pressure.

A shockwave erupted around Kenpachi. All the Shinigamis and even Gerard turned their attention to what was happening with the Captain of Squad 11. At the same time, they could feel the enormous amount of Spiritual Pressure coming from the lying captain. Some of the Shinigamis quickly headed for Kenpachi's location, although the release of Spiritual Pressure did prevent them somehow. But once this powerful release of Spiritual Pressure had ended, they all got to see Kenpachi, yet something had happened to him.

"This enormous release of Spiritual Pressure…was that really Zaraki?" Shinji asked, he himself being stunned to feel this power. He along with Renji, Rukia, Ikkaku, Yumichika and Byakuya had managed to approach the location of Kenpachi. From the look of it, he was still alive and breathing, yet he had dramatically changed.

"Holy shit…what the fuck happened just now!?" Ikkaku asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable with what had happened to his captain.

"Look at the captain's skin…...it's red" Yumichika stated, taking notice of how Kenpachi's arms had turned red.

Gerard had also taken notice of Kenpachi's sudden change, yet he remained far from impressed. But then again, he had taken notice of how high his Spiritual Pressure had been raising up. "I noticed there was a sudden uptick in your Spiritual Pressure. But as far as Bankais go, this transformation of yours is minimal at best. If this is what you had up your sleeve.…then I am severely disappointed" the Sternriiter remarked as he took notice of the changes that had happened to Kenpachi. Putting his Spirit Weapon on one of the buildings, Gerard approached the captain. "Surely that mangled sword is a sorry excuse for a Bankai! In the end, you were simply, Kenpachi Zaraki" the Quincy stated before moving to crush Kenpachi with this right fist. "WITH YOUR PATHETIC SWORD IN SHAMBLES AS IT IS, IT WOULD BE A WASTE TO BRING THE GRACE OF HOFFNUNG DOWN UPON YOU! I SHALL DO THE HONORS OF SMASHING YOU INTO OBLIVION MYSELF!" Gerard then exclaimed, feeling determined to end Kenpachi once and for all.

The moment Gerard began making his move, Kenpachi finally began moving up on his feet, showing his face for everyone to see. It horrified his fellow Shinigamis. While Kenpachi still had his wild long hair, his eyes were golden and he had gained multiple black markings across his face and horns on his forehead, causing him to resemble an oni. Even his teeth had changed and they know resembled that of a monster.

"C-Captain!?" Ikkaku uttered out that word in fear.

"W-What's happened to you!?" Yumichika asked, feeling very insecure over seeing his captain in this form.

Kenpachi suddenly roared loudly up in the air like a demonic monster and it was reserved for Gerard, who was about to attack him. The roar was horrifying to hear, and Gerard was in for a stunner when his right arm suddenly loosened itself. He howled in agony as he bled. His giant right arm fell onto the icy buildings. It became apparent that Kenpachi had cut his arm while he was roaring. Gerard held onto his bleeding injury, yet he still was confident.

"FOOL! MUST I SAY IT AGAIN!? CHOPPING MY ARMS OFF WILL GAIN YOU NOTHING!" Gerard pointed out as his right arm began regenerating itself. But to his own surprise, Kenpachi jumped up into the air above him, preparing to land and attack on him once again. Not being able to risk losing another arm, Gerard used his shield as cover. But Kenpachi proceeded to swing his blade near Gerard's shield. To the Quincy's utter shock, the shield was broken in half. Kenpachi's swinging had even managed to leave a huge cut on Gerard, reaching from his throat to his forehead. The Sternritter was filled with disbelief as his forehead and throat were bleeding. "THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE! MY SHIELD HAS BEEN…." Gerard too disturbed at his injuries and the destruction of his shield, that he failed to notice Kenpachi.

The transformed Captain of Squad 11 suddenly held onto Gerard's throat, and proceeded to push the giant Quincy. Gerard was astounded by the immense strength of the Shinigami. Even as he tried to hold onto the ground with this Hoffnung, it didn't help. Gerard was still pushed away by Kenpachi and his monstrous strength. The Shinigamis were not sure of what to make of this.

"My God…he manages to push that giant Quincy with such ease…..." Renji uttered lowly as he watched what he was seeing.

"Yes…...I have never seen such monstrous strength of a Shinigami before…." Mayuri remarked, even he being utterly stunned to see what was happening with his fellow captain. "And truth be told, I have never seen a Bankai such as this" he then added.

"You think you can even call that a Bankai!? Cause I sure as hell don't think it is!" Ikkaku snapped at Mayuri, yet the scientist didn't seem to pay attention to him at all.

"Oh no! Captain Zaraki is pushing the Quincy over the edge!" Yumichika then blurted out with what he saw. The other Shinigamis soon took notice of what he was referring to when saying this.

"Damn! What is that imbecile thinking!?" Byakuya angrily asked. "If that Quincy falls down, everything in the Soul Society will be crumbled, not just the Sereitei!" the Captain of Squad 6 added to his frustration.

Yes, Kenpachi had successfully pushed Gerard off the edge, and the gigantic Quincy was falling down. The group of Shinigamis quickly rushed to the edge and see what would happen. To their utter surprises, Gerard suddenly began growing out feathered Reishi Wings on his back. This enabled him to fly in the atmosphere. However, he was still bleeding seriously from the cuts he had received from Kenpachi. Gerard was feeling embittered over being reduced to this condition, yet he could see Kenpachi standing on the edge.

"Ridiculous…impossible.…...ludicrous…...inconceivable! For a mere Shinigami to be able to best me like this!" Gerard lamented to himself, feeling slightly embarrassed. But it also ignited a burning passion within him. He flew up towards the edge were Kenpachi was standing on, preparing a strike with his Reishi-empowered sword. Gerard would not allow this humiliation to go unpunished. "EVEN IN MY WORST NIGHTMARE…...SUCH AN ABSURD FARCE COULD NEVER HAPPEN!" the Sternritter boasted, believing him to be the knight challenging the beast. Looking up, Kenpachi was still standing there, not moving a muscle. This only lifted Gerard's spirits, convincing him that the Shinigami was afraid to run away. "NO FLEEING WITH YOUR TAIL BETWEEN YOUR LEGS!? THAT IS THE PROOF OF YOUR ABOSLUTE PEAK OF YOUR FOOLISHNESS! NOW, TURN INTO ASH AND BEGO-!" Gerard was about to land his attack on the Shinigami, but he was too late.

Kenpachi had already jumped in the air the minute Gerard was flying over the edge of the platform. It was astounding. Kenpachi cleaved Gerard Valkyrie into two parts of his gigantic body. Those two giant parts soon flew into the icy cityscape, crashing into many buildings. They soon began disintegrating into various forms of Reishi.

The group of Shinigamis only stood there and watched as Kenpachi had been able to defeat a Sternritter that had almost been their end. So far, the red-skinned captain had been standing in silence, not moving a muscle. But that was until he jumped on a pile of rubbles and began roaring up to the skies once again. It was quite horrifying to listen, as it made the Shinigamis wonder whether Kenpachi was still a Shinigami or a demon. As much as they wanted to celebrate, they couldn't. Kenpachi's terrifying form had left them to disturbed to even consider celebrating their victory.

"That howl…...it sounds like that of a monster. What has he become!?" Rukia wondered, herself felling the chills from listening to Kenpachi's demonic roar.

"I don't know…...but something's changed with Zaraki right now. It's as if he no longer is himself" Shinji noted warily before facing those around him. "I think I would be best if we kept our distances between him for now. For safety reasons" the Captain of Squad 5 advised his fellow Shinigamis.

"But Captain Hirako…...you don't suppose that Captain Zaraki will be stuck in that form forever, will he?" Momo asked him like any concerned lieutenant would.

Shinji had to admit he didn't have the right answer to Momo at the moment. But he did feel like opening up to her. "I don't know, Momo. I really don't know. But as I was saying, we're not sure whether that thing is still Zaraki or not. Therefore, it would be beneficial for us to stay the hell away from him until we all know he's…." Shinji was interrupted once he could her the angry voice of Renji speaking up.

"IKKAKU! YUMICHIKA! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO DOING!?" Renji barked loudly when he saw the two members of Squad 11 run towards Kenpachi and the pile of rubbles their captain was standing on. The other Shinigamis were stunned as well, wondering whether those two knew the risk they were taking by approaching their transformed captain without caution.

Ikkaku and Yumichika stood right before the pile, looking up at their captain, who had so far remained silent while glancing out to the skies. Despite them being near him, Kenpachi didn't seem to have taken notice of their arrival. He kept standing up there motionless.

"Captain! Captain Zaraki! Can you hear me!?" Ikkaku opened his mouth to call Kenpachi out. They did not get a response out of him. "Captain! It's us: Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa! Don't you recognize our voices!?" the baldheaded man asked once again.

This time, Kenpachi finally responded by looking over his shoulder to face his subordinates with his golden eyes. Both Ikkaku and Yumichika found this gaze horrendous for them to watch. To them, this didn't seem like the Kenpachi they knew, the one that loved combat, yet had a decent and honorable side as a captain. But this creature with a demonic face and monstrous eyes was not this captain. It was something else.

"Please…...come down here, captain!" Yumichika spoke up while trying to act more soft-mannered towards his superior. "You had a great fight! But it's over now. It's time that you rested for a bit" the flamboyant man added.

Kenpachi turned around to face them fully, thus exposing his red skin for everyone to see. What was also noticeable was the horns that stuck out from Kenpachi's forehead. He was now growling with his monstrous teeth, which stunned both Ikkaku and Yumichika. They wondered what was happening with Kenpachi right now.

"Captain…...are you alright?" Yumichika asked him lowly.

But he and Ikkaku was in for a shock when Kenpachi roared at the two Shinigamis, thus unleashing his terrifying howl of ferociousness. Neither Ikkaku nor Yumichika had any guts to move after hearing this.

"Why are you…..." Yumichika was filled with so many questions, yet he was stunned once he could feel something powerful slash him on his stomach. This didn't come from any enemy. No, it came from Kenpachi himself. Yumichika only stood as he felt blood being spilled upon him.

This was a horrendous thing for everyone to see, especially Ikkaku, who was standing close to his comrade. He could not believe what he was seeing with his own eyes. His captain had just slashed one of his trusted subordinates. By now, tears began to stream besides the pink dots around Ikkaku's eyes.

"YUMICHIKAAAAAAAAAAA!" Ikkaku yelled when seeing what had become of his longtime friend. But he was too distracted to notice Kenpachi coming at him, eventually grabbing Ikkaku by his throat and holding him up against one of the many walls belonging to the destroyed houses. Ikkaku felt like he was being choked. "C-C-CAPTAIN! W-WHY!?" the baldheaded man said, trying his best to remove himself from Kenpachi's captivity. But he was too strong.

The many Shinigamis also had shocking reactions to what was being done right now. "WHAT THE FUCK DOES HE THINK HE'S DOING!?" Shinji angrily demanded from what he was seeing. "HE JUST SLASHED HIS 5TH SEAT, FOR GOD'S SAKE!" the captain added to his frustration.

"WE ALL SAW THAT!" Renji snapped before preparing to move. "WE GOTTA DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! KENPACHI NEEDS TO BE STOPPED BEFORE HE…" Renji was stunned when he could notice that somebody had already taken the initiative to help Ikkaku.

It was Marechiyo, the fat man running towards Kenpachi while holding onto his Zanpakutou: Gegetsuburi. It was a rare sight for him to be acting so brave, considering his cowardly nature. The Lieutenant of Squad 2 was almost near Kenpachi and he prepared himself while running fast.

"HOLD ON TIGHT, MADARAME! I'LL SAVE YOU!" Marechiyo yelled as he suddenly threw his spiked ball right at Kenpachi. "CRUSH! GEGETSUBURI!" the chubby man yelled as he did that, thus activating his Shikai.

Marechiyo slammed the spiked ball right on Kenpachi's head. Considering that Kenpachi had been focused on Ikkaku, the sneak attack forced him to focus his attention on the stout man. Therefore, he let go of Ikkaku and turned his demonic gaze upon a scared Marechiyo. From what Marechiyo could tell, his attack had not even landed a damage upon Kenpachi. He was incredibly durable, even on his head.

"Oh fuck…...OH FUCK!" Marechiyo exclaimed out in shock as he took some steps backwards. The courage that had previously existed in him, was now gone. "COME ANY CLOSER AND I'LL SLAM YOU AGAIN!" he then told Kenpachi, who simply growled at him in return.

But it was too late. Kenpachi dashed towards Marechiyo and punched him right in the face, thus sending him flying towards the wall of a building. He crashed into it and Marechiyo could be soon lying amongst the rubbles with his face covered in blood.

"OMAEDA!" Shinji asked while taking a glance at back at Kenpachi. He could now see that the while Marechiyo had somehow distracted Kenpachi, Matsuri and Fujimaru had used this opportunity to help Ikkaku up on his feet. In the meantime, Momo, Rukia and Renji were seen trying to carry the gravely wounded Yumichika. Seeing his subordinates doing this worried Shinji greatly. "THOSE MORONS! WHAT ARE THEY THINKING!?" the Captain of Squad 5 wondered to himself, feeling very stressed,

Unfortunately for those Shinigamis, Kenpachi took notice of them moving away with both Ikkaku and Yumichika and they all froze.

"AH SHIT! HE'S NOTICED US!" Renji cursed while glancing over to Rukia and Momo. "WE GOTTA HURRY UP!" he told them while making sure the Kudo-twins also understood the message.

Kenpachi was about to charge towards the group of Shinigamis, with them knowing how he was much faster than them with this monstrous speed he had been given thanks to this new form of his. However, something prevented from him from going after the group, as if someone was restraining his moves.

"BAKUDO 9: GEKI!" the voice came from Hachigen Ushoda who was now performing a Kido-spell upon Kenpachi. This Kido-spell permeated a red energy, that engulfed Kenpachi, thus paralyzing the transformed Shinigami. Hachi held his breath while concentrating on holding Kenpachi. "RUN! ALL OF YOU! RUN WHILE I'M HOLDING ZARAKI PARALYZED! TAKE THOSE TWO TO SOME PLACE SAFE!" the tall man then called out to Renji and the others. The Shinigamis responded by moving as fast as they could.

Hachi was joined by his fellow Vizards, as well as Byakuya, Mayuri and Shinji. "Nice work, Hachi! That'll slow him down for sure!" Shinji commended his efforts, only to see how Hachi was struggling to hold Kenpachi under his control. The transformed Shinigami was now trying to break himself loose of the Kido-spell.

"It's no use! Zaraki is too powerful to restrain! Somehow, this new form of his has only increased his Spiritual Pressure! He'll soon break loose from my Geki!" Hachi told his comrades while sweating intensively.

"Now this is just fucking perfect!" Hiyori blurted out from what she was seeing. "We finally manage to get rid of that giant-ass Quincy, only to have another problem ahead of us!? Just what the hell's going on right now!?" the young girl asked her comrades impatiently.

"Yeah, we can't continue going into the palace now that we've got this on our hands" Love stated, agreeing with Hiyori's sentiment.

"That is true" Byakuya spoke up before facing Kenpachi. "But remember, we cannot afford to lose Kenpachi Zaraki in this battle. He is one of the main assets of the 13 Court Guard Squads. If we kill him now, it would deprive us of a chance to take on Yhwach and the Wandenreich! We must spare Zaraki" Byakuya then encouraged his fellow captains.

"A valuable asset, you say? You are not the first one to have said that, Kuchiki" Mayuri pointed out to Byakuya, who merely glanced at him sternly in return. "Can't you see what is happening right now? This exactly what we of the Court Guard had feared long ago. That when Zaraki would unlock and master his potential power…he would then turn against us!" the scientist then explained.

"Hold on just a damn minute! What are you saying?" Shinji wanted some answers out of Mayuri.

Mayuri glared at his fellow captain with dispassionate eyes. "Idiot! Has your time away from the Soul Society made you forget about what the late Head-Captain Yamamoto once feared!? He along with the Central 46 were worried about Kenpachi unlocking his potential, which is why they refrained from educating Kenpachi further. Apparently, they all understood the danger of keeping him among the Sereitei and decided not to let him learn more about his Zanpakutou" the Captain of Squad 12 filled in for Shinji.

"Yamamoto is no longer with us, Kurotsuchi" Byakuya pointed out to him sternly. "And as for Kenpachi learning about his Zanpakutou. It was necessary! Have you forgotten about the meteorite that could have destroyed the Sereitei? Because of Kenpachi learning his Zanpakutou, we were all spared from destruction!" he then told Mayuri.

"You have a point there, Kuchiki" Shinji remarked before glancing at Kenpachi struggling himself to free himself from Hachi's Kido-spell. "However, we didn't expect Zaraki to learn his Bankai or whatever the hell that form is. While a part of me tells me to feel happy that we achieved victory over that Quincy, another part of me tells me that this is a tragedy rather than a victory. So many things are going on right now!" he then said.

Hachi was still trying to hold his leash on Kenpachi, but it was no use. It a powerful roar, Kenpachi unleashed his Spiritual Pressure and it undid the Kido-spell, eventually causing Hachi to fly backwards. His comrades saw this in awe.

"HACHI!" Hiyori blurted out, surprised by seeing someone as tall as Hachi being sent flying into the air. But the young girl and the others soon turned their attention to Kenpachi, who now had his attention on the group of Shinigamis that dared face him.

"Damn it…we're screwed!" Love said worryingly.

"Not yet!" the voice came from Hiyori as she activated her Hollowfication. Love, Lisa and even Shinji did that as well. "We're not done here yet! None of us are finished until we stop breathing air! So we're gonna all hold that bastard off as long as we can! Is that understood, Shinji!? No more monkeying around!" Hiyori snapped impatiently as usual.

Shinji only sighed in irritation when hearing what she said. "Geez, I'd hope you would take a break from bashing me for once!" he said before looking over to both Byakuya and Mayuri. "Alright. We better do this quick. We need to find a way to calm Zaraki down before he does something….." the eyes that could be seen in Shinji's Hollow-mask widened when he could feel something moving fast near him and his fellow captains.

All the three captains could see that Kenpachi had successfully managed to cleave away the three Vizards, even as they were ready to confront him. His speed surpasses theirs and they were all sent flying towards the rubbles.

"HIYORI! LOVE! LISA!" Shinji screamed in shock as he watched Kenpachi being ready to charge towards them. The red-skinned demon was now ready and he wasted no time. In desperation, Shinji activated his Shikai. "COLLAPSE….SAKANA…" Shinji was stunned when he and Byakuya could see that somebody had already stabbed him in his abdomen.

It was Mayuri, the smug captain over Squad 12 having reached out to stab Kenpachi with his Zanpakutou. It was astounding to see why this stabbing made the transformed Kenpachi stop completely. The scientist panted as he began tapping his fingers on the Buddha-face on his Zanpakutou.

"Ashisogi Jizo: Kyodoyon" Mayuri said, with Kenpachi still not moving a bit.

"Hold on…what are you…" Shinji asked lowly.

"DAMN IT, KUROTSUCHI! I TOLD YOU THAT WE NEEDED HIM ALIVE, NOT DEAD! IS THIS….." Byakuya's angry voice was interrupted by the voice of Mayuri.

"You two may want to cover your ears now. The screech will hurt your eardrums" Mayuri suddenly advised the two captains. Before they knew it, the Buddha-face on his Zanpakutou began screaming so loud, that it forced both captains to cover their ears. But this scream affected Kenpachi and for some reason, he began losing consciousness. As soon as Mayuri pulled his blade out of Kenpachi, the transformed Shinigami fell onto the ground, but that was not all. His red skin began vanishing and Kenpachi was reverted back to his normal self. Mayuri sighed once he could see his work finished. "My, my, that was a close one. I figured that the only thing that could make Zaraki come back to his senses, was if I could paralyze the one who's controlling him. I never thought that I would have to use this ability to shut him down" Mayuri then stated, making sure his fellow captains listened to this as well.

"Damn…...you just returned him back to normal" Shinji remarked when seeing Kenpachi's unconscious body. He then groaned in slight irritation. "Tch, what a pain in the ass, we might as well begin carrying him to Kotetsu for treatment" the blonde-haired man groaned.

"That is unnecessary, Hirako" Mayuri stated, making both Shinji and Byakuya confused. "I may have stabbed his body, but I was only paralyzing the one who took hold on Zaraki. This means that the real Zaraki will come back to his consciousness from 3….2….1.." the scientist began a countdown and Kenpachi could be heard coughing as he awoke.

The long-haired man lifted his head up to see his fellow captains standing there. "Ahhhh my head…it feels like someone banged my head with a mace…what the hell happened?" Kenpachi asked as he noticed something else. "Speaking of which…..where's that cocky Quincy? I'd love to give him an asswhopping" he then wondered while looking around.

"You don't remember it? You don't remember how you defeated him?" Byakuya asked Kenpachi, feeling surprised over seeing how he seemed to have forgotten what happened.

"Tch, remember what, pretty boy? The only thing I remember is that giant bastard slamming me to the ground" Kenpachi muttered beneath his breath as he slowly got up on his feet.

None of the captains knew what to make of this. But at the very least, they had stopped Kenpachi from wreaking havoc upon the Shinigamis. Now, they had free passageway to Silbern. But given how this fight had taken a toll upon the Shinigamis, they decided to rest and see to that those injured were being treated. But was Gerard really defeated as they had thought? The answer to that, was a no.

Somewhere hidden among one of the towers belonging to the imposing palace of Silbern, a sweaty and panting Gerard Valkyrie could be seen overlooking the damages he had caused during his fight against the Shinigamis. For some reason, Gerard had reverted back to his normal size. Either way, he was not dead yet. After barley escaping death at the hands of Kenpachi, Gerard had fled to this imposing tower belonging to the palace, where he was given an opportunity to watch the fight between Kenpachi and his fellow Shinigamis unfold. His reaction, was that of a satisfaction.

"Hmmm…...I may have suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of you, Kenpachi Zaraki. But I must thank you. Thank you for doing the job in attacking your intruders" Gerard mused to himself while thinking over what he had seen. "Enjoy your short-lived victory for now, Shinigamis. I will be back. But this time…instead of me coming to you…...you will all come to me. Then, I will gladly show you how truly powerful I am…...with my godly powers…...not my godly size!" the Sternritter then exclaimed, being eager to battle these Shinigamis once again.

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Author's note: That was a great chapter. It was how my fight with Gerard went. And trust me, the reason for why it differs greatly from the canon is obvious. I didn't want Gerard to be a Yammy-like character. That sounded quite repetitive. So instead, I wanted to focus on Kenpachi and how he came to activate his Bankai. And of course, that thing about Yachiru was pretty random. The name of Kenpachi's Bankai is Akushitsuna Nozarashi. The word "akushitsuna" is Japanese for devilish. I thought that it fitted well with Kenpachi's theme. In the next chapter, I will focus on Yoruichi and her fight against Askin. Urahara may as well be making an appearance there soon.**


	45. Goddess of Thunder

**Author's note: It's been a while since I last updated. Been quite a busy lately. But now I'm here. This chapter will tell us about how Askin and Yoruichi is fighting amongst one another, as well as a flashback part in the end. And of course, it's only how the fight happened in my story. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 45: Goddess of Thunder**

 _In the icy cityscape of Wahrwelt, Royal Realm, Soul Society_

As battles raged across the transformed Royal Realm, Yoruichi Shihoin was having difficulties with the Sternritter: Askin Nakk Le Vaar. While she had succeeded in keeping Askin busy and preventing him from pursuing Ichigo and his friends, she still felt unsure about whether she could survive against him. Until now, the Sternritter had easily overcome the Shunkos of both her and her younger brother Yushiro. But as the situation currently was, Yushiro was in a very critical condition. The young boy had begun to grow weaker and it was due to the poison that Askin controlled in his Heilig Pfiels. Yoruichi felt desperate to help her younger brother, as well as bringing him to a nearby medic. But that would prove difficult as Askin would only use his Hirenkiyaku to block her passage.

As she stood there facing her opponent, Yoruichi felt her entire body sweat through her clothes. "Damn…...I really didn't think that this Quincy would be that strong…" she lamented beneath her breath, making sure that she did not fall victim to any of Askin's tricks.

Askin took notice of the stress slowly taking hold on his opponent and mused to himself. "You seem quite distressed" he spoke up smugly towards her. "Before now, you were acting all high and mighty towards me, believing that you could surpass me in combat. But now's not the case here" the slick-haired man noted as she watched Yoruichi.

"Spare me your cockiness, Sternritter" Yoruichi said between her panting. "You're dealing with a former Captain of Squad 2 and Commander of the Stealth Force. I won't break so easily, even if you possess so many tricks up your sleeves!" the purple-haired woman spat out towards him.

Askin remained unfazed when hearing this. "Still overconfident, I see? Well that's unfortunate for you. Considering your previous statuses, I would expect you to at least understand when to back down in a fight you can't win. But apparently, you seem to lack it in some way" the Sternritter told her smugly before activating his Heilig Bogen on his wrist. "So in that case, allow me to help you with clearing your delusions in that head of yours. Even by looking at you, I can see how you desire to save Mr. Girly Boy, but it's too late. The poison that I injected him with my Reishi Arrows are starting to spread across his body like an epidemy. You have no chances left" Askin taunted his opponent before firing a Reishi Arrow at Yoruichi.

Yoruichi's golden eyes widened as she saw the arrow headed straight towards her. Using her incredible agility and guts, the purple-haired woman sprinted towards Askin, using her Shunpo to not just avoid the arrow, but also to appear behind Askin's back. She smirked as she was feeling like getting the upper hand in terms of speed in this fight.

"You're fighting the Flash Goddess here, Sternritter. Do you think that you have what it takes to match my….." Yourichi's eyes snapped when she could see Askin vanish in front of him. "….pace…" the Shinigami finally added to her words, realizing what had just happened.

Askin had used his Hirenkiyaku to now appear behind Yoruichi, aiming at her with his Heilig Bogen. The Quincy smirked when he saw the situation his opponent was in. The tip of the Reishi Arrow was now pointing at her back and Yoruichi felt herself becoming vulnerable.

"I DO have what it takes to match your pace, Shinigami. I also know of your esteemed title, but so what?" Askin mockingly asked Yourichi. "I'm an expert in Hirenkiyaku, did you take me for being someone who had just learned it's basics? A bad assumption on your part" the Sternritter then went on taunting his opponent.

Yoruichi gritted her teeth in frustration and she was about activate her Shunko, only for Askin to poke on her back with his arrow. This only tensed the frustration inside Yoruichi, something Askin seemed to take pleasure in.

"Uh, uh, uh. No misbehaving here, lady. I've got you in my aim. One move, and this arrow filled with poison is going right into that fine body of yours" Askin warned her not to move a muscle, although he felt himself stunned when realizing what he had just told her. "Oh my, it seems that I accidentally complimented your body. As a matter of fact, it does look astounding to say at least. I mean, if only there were more Shinigami-women who had junk in the trunk like you" he then started to talk to Yoruichi in such a perverted manner.

This outraged the purple-haired woman, as she knew what Askin was talking about with regards to her appearance. "ARE YOU SERIOUSLY STARING AT MY ASS!? YOU DISGUSTING PIG!" she yelled at the slick-haired man.

"Well it's not my fault that your body's so appealing! I mean, just look at those hips! Why bother joining a gang of losers like the 13 Court Guard Squads, when you could use that fine body of yours to achieve fame and glory?" Askin then asked Yoruichi, still acting disrespectful towards her. "Heh. I bet that's what all of you Shinigami-women really are. Nothing but a bunch of cock-crazed whores who only exists to please your male superiors. But while there are female Shinigami-captains, they also basically exist to do the same thing: pleasing their male superiors" the Sternritter went on expressing his attitude towards Yourichi and Shinigamis.

Yoruichi felt her blood boil when hearing those words being expressed to her. "You're such a despicable asshole, you know that!?" she told him. "And besides, if Shinigami-women were as slutty as you say they are, wouldn't the same thing be said for Quincy-women? I thought you said something about what mattered with women was in her style and presentation" Yoruichi pointed out to him.

Hearing this made Askin narrow his eyes in dispassion. "You be silent! How dare you question my judgement, let alone likening yourself to a fine Quincy-woman!? I feel like I've wasted enough words with you!" Askin exclaimed his displeasure of hearing Yourichi's words.

Yoruichi only grinned to herself when hearing this. "Then what are you waiting for, tough-guy? Hurry up and let go of your string if you wanna end me. Or are you perhaps too much of a chicken to do so!" the Shinigami began taunting Askin.

Askin was losing his patience with Yoruichi and he was about to let go of the string on his Heilig Bogen, only for something very unusual to stun him. But it was more than that, something had completely managed to paralyze the Sternritter. He felt something hard hit him, but where? The answer to that, soon became obvious. There was a reason for Yoruichi taking so much pleasure in this. She had moved her right foot backwards to hit something she knew would hurt him dearly: his crotch. It was a hard kick and Askin felt tears fall on his cheeks as his nuts cracked.

Letting go of both the Heilig Bogen and the arrow, Askin fell onto his stomach. He was holding around his crotch area, where he could feel the pain affect him dearly. "Ow….my balls…my balls…my fucking balls!" Askin pouted while his voice sounded so different in doing that.

Yoruichi turned around and faced him with a smirk, having no regrets for what she just did to Askin. "How did that feel, smartass? You just got your nuts kicked by a woman…a Shinigami-woman to be more precise. And weren't you just badmouthing us a couple of minutes ago?" she questioned him while also mocking Askin at the same time.

Askin had taken a long time before composing himself. Slowly, he stood on his knees and glared at Yoruichi with outraged eyes. "YOU FUCKING BITCH! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST DO!?" the slick-haired man demanded a question from him.

Yoruichi remained unfazed. "What do you think? I just kicked your nuts. Why, are they both "nutcracked", get it?" she then teased him once again.

"Damn you…" Askin muttered beneath his breath as he slowly got up to his feet. "I won't stand for this outrage! You'll pay for this humiliation! I'm gonna take care of both you and that little squirt lying over there halfdead!" the Sternritter blurted out his words towards his opponent.

Yoruichi simply sighed as she heard this. She decided to cease this senseless talk with Askin and start getting real once again. "You know. I'm beginning to grow weary of you, Mr. Know-It-All. And I can't waste my time with you any longer. So let's end this quick" she said before reaching for something, which made Askin stunned.

"What the…" Askin uttered out as he could see Yoruichi reach for something in her cleavage. "Are you serious right now? Here you say you wanna end this fight and now you're playing with your breasts all of a sudden!? You're probably one of the most random Shinigamis I've ever faced in my entire life" the Quincy remarked, not getting what Yoruichi was doing to herself right now.

The purple-haired woman glanced at Askin with dispassionate eyes. "How about you shut up and let me do what I need to do!? I swear, I'd really give anything just to shut that mouth of yours. It irritates the hell outta me!" Yoruichi told him before she began picking something up between her cleavage.

As Askin got a closer look, he was stunned to see that what Yoruichi was currently pulling up from between her breasts. It looked like a blade, almost resembling a kodachi or wakizashi. When she had pulled the blade out, she brandished it for her opponent to see. Askin was stunned, his eyes widening in slight surprise.

"No way…..is that blade your…" the Sternritter was at loss for words.

Yourichi smirked as she heard him ask her that. "Damn right it is. Why, you thought that I would just throw it away? Throw away my Zanpakutou?" she quizzed him smugly. "Well feast your eyes, wise-guy! Because believe it or not, this is really my blade" Yourichi added with confidence in her voice.

Askin scratched the back of his head while hearing this. "No way. Our files tell us that you always rely on Hoho and Hakuda while engaged in combat. There's no way that you could possibly carry a Zanpakutou" the Quincy remarked, recalling what he had learned from reading the files about the most powerful Shinigamis to exists.

"Then I have something to tell you. Your files are completely unreliable sources. And besides, the rumors that I only rely on Hoho and Hakudo on combat are just greatly exaggerated" Yourichi told her opponent dismissively. "I had hoped that I wouldn't need my Zanpakutou in the battle against the Wandenreich, but considering the circumstances, I saw no other options. I will need it in this battle" she then went on explaining the reason for why she chose to carry her Zanpakutou all of a sudden, given that she had rarely been seen using it.

While Askin had so many questions for Yoruichi, the Quincy didn't feel like wasting time with them. Instead, he decided to continue his fight with the Shinigami. "Even if you do carry your Zanpakutou with you, it doesn't change for a fact that you will lose, Yoruichi Shihoin. So far, you have done nothing but underestimate me. Are you still convinced that you can beat me?" Askin quizzed his opponent.

Yourichi only narrowed her eyes when hearing this, thus indicating of her losing patience with Askin. "Try saying that when I have silenced your mouth and clawed your eyes out!" the purple-haired woman told him and she held her Zanpakutou in a similar manner Sui-Feng did. "Chase Your Prey…..Mutekineko!" Yourichi finally said the release command of her Zanpakutou, thus activating her Shikai.

Askin stood and watched as Yoruichi's Zanpakutou began to infest itself on both of Yoruichi's hand, almost like putting on gloves. These gloves were made out of metal and they also sparkled with lighting. But there was more to this transformation. From each of her gloved fingers, a sharp and long claw emerged, almost as if they were feline claws. These claws had also lightning sparkling around them. In some ways, Yoruichi's Shikai did look similar to Sui-Feng's except for the fact that both her hands had now carried weapons, as well as the lighting bristling around them.

"What the hell…..those little things are the Shikai of Yoruichi Shihoin?" Askin wondered, feeling slightly surprised to see how relatively small they were.

"Impressed, Sternritter?" Yoruichi quizzed him, starting to notice how he was surprised. "I know what you're thinking. But I'm telling you now, don't let the size of Mutekineko fool you. They may be gloves, but they're far more than that" the purple-haired woman assured him while croaking her claws.

Askin shrugged his shoulders in return. "Sorry, but since when did I ever say that those little things impressed me?" the Quincy asked his opponent. "While their shape is to be admired, I still don't think they're enough save you from me" Askin added to his assessment.

"Tch, you asked for it!" Yoruichi said and suddenly vanished from her spot. Askin's eyes widened when he could see how fast his opponent really was. Before he could even react, Yoruichi was right before him and se grinned cockily while brandishing her claws. "Here comes the cat scratch!" she bellowed against him before proceeding to attack with her left claws.

Askin did his best to move, in hopes of avoiding getting scratched, yet he was now receiving serious cuts on his right cheek. It made him slightly scared. "Damn it! My left cheek! How did she…" Askin was too busy to focus on his injury that he failed to notice Yoruichi coming at him once again. "Shit! Her speed is incredible!" the Quincy spat out in disbelief.

The Shinigami only smirked in amusement. "Damn right, I am! They don't call me the Flash Goddess for nothing, remember!?" she taunted him before resorting to swing her right claw on Askin's left cheek, thus leaving him with serious cuts on his left cheek as well. The Sternritter was backing away from her, yet Yoruichi still knew a way to attack him. Folding her claws together, Yoruichi proceeded to sprout lightning out. "Not so fast there, smartass! Taste my lightning! DENKI MUHON!" she uttered out a name of her technique and the sparkles of lightning headed straight towards their target.

Askin's eyed widened in shock as he could see how fast the electricity was. "FUCK! HOW ARE YOU…..AAAAAAAARRRRRRRGHHHHHHHH!" Askin yelled as he felt electricity toy with his entire body. He had been too late to even use his Hirenkiyaku to avoid getting struck by the electricity. But then again, Askin wouldn't have avoided it even if he did.

The attack on Askin did cause a smoke to appear, yet Yoruichi still stood there and was waiting for it to vanish. Right now, the purple-haired woman was feeling incredibly confident in her abilities. As much as she disliked the fact that she had to rely on her Zanpakutou in this battle, a part of her was also happy to be able to use it once again. It had been ages since she had used her Zanpakutou.

"Heh. Now you probably get it, these claws aren't just for show" Yoruichi told Askin, knowing that he was still alive behind the dust she had created with her Mutekineko. "Mutekineko gives me the power of all the felines that exists. Just imagine each of these claws on my gloves represents the species in the Felidae-order" she then said while holding her ten claws up for her opponent to see, or at least understand what she was doing. "All of them are living within me. Tiger. Lion. Leopard. Jaguar. Cheetah. Cougar. Lynx. Ocelot. Snow leopard. Domesticated cat. All of them are within me! How do you plan on defeating them when I have the power of the Felidea-order at my side?" she went on explaining her powers.

The dust soon cleared and Yourichi could see Askin standing there, the Quincy still having the serious cuts on his cheeks. But other than that, he seemed to be doing well, despite the bruises across his body.

"These cuts on my cheeks are such a giant pain in my ass. I can't believe I've been reduced to this" the Quincy noted while noticing the bleedings on his cheeks. It didn't take before Askin vented his anger at his opponent. "You'll regret this, Yourichi Shihoin! Nobody ruins my handsome face and walks away so easily!" the Sternritter spat at her.

Yoruichi didn't take that threat seriously. "Save the empty threats for when you're dead! Your face is the least of your worries with regards to your survival" she sternly told Askin before readying her claws once again. "This time, I'm gonna go for clawing out your eyes. Let's see where that gets you!" she then began threatening her opponent.

While still angered over being humiliated like this, Askin formed a smirk at her in return. "And what makes you think you can pull that on me? Clearly you must be delusional to be considering such options" he remarked.

Yoruichi readied her feet while preparing her next move. "Quit wasting words and start using moves!" the purple-haired woman called out to him before dashing towards her target in fast speed.

Askin grinned when seeing this. "Oh, you wanna see a move!? As you wish!" he responded and shot something round that headed straight towards Yoruichi. "Gift Ball!" he exclaimed as the ball of poison headed straight towards Yoruichi.

The Shinigami's golden eyes widened as she could see how fast it was approaching her. But the ball pf poison was relatively small and it boasted some confidence within Yoruichi. Using her impressive agility, Yoruichi dodged the Gift Ball and proceeded to dash towards Askin.

"You call that a trick!? You must be pulling my leg!" Yourichi mocked Askin's attempt, ready for a head-on collision with Askin.

Surprisingly, Askin was still smiling smugly, even as Yoruichi now had a clear way towards him. He made a gesture with his finger, which Yoruichi at first thought was just a come-at-me gesture directed towards her. But that wasn't the case.

"Rückkehr!" Askin said as he moved his finger backwards.

Yoruichi snapped as she could hear something approach to her from behind. Looking over her shoulder, she could see the Gift Ball she had just avoided coming towards her once again. She knew what kind of vulnerable position she was in. Without thinking, Yoruichi dived for the ground, hoping to avoid getting hit by the ball. But as she thought she had avoided it, Askin had over plans for the Gift Ball. Croaking his fingers, he made sure that the ball was sent up towards the air, hanging above the area like some kind of sun. Yoruichi managed to see this and her golden eyes widened in distress.

"What's happening now!?" the purple-haired woman wondered, while her opponent mused to herself.

"You'll know soon enough" Askin told her before snapping his fingers while looking up at the Gift Ball. "Gift Regen!" he said and the ball of poison started disintegrating into many drops of poison, almost like a rain.

Yoruichi knew that she would have to escape in order to avoid getting poured on by these poisonous raindrops. But at the same time, she also couldn't forget about her younger brother, who was already paralyzed and weakening thanks to the poison from Askin's Reishi Arrows. What if Yushiro would die thanks to these raindrops? Seeing no better options, Yoruichi decided to make a daring attempt. With her incredible speed, the Shinigami headed towards Yushiro, lifting him up and then throw him towards the area untouched by Askin's rain of poison. She didn't want him to be taken by it. Instead, she would be willing take the damage and let it rain on her.

Seeing this astounded Askin. "You must be joking. That boy's already a lost cause! Why in the hell would you even bother waste precious time with…" the Sternritter stopped asking her once she could see Yourichi dive towards him. "Woah! What the…" he exclaimed, Yourichi's speed catching him by surprise.

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT WHAT YOUR ATTACKS DO! HERE'S A PRESENT FOR YOU, BASTARD! Yoruichi yelled as she clenched her gauntlets into two powerful fists. "NOW PREPARE TO FLY! FUTAGO TSUYO!" the purple-haired woman said as she delivered this powerful double punch on her opponent.

The attack was powerful and it sent Askin flying towards the nearest boulders and piles of broken walls. While Yoruichi was satisfied, she still was out of time and the Gift Regen landed down upon her. This rain didn't last long, as Askin's Gift Ball wasn't that big. But still, the Shinigami could gradually feel herself weakening and it even forced her to her stomach. Being poured on so much poison had taken a toll on her. But fortunately for her, Askin had also taken damage and was now lying on his back against a broken pillar. Blood had been spilled over to his chest, as Yourichi's double punch, coupled with Mutekineko's gauntlets, had helped her in landing damages to him. However, Askin was not dead.

* * *

 _At the foot of the towering palace of Silbern, Wahrwelt_

Having entrusted Yoruichi to deal with Askin, Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends had finally arrived! On their way, they hadn't encountered soldiers of the Wandenreich, which was indeed strange. Right now, they were standing by the foot of the imposing palace of Silbern. The group of friends had to admit, seeing the palace from a closer perspective was very different from seeing it afar. All of them moved their gazes up and down to see how tall Silbern actually was.

"Woah…." Ganju uttered out, his gaze never changing.

"So close….yet so high…this structure is kissing the sky" Chad admitted, the brown-haired man too stunned to even come up with better words to express it.

"We're finally here….the Wandenreich's new HQ" Ichigo said, his expression indicating he knew of the challenges he would face once he and his friends entered the palace.

Jinta whistled in amazement. "It's much taller than what I expected" the red-haired teenager remarked.

"For once, I agree with you, Jinta" Tessai told him, which was usually a rare thing for him to do, given how he always liked to punish Jinta for his mischievousness. The tall man then looked at the others in the group, especially Ichigo and Nelliel. "I do not know why there is lack of security at the foot of the palace. Regardless, we must expect the unexpected once we enter it" he told them.

Nelliel faced him while nodding her head in reply. "Right. But the question is, where specifically is Yhwach holed up in? From what I can gather, the palace must have so many rooms. He could be everywhere" the Arrancar told Tessai while making sure the others got what she was saying.

"I think the answer to that question is obvious, Nel" Ichigo told her while his narrowed eyes were fixated upon the structure located at the top of the palace. While he couldn't see the main building, Ichigo could see the two gutted, curving, tusk-like structures arching toward each other in front of it. "That building on the top, it's gotta be where he's hiding. I can tell it by only sensing the enormous activity of Spiritual Pressure" he told everyone in a serious manner.

"I don't know whether that's true or not. But I guess we'll have to follow your instincts, Ichigo" Orihime told him with a gentle smile. The orange-haired woman returned her attention to the palace noticing that there was a wall separating them from whatever was lying on the other side. "And speaking of which, how do we get inside? I don't see any stairs or doors" she asked her friends.

"How we get in, you ask?" Jinta asked cockily before brandishing his kanabo. "We all know the answer to that! We bust ourselves in of course! Hey Ururu, ready that rocket launcher of yours! We're gonna make ourselves one hell of a….OUCH!" Jinta winced as Tessai banged his staff on the teenager's head.

Tessai huffed in dispassion. "Repulsive boy. There are other ways to break in rather than causing a ruckus for our enemies to see" the Shinigami told Jinta, who only glared at him in return while rubbing the bump on his head. Tessai turned his attention on the others in the group. "Do any of have a suggestion to how we can enter the palace?" he asked while adjusting his glasses.

Hearing this made Ganju form a confidential grin o his face. The long-haired man knew that he was just the right guy for the job and he wanted to show them why. "Did someone say breaking into the place stealth mode? Well believe it or not, I know just the thing to use. Come with me" Ganju told them and everyone followed him to the giant and imposing wall. They all became puzzled as they noticed Ganju starting to touch the wall and listen to it. What was he doing? "Uh huh, I see. This wall may be strong, but it's nothing I can't handle" the Soul told them as he analyzed it.

Chad was among those confused. "Just what are you doing right now? Do you actually talk to walls?" the Fullbringer asked him.

Ganju twitched in anger when he heard Chad's words. "Hey! I'm trying to figure out a way into this damn place, and you wanna start discrediting me all of a sudden!? I mean, would it kill to just give me some respect!?" he snapped at the tall man.

Chad only dropped a sweat when hearing Ganju's outburst. "For the record, I'm not discrediting you. All I'm asking is why you're doing" the tall man replied calmly.

"Whatever" Ganju rolled his eyes before turning his attention to the wall once again. "Alright, guys. All of you might wanna step back a little. Because I'm about to make us a tunnel here!" he exclaimed proudly.

"Hold on! Are you planning on….." Ichigo was trying to ask Ganju about something, only for him to start with his technique.

"SEPPA!" Ganju said and began moving his hands in the same pattern as the trembling current, which was the symbol of the Shiba clan. He then landed his hands on the wall, thus creating a large while which was large enough to fit in the whole group. Once he was finished, Ganju smirked and entered the whole. "You guys coming?" he asked while looking over his shoulder.

"Ganju…since when did your Seppa get THIS big!?" Ichigo asked him, feeling surprised over seeing Ganju being capable of something like this.

Ganju smiled smugly at Ichigo. "Let's just say that I've been practicing since last time I accompanied you" he told the orange-haired man before moving into the tunnel.

Everyone else soon began entering the hole as well. Once they stood there, they could see that the way was shut. It was still blocked by white stone. Apparently, this wall was thicker than what Ganju had originally expected.

"Tch, some tunnel you made!" Jinta told Ganju while glancing at their blockade. "I sway we just bust our way through here and now" the teenager exclaimed.

"But Jinta, if I were to fire my rocket launcher at the blockage, this tunnel would only collapse" Ururu told him.

"I didn't say you had to fire it at a close range!" Jinta snapped at her. He then turned his attention on the blockage. "But seriously, this is getting stupid, why don't we…" Jinta was suddenly interrupted by the usually calm-mannered Chad.

"Will you shut up for a second or two? Your irrational thinking is not helping us in any way so just zip it!" Chad berated Jinta, which everyone was surprised to see, given how Chad was normally a gentle giant, especially towards those younger than him.

Jinta only crossed his arms while looking away into another direction. "Asswipe…." Jinta thought to himself, not willing to say it to Chad's face.

"Time is running out" Tessai spoke firmly before facing Ganju. "Ganju, continue with performing your Seppa. It may take us to a room inside the palace" the tall Shinigami told him.

"Once we're inside, we can then start searching for Yhwach. And somehow, I also believe in Ichigo's hypothesis that he's holed up on the top of the palace" Nelliel told everyone.

"Then all of us know what me must do. But beware, once we're inside, there will be probably throngs of Yhwach's minions waiting for us. We won't let them stand in our way. Otherwise, we'll only let Yoruichi down" Ichigo told everyone, wanting to make sure they were prepared for this. The group was about to venture into the enemy's HQ. There was no time to have any second thoughts. Seeing how determined they were, Ichigo smiled. He then glanced over to Ganju, motioning for him to continue working on the tunnel.

Ganju grinned while raising his thumb at Ichigo in return. "Alright! I'm on it!" Ganju told Ichigo and put his hands on the wall before him. "SEPPA!" the long-haired man exclaimed as the wall before him began turning into sand. He was joined up with Ichigo and the others, who were all prepared to head straight towards the enemy, no matter how strong they were. While sand kept running before them, the team was ready to charge. "OKAY! LET'S GIVE 'EM HELL, GUYS!" the long-haired man loudly exclaimed as he, Jinta, Chad, and Tessai quickly went through the wall of falling sand.

But in the minute those four were out of the wall, they quickly realized something. They were not standing on the floor. They were above the air. But right underneath them was a spiraled stairway, which seemed to be quite long. The four friends screamed as they tried to make their way back to the hole they come from, only for them to fall and land on the white handrail that ran along in spirals as well. Unfortunately for the four friends, they all landed on their crotch-areas. They stammered as they all took a ride on the handrail.

Ichigo, Nelliel, Orihime and Ururu jumped over to the stairs and ran down to see if the group of four was doing okay. As they reached to the end of the stairs on the floor, Ganju, Chad, Jinta and Tessai were sitting on the floor groaning while holding onto their crotch areas. But while Chad and Tessai managed to slowly regain their composure, Jinta and Ganju were still feeling the pain and even rolled over as a result.

"Fuck….I think I just got cracked my balls!" Ganju said between gritting teeth before howling in pain. "OOUUUUUCH! GODDAMNIT!" he yelled.

"This is your fault, Ganju! You almost killed us here!" Jinta snapped at the long-haired man.

"How the hell was I supposed to know that we would arrive somewhere high above the floor!? OUCH!" Ganju hit back before feeling the pain once again.

Ichigo only dropped a sweat while seeing this. Orihime and Nelliel had to chuckle a little in seeing how this had actually turned out while Ururu immediately ran up to Jinta, in hopes of helping him up to his feet.

"This is not what I had expected it to go" he noted before letting out a deep sigh of annoyance. Realizing that Chad and Tessai had gotten on their feet, Ichigo decided to check on them. "Are you two guys doing okay?" the orange-haired man asked them.

Chad forced a reassuring smile when he faced Ichigo. "I'm okay…I've felt worse pain than this…believe me" he replied, slowly starting to feel the pain go away. The tall man then glanced up to the spiraled stairway before them. "I never expected the palace to be this deep. It's as we've arrived in some sort of basement" he remarked while studying the stairway.

"I wouldn't neccesarily call this a basement, Chad" Tessai spoke up and with the help of one of his small Kido-spells, he was able to give them light to his group, as well as showing them where they were standing on.

The group was stunned. While spiraled stairway was built with white iron and cement, everything around them was built of rocks and blocks. They could tell it by looking at the floor and the walls that surrounded them. But there was more. While some of the nearby doors were made of wood, the majority were made of iron. At the same time, they did take notice of iron bars, which made them look like prison cells.

"What the…..what is this place?" Orihime asked while glancing around.

"I don't know. But from the looks of it, this place looks like a dungeon or a sewer to me" Nelliel noted.

"A dungeon? Well that would explain these iron bars" Chad said, having taken notice of the nearby iron bars from where they were standing. "But still, I don't see any prisoners being locked up in these cells. Are those just for decorations?" the tall man wondered.

"It's impossible to answer it. Even now, I can't sense any signs of Spiritual Pressure within these dungeons. Everything is dead and empty" Tessai told them while answering Chad's question.

As much as Ichigo desired to know more about these dungeons, he felt more pressing matters being called to him. The Substitute Shinigami glanced up to where the spiraled stairway would take them to. His eyes narrowed while his fists clenched. It didn't take long for Ichigo's friends to see how determined he was to go and search for Yhwach.

Ichigo looked over his shoulder to glance at them. "Alright. None of us expected to enter the palace in this place. But it doesn't matter. What matters is that we're now inside the Wandenreich's HQ" the orange-haired man told them, making sure they were listening to what was being said. Ichigo returned his attention to the spiraled stairway. "It's now time for the second phase of our plan: find where Yhwach is. And as I said earlier, there is no question that Yhwach is holed up at the summit of this tower. That's where we'll find him. But first, we best get out of these dungeons. And this stairway looks like the perfect exit" Ichigo told them and landed a foot on the first step, only for Nelliel and Tessai to stand beside him.

Ichigo was confused at first, yet he could see how serious each of these persons was glancing at him. "Remember, Ichigo. Whether we make it out of here alive or not, we don't know. But whatever challenges you encounter, please don't let your rage consume you. If not, then Yhwach or other enemies will a perfect liability against you" Tessai told him, the tall Shinigami giving advice to Ichigo, which was rare, given how that job were always left out to either Urahara or Yoruichi.

"We all want you to stop Yhwach, Ichigo. But at the same time, we don't wanna lose you" Nelliel spoke up, this time sounding more emotional in her tone than usual.

Ichigo soon realized how there was still a few people who cared about him. To be blunt, Ichigo was happy that he had taken these guys to accompany him. They were some of the friends he knew he could trust. While Ichigo still valued his friendships with Rukia and Renji, the same thing couldn't be said for the rest of the 13 Court Guard Squads. Since knowing the truth behind his mother's death, Ichigo felt that he alone would take care of Yhwach. However, he would not do that for the sake of the Soul Society. Rather, it was for the sake of the Human World, as well as his family. Even though Masaki's death happened many years ago, Ichigo still missed her, yet he never expressed this in front of his friends on the outside.

"Very well" Ichigo said, his frown slowly changing into a smile. "Then let's move on and reach to the top. And prepare for any enemy attack. I doubt that these Quincies will welcome us with open arms" he then told them.

And thus, the group of friends began moving up the spiraled stairway, thus leaving these strange dungeons behind. Whether they would make it in time or not, remained to be seen. But all things considered, the situation itself was serious and there was no time for Ichigo and his friends to waste.

* * *

 _Back to Yoruichi and Askin, Wahrwelt_

Yoruichi was still alive, but so was Askin. They had been lying amongst these rubbles. While he had taken injury from Yoruichi's attack, it wasn't enough to kill him. The purple-haired woman panted as she struggled to get up on her feet. Even now, she could feel the poison starting to take effect on her. It made her feel weaker by the minute. But still, she stubbornly resisted it and concentrated on holding her head up high. As Askin tried to talk to him about how it was impossible for her to kill him, Yoruichi turned her head sideways, wondering what had happened to her younger brother. Even though Yushiro had been thrown away to avoid getting rained upon by the Gift Regen, the young boy was still in a critical condition. The infamous Flash Goddess felt distress getting to her once again.

"Even though I saved him from the rain of poison, Yushiro won't be able to hold out in that condition for much longer" Yoruichi thought while panting slowly to gather her energy. "But in the condition I'm in, I can't muster any power to heal him…damn! There has to be something I can….." Yoruichi was interrupted in her thoughts when she could notice Askin sitting right in front of her, his cunning expression never fading away. Yoruichi realized that she had been too distracted to notice him making his move.

"I don't know what it is you're racking your pretty little head over, but the fact that I've gotten this close to you without so much as a reaction from you means you're as good as dead" the Sternritter told her, having taken advantage of Yoruichi's focus on Yushiro to make his move. The Shinigami was stunned to see how Askin was still fast, even when he had been injured by Yoruichi's attack. "No matter what you try at this point, I'm fully confident I'll be able to stay one step ahead of you. I believe that's what you call a true lethal dose, wouldn't you say, Yoruichi Shihoin?" he then added with a taunting question at the end of his sentence.

Yoruichi slightly felt hopeless right now as the poison inside her gradually began spreading across her veins. But still, the purple-haired woman simply refused to yield to the Sternritter. As she kept pondering on what to do, a familiar voice could be heard behind her. At the same time, she felt something sting in her left butt cheek. Yoruichi froze, remaining still as she realized who that person was.

"Well! That oughta do it!" the cheerful and laidback voice come from none other than Kisuka Urahara. The blonde-haired man was sitting a few feet behind Yourichi's backside while holding a syringe in his right hand. "It looks like you got your ass stuffed full of a lethal dose from what I could gather, Yoruichi. But no need to worry! I just used this specialized syringe to….GHAAAAAAAA MY JAW!" Urahara was interrupted when he was heeled in the face by Yoruichi. This left him quite a bruise on his jaw, as well as bleeding lips

Askin only sat and watched this commotion with a raised eyebrow. "What the hell's going on…" the Sternritter quizzed, not sure of what to make of this scene.

Urahara rubbed his sore jaw while watching Yoruichi, although he was still looking at her butt, especially where he had syringed her. "What's wrong with you, Yoruichi!? After I came all this way to rescue you, this is what I get in return!? Talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth...geez!" he complained, while spitting out the blood from his bleeding lips.

"How about you consider for a moment why it is you ended up with my heel in your mouth!?" Yoruichi barked at him, yet he noticed Urahara still staring at her butt. She only fumed in anger when seeing this. "AND TAKE YOUR EYES OFF MY ASS AND LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!" she then angrily berated him.

Not wanting another heel in his mouth, Urahara immediately got rid of his foolish persona and glanced at her with a more serious and mature expression. "Sorry about that. Looking back on it, I think that the "ass stuffed full" line was a bit…well…..vulgar, in my opinion" he then apologized to her while realizing his faults.

But still, Yoruichi was dumbfounded over the fact that Urahara would say this now. "AND YOU WONDER WHY YOU GOT YOUR FACE RE-ARRANGED WITH MY FOOT!?" she snapped at him disbelief before taking notice of the syringe in Urahara's right hand. "And if you're gonna apologize, try doing it without syringing my ass" she then told him.

Urahara smiled smugly at her in return. "Easy there, sweetheart. I just had to do it. We both know how vulnerable you really were before I came to the rescue. So how about we save the arguments for later, yeah?" the blonde-haired man explained the reason for why he was doing this.

Yoruichi sighed deeply when hearing Urahara's explanation, only to smile lightly once she got the whole picture gathered. "Alright. Because of me being at a serious dilemma, I'll let this one slip. But just once" she told him sternly, forcing Urahara to grin cockily in return.

Askin felt like he had been left outside for too long, so he decided to speak up. "Unless I'm mistaking, you are Kisuke Urahara. Yet another headache comes falling onto my lap" the Sternritter spoke up while facing the blonde-haired man.

Urahara glanced at the Quincy with a cunning expression. "So, you guys know of me? Well, pleased to make your acquaintance" he responded to Askin, trying to make an impression on the Sternritter.

But Askin was far from impressed. "Let's make one thing clear. I don't give a damn about you or your acquaintances. All I know is His Majesty has designated you as one of exceptional notice in terms of battle prowess" he suddenly spoke while revealing something that slightly surprised Urahara.

The laidback Shinigami quickly reverted back into his normal self. "Well, if I've got such an exaggerated reputation preceding me, I can hardly help it. I'm truly flattered, although I must it's a gross overestimation on your part. Right, Yoruichi" Urahara told Askin before turning his attention on his lifetime friend.

The moment Urahara said that word, Yoruichi was able to move to fast as she did before. She jumped up to the air with her incredible speed, which only astounded Askin. But while it did surpise him, the Sternritter soon realized how this happened, especially since it was Urahara's doing.

"This must be exactly as I heard about him…and the others as well" Askin noted while recalling to what he and the other Sternritters had learned about some of the Shinigamis, whom they believed would play a part in the war. "These 5 Shinigamis are classified as Special War Potentials for a very specific quality of theirs, that is unknown to other Shinigamis. As such, His Majesty believes that each of them will play a part in this war, given their qualities. Ichigo Kurosaki's is his "Latent Ability". Kenpachi Zaraki's is his "Fighting Strength". Ichibe Hyosube's is his "Wisdom". Sosuke Aizen's is his "Spiritual Pressure". And finally, Kisuke Urahara's…...is his "Means". No matter how many plans or schemes we may plot and unfold, he will always find a way around them! The variable strategist of perpetual adaption" Askin concluded his analysis while taking a quick glance at Urahara, who was now facing him. "I now realize why he is among the Special War Potentials. There are so many Shinigamis his Majesty could choose, and it fell on him. Shigekuni Yamamoto had already been deemed weak by His Majesty, so he was out of the picture. But then again, another reason for why these 5 Shinigamis are listed as Special War Potentials….is something I yet have to find out. Oh God, why is it that I get stuck with one giant headache after the other!?" Askin added to his thoughts, realizing how he now had to focus on both Yoruichi and Urahara.

The two friends were standing on the rooftop of a nearby building, watching down as Askin stood his guard. Yoruichi was still feeling the sting in her bum and she glanced over to her longtime friend.

"Damn. What did you inject into my ass? I feel it spreading across my body" Yoruichi asked him while rubbing the spot where Urahara had syringed him.

Urahara only smirked at her in return. "Sorry Yoruichi, but no can tell. It's a secret that only I know about!" he replied to her in his usual easygoing manner.

Yoruichi formed a similar smug look at him in return. "Let me guess. Perhaps some kind of immunity strengthening drug you made in advance?" she quizzed him.

"Awww, always the sharpest tool in the shed, Yoruichi! I's expected no less from you! But then again, it was a bit rushed, so it's effects are short-lasting" Urahara answered, once again admiring the cleverness Yoruichi possessed.

"How long are we talking?" Yoruichi asked him once again.

Urahara tried to ponder, yet he quickly came up with an answer and showed it to Yoruichi with his fingers. "I would say about….5 minutes" he answered.

Hearing this caused Yoruichi to grin and she brandished her Zanpakutous while facing Askin. "Glad to hear it. That means I got plenty of time to mess this bastard up" the purple-haired woman said as lighting began sparkling on her gauntlets.

Urahara's eyes widened once he got a glimpse of the gauntlets on Yoruichi's hands. As a matter of fact, he was happy to see Yoruichi using them. "Heh…it's been eons since I last saw those gauntlets. I'd always hoped to see you use Mutekineko once again" Urahara admitted, admiring Yoruichi's Shikai.

"Tch, I know. But I'm not exactly proud to be using them once again" Yoruichi told Urahara, who was stunned to hear her words. "We both know why. Each time I was done using them, I would always feel the aftershock coming from Mutekineko. It annoyed the hell outta me" she muttered to herself.

"But hey! Your Zanpakutou is among the strongest I know of. Hell, I always thought that you would use yours to help Ichigo and his friends with training and…" Urahara stopped once he could see Yoruichi giving him an intimidating glare. But still, Urahara smiled at her. "Relax, I was only being sarcastic. But then again, you as well want to use your Bankai against this Sternritter. Trust me, I know it will work" he then encouraged her, only for Yoruichi to scoff at him.

"As if!" she told him sternly before gathering lightning with her Mutekineko and readying herself for combat against Askin. "No way I'm turning relying on my Bankai to deal with this creep. That would only ruin my reputation as…" Yoruichi was interrupted as she was forced to avoid getting hit Askin's poison.

Unfortunately for Askin, he missed. Yoruichi quickly dived towards him with her fast speed. "Ah crap! I missed!" the Quincy cursed before realizing how quick she was. She even tried to scratch him with her attack, only for Askin to dodge it by moving sideways. Yoruichi landed on the ground and turned around to face Askin. "Well, it looks like you can move now. And you seem to be full of energy too!" the Quincy remarked from what he was seeing before him.

"Just shut up and fight!" Yoruichi berated him and quickly charged towards the Sternritter. But surprisingly, Askin managed to punch her in her stomach before she could reach him, thus forcing the young woman onto the ground once again. Yoruichi looked up to him with gritting teeth. "Bastard….." she cursed.

Askin smiled at her smugly. "Considering you were in perfect condition and still got taken by my Gift Regen attack. Although you may have recovered some, it should be pretty obvious that you don't stand a chance the way you are now" the Sternritter told her, still feeling overconfident in his abilities.

Yoruichi was panting deeply, yet she suddenly found herself chuckling. This caused Askin to raise an eyebrow, as he didn't know how Yoruichi could still be feeling so defiant towards defeat.

"What's so damn funny, woman?" Askin wanted an answer out of her.

"Heh. Nothing. It's just that, you really gave me an idea. And I would like to do so. If you say that I can't beat you in my current form…..then I only need to level up a little. And I know just the perfect way to do so!" the black-skinned woman told him while her gauntlets dug themselves onto the ground. Yoruichi found herself standing on all fours and sparkles of lightning began appearing all around her, from her gauntlets to her hair. Askin began to wonder what his opponent was now doing and soon, a single world was uttered out from Yoruichi herself. "BANKAI!" she exclaimed loudly.

A powerful electric explosion suddenly appeared in the icy cityscape and it was as if lightning struck itself on the ground. Askin quickly escaped after being sucked into the explosion. But the Sternritter was furious and shocked over what he had just experienced. After finishing coughing, he got a clear view of what he was seeing just now. Askin couldn't believe his own eyes.

"What the…WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?" the Sternritter angrily asked as he could see what Yoruichi had become.

Amidst the sparkling of lightning, Yoruichi was now standing there in with her Bankai activated. She was covered in energy and Askin could tell this by looking at her hair. The energy had formed her hair into two cat ears. She had gained an armor that reached from her shoulders to thighs. This armor was sparkling and it made her almost look like a Greek goddess. Her feet had become clawed cat paws. This form had cladded her arms and legs in electricity covering her forearms past the elbow and her legs up to her thighs, each ending with claws made of electrical energy. She was now a lightning goddess with a sparkling armor and paws of a real feline. There was no mistaking it. This was the Bankai of Yoruichi Shihoin: the infamous Flash Goddess.

"What on Earth is that form!?" Askin demanded an answer as Yoruichi caught his attention. She only looked up at him, not saying a word. Being given this silent treatment only made Askin more distressed. "For the love of God…..ANSWER ME, DAMNIT!" the Quincy demanded some words out of her.

Yoruichi grinned as her golden eye sparkled with some sort of electricity. "Feeling intimidated? Well, you should be!" Yoruichi tauntingly asked her opponent as she was standing on her feet brandishing her electric cat claws. "I never thought that I would have to use my Bankai once again. But given how unpredictable you are, you leave me no choice! So this is the true form of a Flash Goddess: Shunryū Kokubyō Senkei!" she told him the name of her Bankai. Lighting began enveloping all around her.

From the sidelines, Urahara stood and watched as his longtime friend had now activated her Bankai. He had to whistle in amazement when seeing Yoruichi in this form. "Woah…...even after so many years…...she still looks hot in that armor!" the blonde-haired man admitted while holding into his hat. He then took a glance at Askin. "Hmm, looks like he will be having one hell of a fight with Yoruichi" he then remarked.

Askin's eyes widened once he could see his opponent jump up to him in the air. Her speed was incredible, and it was much faster than before. As such, Askin didn't have time to muster his defenses. She used her left claws to scratch Askin's right shoulder, causing it to bleed endlessly. The injury was very critical, even to Askin's standards.

"AAAAAAAAAAGHHHHH! MY SHOULDER!" Askin howled in agony, yet he was in for another shocker as Yoruichi used her right claw to swat him away. Askin was sent diving towards the icy street. Somehow, the lighting had empowered Yoruichi's strength, as she was now also stronger. The moment Askin crash-landed onto the street, he quickly got up by using his Hirenkiyaku. In fact, Askin was now trying to flee from this encounter while his shoulder was bleeding. "THIS IS NOT HAPPENING! I'M SUPPOSED TO ALREADY HAVE AQUIRED IMMUNITY TO HER SPIRITUAL PRESSURE! IT'S IMPOSSIBLE THAT THE SPIRITUAL PRESSURE OF THE SAME SHINIGAMI CHANGES IN THE MIDDLE OF A FIGHT! THERE HAS TO BE SOME REASONABLE EXPLENATION!" the Quincy noted as he desperately tried to flee from Yoruichi's attack.

On the sidelines of this fight, Urahara had to laugh as he was seeing Askin fleeing the encounter. "Man, for being such a tough guy, he really acts cowardly" the smug-looking Shinigami said before taking notice of Yoruichi being on the move once again. "You go get him, Yoruichi! Show him what you're made of!" he encouraged her to go for him.

Askin was still in the air trying to figure out what to do, only for Yoruichi to appear before him right away. He froze, as the Quincy was astounded by how fast her Shunpo had become thanks to Yoruichi's activation of her Bankai. "SHIT!" he cursed loudly as Yoruichi grinned at him.

"Hmm, it's almost as if we're playing cat and mouse. I'm liking it so far!" Yoruichi exclaimed while quickly grabbing her opponent by his throat, thus chocking him a little. "But here's a little flash fact for you. There is a reason why I have not bothered using my Bankai against my opponents, not just for the sake of not ruining my dignity. You see, whenever Shunryū Kokubyō Senkei is released, my Spiritual Pressure kinda changes me into a different person….with different powers!" she told him before shocking Askin with her lighting and punching him to the ground below them.

Askin was being treated like a punching bag, yet he was still conscious. As such, the Sternritter could listen to what was said by Urahara, who was standing on a nearby rooftop. Urahara was not far from where Askin was falling. The Quincy struggled to move, as he could the aftershock of Yoruichi's attack.

"It's pretty hard for you to understand, isn't it? Well, even if your body works diligently to build immunity, the smallest change can make all previous foundations disappear with a poof. Of course, in your case, your immunity acquisition speed is incredibly fast. Upon receiving an enemy attack, you reflexively analyze their Spiritual Pressure and begin to forge your immunity at a terrifying speed. As long as you have one minute, you can probably render any attack ineffective" Urahara explained this to Askin, who was slowly falling towards the ground, yet the Quincy could listen to what was being said to him. Urahara stopped waving his fan and put it away before continuing speaking. "However, even with that, you won't make it in time. Care to tell him why, Yoruichi?" Urahara suddenly called for Yoruichi to clarify the rest.

Yoruichi smirked as she made her move towards he gradually immobile Quincy in the air. She was more than happy to tell her opponent the rest. "The reason why your ability won't help you is because when Shunryū Kokubyō Senkei is activated…" she said before jumping towards Askin to land him the final blow. "MY SPIRITUAL PRESSURE CHANGES FORTY-EIGHT TIMES PER SECOND!" she exclaimed and proceeded to deliver her attack on Askin, who was too immobile to even muster a defense.

The attack resulted in a powerful bolt of lightning striking in the icy cityscape and it was quite powerful. Askin was electrocuted by the attack and he was sent flying out of the icy cityscape, even falling off Wahrwelt. There was no question. Askin Nakk Le Vaar had been defeated.

As soon as the lightning stopped, Yoruichi regrouped with Urahara near some piles of rubbles. All things were silent for a moment, before Yoruichi spoke up wile shrugging her shoulders.

"That should shut him up for an eternity" the purple-haired woman said, feeling satisfied to know that her opponent was defeated.

"What did I tell ya, Yoruichi?" Urahara smugly asked her while moving close to her. "I knew you would activate your Bankai and deal with him. I mean, you were just so…AAAHHHHH!" Urahara stopped when he could feel himself getting shocked by Yoruichi poking him with one of her paws.

The purple-haired woman sighed. "Spare me your smugness, Kisuke. What happened here is just between you and I. Don't forget it" she told him sternly.

The blonde-haired man with the hat only chuckled nervously in return. "Okay, okay, just relax for a minute" he told her, still acting like the same goof he was known to be. Urahara could notice Yoruichi glancing at the imposing palace of Silbern and he knew what she was thinking about. "I take it you told Ichigo and the others to go on ahead without you, right?" he asked her, this time being more serious than usual.

"Yeah. Tessai, Jinta and Ururu are with him as we speak. But I'm assuming that they must've reached the palace by now" the purple-haired woman told him. She soon let out a deep sigh and she faced her longtime friend with a slightly concerned expression on her face. "Listen Kisuke…..I know that Ichigo is instrumental in ending all this conflict…..but wouldn't it be better if he was left outside of it?" she asked him.

Urahara was surprised to hear this coming from her. Truth be told, he had never expected someone like her to actually be very concerned over Ichigo. Something suddenly hit inside his head. "Wow….I haven't seen you like this since…you know" the blonde-haired man was trying to say something, yet he didn't have the strength to do so.

Yoruichi had to smile when she heard him say that. "You mean since Bansui-sensei and Sojun were killed…" she told him in a slightly emotional tone. She looked to the ground reminiscing about something. "I guess you could say that. I mean…...things were different in the Soul Society when we were young, Kisuke" she told him.

* * *

 _Flashback, thousands of years ago, the Shihoin Mansion, Sereitei, Soul Society_

The Shihoin clan was one the Four Great Noble Families of the Soul Society, along with the Kuchiki clan and the Tsunayashiro clan. The fourth clan remained a mystery, yet it was not the Shiba clan, as that clan had not achieved such status yet. The Shihoin clan was always in charge of Squad 2 in the 13 Court Guard Squads, also known as the Stealth Force. Each head of the clan would always serve as it's captain and commander, as well as caretakers of the Hōgu and Bugu, armaments and treasures said to be bestowed on them by the Gods. As such, each clan head came to be called as the Tenshiheisōban. As one of the Four Great Noble Families, the clan had many noble houses affiliated with them, including the House of Feng.

But the Shihoin Mansion would be a place where a friendship was born between three friends, or more specifically between an heiress and two commoners. Sleeping on the porch was a young boy with messy blonde hair. He was dressed in a green kimono that was ragged, thus explaining his poor roots. That was none other than Kisuke Urahara, a young boy, who would later become something great in the future. But the boy would never know this himself.

"Hey you! Wake up!" an angry voice forced Urahara to open his eyes and right before him stood two masked men dressed in black. They were members of the Stealth Force, who sometimes acted as personal guards of the Shihoin clan. "What the hell do you think you're doing!? You were supposed to polish this porch! Instead, we find you sleeping as usual!" the masked man told him angrily while showing him the dirt that remained on the wooden porch.

"Huh? What are you…." Urahara rubbed his eyes and he got a look at what he was missing. As soon as he saw what the men were talking about, he rubbed the back of his head while nervously smiling at the masked men. "Oh I'm sorry. I guess I must've forgotten it! But don't worry, I'll do that in a…" Urahara was interrupted when the other masked man laid the bucket of water and a brush right before him. In a way, he slammed it onto the porch.

"Enough with the excuses! Now get off your ass and start polishing it! It doesn't do it by itself!" the masked man told Urahara and he and his partner turned around to walk away from the young boy. However, he could be heard muttering to himself. "Stupid street rat. They're more unreliable than the mansion's maids and butlers. Why the Tenshiheisōban would employ them is beyond me" he was heard saying and the two men disappeared around the corner.

Despite Urahara hearing this, he didn't pay much attention to what was being said. Yet he did mutter to himself once he started to scrub the porch. "Who're they calling a street rat? It wasn't like I chose to live like that" he noted to himself while scrubbing the porch.

As Urahara scrubbed, he could soon notice someone approach him to his right side. When he looked to see who it was, the young boy smiled. It was a boy who was the same age as him, except that he was taller than him. The boy was also tanned-skinned while having black shaved hair. He wore a pair of glasses, a rugged black kimono and a pair of sandals. Like Urahara, this boy also seemed to come from poor roots.

"Ah, hey there, Tessai! Boy am I glad to see you. I just had a bad experience with the mansion's guards" Urahara said to the boy, who was actually a young Tessai Tsukabishi. He was currently carrying a bucket of water on his right shoulder.

"Likewise, Kisuke. I just wondered whether you needed some help with the cleaning, so I brought some water from the well" the tall boy stuttered in return and showed Urahara his bucket of water, as well as his brush. "I'm finished polishing the statues, so why don't I help you?" Tessai then asked him.

Urahara simply shook his head in return. "Nah, no need for you to stress yourself. I've got this in a bag. But I could use someone to talk with, if ya know what I mean" the smug boy told him in return.

Tessai put the bucket on the ground and nodded at him firmly. "If you say so" Tessai said.

Before being employed as servants, both Kisuke Urahara and Tessei Tsukabishi were orphans growing up in the poorest areas of the Rukon District. Having no memories of who they were or were they were from, the two became inseparable friends and stated causing mischief among the other residents, especially the traders. But there was a time when the district they grew up in would be visited by none other than the Head of the Shihoin clan himself. Despite him being of high nobility, that man never acted arrogant not discriminating towards people of lower living conditions. He was amazed by how Urahara and Tessai worked as a duo and decided to take them with him to the Shihoin Mansion and make them his servants. But while they were servants, the clan head treated them more fairly than the others employed at the mansion. And there existed another reason for that.

"So this is where you guys are hanging out, huh?" a young girly voice could be heard and the two boys looked up to see someone sitting at the edge of the roof above the porch. It was a young girl at their age, her eyes golden as the sun itself and her purple hair being messy, similar to Urahara's. She wore an orange kimono and it was not rugged as that of Urahara's or Tessai's. The young girl smiled smugly while resting her hands underneath her cheeks. This was a young Yoruichi Shihoin, Princess of the Shihoin clan, as well as it's heiress. "I don't get why you're cleaning the porch anyway. It always gets dirty, especially since everybody on this mansion use it" she told them.

Both Urahara and Tessai smiled as they heard Yoruichi say those words. "Heh. That's what I've told those guards a plenty of times. But you know how stubborn they are" the boy dressed in green told her. "Speaking of which, aren't you supposed to be in combat class or something?" he then quizzed her.

Yoruichi only groaned when being asked about this. "Don't remind me. It's usually me against some lame newbies of the Stealth Force. None of them are a challenge to me at all, as I've beaten them every single time" she answered while lamenting how boring her combat lessons usually was.

Urahara had to smirk when he heard what she said. In fact, he stopped scrubbing the porch and got off it. Facing Yoruichi, he stretched out his hands and dared her to come at him. "Well in that case, how about you and me have a go? Just the two of us, one on one" the blonde-haired boy taunted the girl, feeling confident in himself.

While looking bored at first, Yoruichi soon smiled and even jumped into the air before making a perfect landing on the ground, not far from where Urahara and Tessai were standing. Each of the boys had different reactions to her performance, as Tessai almost dropped his jaw onto the ground while Urahara simply snorted. The Shihoin-heiress did her fighting stance while making a "come at me" gesture with her right hand.

"And you suppose you can handle me? Normally I would say no, but since I'm bored and tired of fighting the same newbies, I'll gladly fight you. But remember, you asked for it" Yoruichi told the blonde-haired boy while trying to taunt her opponent.

Urahara scratched the back of his head while listening to this. "Geez, what an ego you are sometimes" he remarked before doing his fighting stance. "But no matter, I'm gonna show you what I'm made of. So don't hold back, princess" the boy then told her.

Yoruichi grinned smugly when hearing this. "Whatever, smartass. I won't go any easier on you" the young girl said determined, although it was surprising to see someone like her use such foul language.

The two children were charging towards one another, yet Yoruichi was the one fastest, given her incredible speed. Tessai stood and was worried over seeing the two getting into a conflict with one another. But before either of the kids could land a blow, someone had interfered in the fight between them by standing in the middle. This person had appeared on the scene quite fast due to his Shunpo. Both children stopped once they saw who it was. It was a tall dark-skinned man with golden eyes, similar to Yoruichi. He had long black hair reaching to his shoulders, as well as facial hairs running under his nose, mouth and cheeks. His clothes were composed of a long-sleeved captain's haori and a sleeveless and backless Stealth Force uniform, with long black wrist guards. Judging from his clothes, this man was a Captain of Squad 2, but he was more than that. This man was the 21st Head of the Shihoin clan as well as the father of Yoruichi and her eventual younger brother Yushiro: Yusuke Shihoin.

The benevolent man was gazing upon the scene, accompanied by a couple of guards of the mansion. "What is going on here?" he asked, his voice calm yet sounded like those used from leading figures. He first took his glance on Urahara and Tessai. "I thought you were busy cleaning the porch" he then told them.

The moment he said that, Urahara pointed a finger at Yoruichi, trying to deflect blame. "It's here fault. She interrupted my cleaning and goaded me into fighting her!" the young boy convinced him. Yoruichi snapped as she saw this while Tessai simply dropped a sweat in seeing Urahara trying to deflect the blame on someone else, as he was the one to have challenged Yoruichi in the first place.

The clan head turned his attention on his daughter, his golden eyes narrowing a little in the process. "My sweet, little Yoruichi. Why aren't you in class? And were you the one who challenged Kisuke to a fight?" he asked her while now being focused on her daughter.

Yoruichi responded by pointing a finger at Urahara. "Kisuke's lying, daddy! It was he who goaded me into fighting him!" she protested while professing her innocence. She then glanced at Urahara with a smirk on her face. "And besides, I just wanted to test Kisuke's fighting skills. All the sparring partners you've given me are so inexperienced and lame. I bet Kisuke here's a better fighter. Or perhaps Tessai" she added while glancing at her friends mischievously.

Both Urahara and Tessai snapped in disbelief over hearing this, yet Yusuke had to chuckle in amusement over seeing the fight taking place between his daughter and her friends. "Whoever started this fight, cease it immediately. And the reason I say this is because we have visitor coming over here, someone I know you know very well, Yoruichi" the clan head told him.

The three children looked beyond Yusuke and was surprised to see someone standing there. It was a young man with shoulder-length black hair, bluish purple eyes, thin eyebrows and light skin. His hair was neatly combed and his bangs pushed from his face. He wore a single kenseikan on the left side of his head to symbolize his nobility and also wore a black shihakusho. This man was a Shinigami, but not just that. He was also a lieutenant.

"SOJUN!" the three children said together as they approached the young man, who was indeed Sojun Kuchiki: the Lieutenant of Squad 6 as well as heir to the Kuchiki clan, which was also one of the Four Great Noble Families. The smiling man leaned down to the children's level to greet the trio of kids. All of them wanted to hug him so badly.

"Hello children. I'm glad to see you all here. Especially you, Yoruichi. Have you been practicing?" Sojun kindly asked the young girl, who merely huffed in return.

"Yeah, but it sucked! None of those guards doesn't stand a chance against me!" the young girl responded in return while Sojun patted her head friendly.

The young man noticed Yusuke standing there, and Sojun quickly rose up and bowed to him formally. "I'm thankful that I could come and visit them, Lord Yusuke. I assure you that as a Shinigami and nobleman, I hold no ill feelings towards other clans and families" Sojun insisted to the clan head while thanking him at the same time.

Yusuke chuckled and simply shook his head in return. "There's no need for you to address me with such formalities, Sojun. We're both noblemen here. Captain Yusuke or Captain Shihoin would perhaps be more preferable, if you don't mind" the long-haired man told Sojun.

Sojun smiled at him and nodded his head weakly in return. "Yes. As you wish" the Lieutenant of Squad 6 told him, still acting formal in front of Yusuke. "I don't mean to overstay I you and your family is busy with…." Sojun was interrupted when Yusuke suddenly reached his arm around the young man.

"Oh no, not at all! Please stay with us for a minute. The kids don't have Captain Amatsuki's lesson's today, so they will need someone to keep them occupied. And you are just what they're asking for" the Head of the Shihoin clan told Sojun, who nervously chuckled in return.

"A-Alright! And thank you, by the way" Sojun replied as he and the others were brought inside the mansion.

Since coming to the Shihoin Mansion, Urahara and Tessai had befriended the clan's heiress, as well as been given many opportunities that no children from their roots would have, such as education and lessons from a well-renowned Shinigami-captain. This friendship between Yoruichi and those two was a key reason for why Yusuke treated them fairly compared to other servants and maids on the mansion. Together, those three would become inseparable.

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Author's note: That was a long chapter. We saw how Yourichi had her match against Askin, while seeing Ichigo and friends enter Silbern. At the end of the story, we witnessed a flashback part where we got to see how Urahara, Tessai and Yoruichi's friendship was while being children. In the next chapter, I may want to have another flashback part on Urahara and his friends, as he will then have his own battle against Askin. And of course, I will explore more of this mentor of theirs: Bansui Amatsuki. Yoruichi's father is called Yusuke Shihoin in this story. It was a name I thought was good to come up, given that his children start their names with the letter "Y" in them.**

 **Mutekineko – Japanese for "Invincible Feline": This is the Shikai of Yoruichi. Since Sui-Feng's was more hornet-themed, I thought Yoruichi's would have a cat-themed touch to it. And the name of Mutekineko's Bankai is Shunryū Kokubyō Senkei. While it may sound similar to the form in the canon story. It's different, as Yoruichi is still herself.**

 **Denki Mukon – Japanese for "Electric Prowl": This is an attack Yoruichi is able to use while Mutekineko is in its Shikai.**

 **Futago Tsuyo – Japanese for "Twin Strenght": This is an attack that is used by Yoruichi when she combines the strength of her gauntlets.**

 **Rückkehr – German or "Return": This ability enables Askin to call the poison he has unleashed back to him. When it comes to the Gift Ball, that technique is quite useful to fool opponents.**


	46. Deadman Walking

**Author's note: It's been a while since I last updated. Been quite a busy lately. But now I'm here. This chapter will tell us about how Askin and Urahara will fight, although there will some flashbacks as well. And of course, it's only how the fight happened in my story. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 46: Deadman Walking**

 _Flashback, thousands of years ago, beneath the Sokyoku Hill, Soul Society_

As a young boy, Kisuke Urahara was more talented than one could possibly imagine. The young boy, born into poverty in the Rukon District and raised as a servant on the Shihoin Mansion, had a quite perspective outlook for himself and those around him. One of his many talents was building underground places that only he and his close friends Tessai Tsukabishi and Yoruichi Shihoin knew of. One such place was built underneath the imposing Sokyoku Hill in the Sereitei. He was a cunning fox, and none of the Shinigamis stationed near the place took notice of it. The underground place functioned as many things for Urahara and his two friends: from training space to a playground. What the place also contained was healing hot springs, some of which Urahara had created only be reading some forbidden scrolls that the Shihoin clan possessed. No one, not even the clan head himself, knew of this.

Right now, the trio of friends were now enjoying themselves with practicing their abilities. And as usual, it was between Urahara and Yoruichi, with Tessei serving as the referee. Yoruichi was too fast for him and she won the match, with Urahara lying on this back in defeat.

"Heh. Looks like I'm the winner here!" Yoruichi exclaimed while posing confidentially.

Urahara only snorted while getting up on his feet. "Tch, you only got lucky. That's all!" the young boy told her.

Yoruichi was still feeling confident about herself. "Dare to dream, Kisuke" she reprimanded Urahara before sticking out her tongue at him, thus irritating the blonde-haired boy in the process.

"I think both of you did good in this duel" Tessai spoke up, trying to bridge the gap between the two competing friends. "Besides, each of you have strengths and weaknesses, right? Nobody's perfect" the tall boy told his friends.

Hearing this made both Yoruichi and Urahara smile at Tessai. Even though Tessai himself didn't know it, his friends saw him as the glue that kept the trio together. Tessai didn't possess the love for getting into conflicts as his friends did, yet whenever the situation required it, Tessai would get confrontational, mostly in self-defense. Nevertheless, he was known as the gentle giant amongst the trio of friends, something Urahara and Yoruichi valued in him.

"Thanks for the kind words, Tessai. I guess we both needed to hear it" Yoruichi thanked him before glancing over to Urahara. "Don't you agree, Kisuke?" she asked him smugly once again irritating her competing friend.

Urahara responded by waving his hand at her dismissively. "Ya don't need to remind me. Of course, I know that. Tessai's the best mediator one could possibly ask for" the blonde-haired man told her.

Hearing this made Tessai cry a little, and tears of joy could be seen running from his glasses. "Wow…didn't realize how much I needed to hear that" he remarked while sniffing a little.

Neither Yoruichi nor Urahara knew what to say to Tessai, yet something else caught their attentions. Tessai also began to feel that as well. The trio of friends all snapped once they could hear a familiar voice coming to them. And they could hear it in the training space.

"So, this is where you kids are hiding, huh?" a gentle yet cunning old voice could be heard and the three kids turned around to see who it was that had entered the place only they knew. They all snapped in astonishment.

"What the….." Yoruichi uttered out lowly.

"It's…it's…." Tessai did the same thing once he could see who that person was.

Standing before the trio of friends was a middle-aged man with long, purple hair a well as some facial hair on his chin and under his cheeks. Even his eyes were purple. He was dressed in a white, sleeveless captain's haori and wore a black shihakusho underneath it. He also had a green collar on his captain's haori. He held a wooden staff which probably served as his Zanpakutou. It was similar to the one Shigekuni Yamamoto had. These clothes and his Zanpakutou only indicated that he was a captain serving in the 13 Court Guard Squads and he was that. This man was Captain of Squad 3: Bansui Amatsuki.

"BANSUI-SENSEI!" the trio of children said together out of shock and happiness at the same time.

The long-haired man smiled wholeheartedly when seeing this. "Well met, children. Forgive me if I'm intruding here or anything like that. But I happened to sense your Spiritual Pressures nearby. So I came here and checked what it was, and here I am" Bansui told them gently.

The kids were stunned to hear what he just said. "Hold on...you're saying you found us by…but how? I mean, not even my dad has managed to find this place, and he's a captain, let alone the Commander of the Stealth Force!" Yoruichi blurted out in disbelief.

"Bansui-sensei really is amazing sometimes" Tessai admitted, the tanned-skinned boy becoming more amazed by this Shinigami captain than ever.

Bansui began looking around the training space, whistling in amazement while doing that. "I must say, this place feels fantastic. Did all of you build this?" he asked them, only to see both Tessai and Yoruichi point their fingers at Urahara, who was only standing there in his usual lazy self. Bansui smiled. "Ah, so you were the one who built this, Kisuke? Well, I must say you're quite the builder. Why didn't you tell me this before?" he then asked the young boy, who only scratched the back of his head in nervousness.

"It's not a big deal, really. I just built this place so that me, Tessai and Yoruichi could have a place to spar in, as well as having fun" Urahara answered, although he was not sure whether it was the right answer to come up with. "Ya know how Yoruichi's dad constantly stops us if we try to spar or something. So I thought about making this place so that nobody could bother us" he then added to his explanation.

Bansui's smile never faded away. "Well, then I have to tell you: you chose the perfect location to build this room. None of my fellow captains are interested in patrolling near the Sokyoku Hill. As a matter of fact, Head-Captain Yamamoto forbids it" he told Urahara before forming a frown with his mouth. "Why it's forbidden may be hard for you to understand, but I guess if I told you that, none of you would…" Bansui stopped speaking once Yoruichi began doing that.

"I know why it's forbidden. My dad told me the reason. The Sokyoku Hill is where the execution of criminals and other renegade Shinigamis takes place. And as far as I know, Yamamoto and Squad 1 are the ones in charge of monitoring the Sokyoku Hill's summit. That's why it's so secretive" the purple-haired girl answered.

Bansui clapped his hands for her, thus expressing his admiration of the knowledge she possessed. "Spoken like a true Shihoin. Quite phenomenal, Yoruichi. I see now why your father speaks so highly of you" the long-haired man told her. But he was not yet finished with speaking to them about the training space. "Now listen here, children. Normally, it would've been my duty as a captain to report such activity to the head-captain and the rest of my colleagues. But because of you being three of my students, I won't do it. Therefore, this will be our little secret between us. Doesn't that sound right?" Bansui then told the trio of friends, who were all smiling to hear how their teacher would do such things.

"Bansui-sensei…YOU'RE THE BEST!" Urahara exclaimed while running up to him and Bansui patted his messy hair friendly.

"Well now, another reason for why I came here was to pick you three up and go to take with you to my study in the Rukon District. The other students may be on their way as we speak. So what do you say we go and meet up with the rest?" Basnui then asked them before turning around to walk away.

The trio of friends immediately followed him like dogs chasing a cat. And so, they headed out of the secret training ground and onto the Rukon District, where the class was waiting for Bansui and the others.

* * *

 _Inside a hidden study underground, outside the Rukon District, Soul Society_

Near a tree outside the Rukon District, Bansui Amatsuki had set up a secret underground study that he would often come to in order to have some peace and quiet. While he did also have a study in the Squad 3 Barracks, this place was perfect for him, as he wouldn't be bothered by stressed subordinates or piles of paper. Whether other Shinigami captains knew of this place, remained unanswered. However, only Bansui and the students he had knew of it, yet it was only Bansui who could open the entrance, which then showed them stairs that lead to his study.

Inside the underground study, Bansui was now having his class in session. Not only was Urahara, Yoruichi and Tessai present to this meeting. Other young children, who would later go on to play a big role in the Soul Society were also present. There was a young boy with blue, messy hair and orange eyes dressed in a purple kimono. Although he didn't wear his paint as a child, that boy was in fact Mayuri Kurotsuchi, future Captain of Squad 12 as well as second President of the Department of Research and Development. There was a young brown-haired boy with glasses, who was dressed in a black shihakusho. That boy was a young Sosuke Aizen, who would later go one to become a Captain of Squad 5, as well as one of the biggest threats and traitors to the Soul Society. Other students included Shinji Hirako, future Captain of Squad 5, as well as one of the Vizards, Rabu "Love" Aikawa, future Captain of Squad 7 and one of the Vizards and Kaname Tousen, future Captain of Squad 9, as well as one of the traitors of the Soul Society. Besides Tousen sat a young girl with black hair named Kakyo Tengan, who was the childhood friend of Tousen. She was the only one to befriend him due to his blindness, and as such Tousen valued her greatly. But this was the same friend that would later die, which would lead to Tousen becoming a Shinigami bent on vengeance.

All these people were as children students of Bansui Amatsuki, yet none of them knew what they would become later. Some of these kids were orphans and lived in orphanages, such as Mayuri, Aizen and Shinji. While some had been taken to noble families to work as servants similar to Urahara and his friends. As a matter of fact, only Yoruichi and Kakyo were those children of noble houses, whereas the rest were either street boys or servants on noble houses. But it was one thing these children had in common: they all participated in the lessons Bansui had offered them.

Bansui, being a captain in the 13 Court Guard Squads, so this as his duty to guide the children into the next generation. He insisted that not all denizens of the Soul Society should be neglected, including the children. Most of his fellow captains saw his ideals as meaningless, saying that Bansui should be more concentrated on fighting Hollows rather than to waste time educating these children. The few close colleagues he had was Yusuke Shihoin of Squad 2 and Retus Unohana of Squad 4.

As all the children were settled and Bansui smiled once he saw that everyone was present for the lecture. "Welcome again, my dear students. How glad I am to see everyone of you. Each time we meet, none of you are neither sick nor absent. I'm proud of you all" the Shinigami captain told them, his smile only signalizing his enthusiasm.

"Tch, yeah. Like, we don't have anything better to do outside the class" Shinji spoke up, the young boy possessing the same lazy personality as he would later carry on with as an adult.

"Are we still going to read what's written on that stupid blackboard?" the question came from Mayuri, "Knowledge shouldn't be all about what you tell on that blackboard. Knowledge should be about us finding it on our own" the blue-haired boy added, his expression holding no enthusiasm of this subject.

Bansui only chuckled to hear this in return. "Now, now, Mayuri. There is no need to get impatient here" the long-haired man assured the little boy. "But on the other hand, there is something that I agree with you on. And that is about you and the others discovering knowledge on your own. It's true. In the future, the Soul Society may require more than a single person to take care of those denizens who are neglected and forgotten. That is what I hope to achieve with having you all gathered here" Bansui told them.

The girl named Kakyo smiled when hearing her teacher's words. "When I grow up, I wanna become a Shinigami, but not just any Shinigami. I'll become a Shinigami who fights for justice and those who are defenseless!" the girl told Bansui, who mused to himself in return.

"Now that sounds very ambitious of you, Kakyo. Perhaps you should pursue that goal. After all, you are a great guardian towards your friends. Wouldn't you agree, Kaname?" Bansui asked the blind boy, who weakly nodded his head as a yes in return.

"Yes! C-certainly, Bansui-sensei" young Tousen told him while trying to come up words to say it.

Bansui moved over to stand beside the blackboard. To his students' surprise, he pushed it away. To them, it was a strange thing for him to do, as Bansui would always rely on the blackboard to write down something while explaining the facts to them. But this time, he wouldn't use the blackboard. Why, they didn't know yet?

"We won't be needing the blackboard for today's lesson. Rather, we are going to have talk between ourselves. And by that, I mean me asking questions and you answering them. So, what do you say, children?" Bansui cheerfully asked them.

The majority enthusiastically responded by saying yes in return. Knowing that, Bansui told them to gather a ring in his study. All of them were now sitting on the carpet in a ring, and this only enabled the students to get better acquainted with one another. But the question that dwelled inside those children's heads was what kind of subject their teacher wanted to share with them. They would soon find out what it was.

"Listen well, young ones. What I am about to tell you is of great importance to us as denizens of the Soul Society. But we must never forget that our world does not only consists of the Soul Society. We have the Precipice World, the Human World, Hueco Mundo and other smaller and unique worlds that not so many Souls know about these days" Bansui began telling the young students.

"Bansui-sensei, what is Hueco Mundo? Is that the place where the Hollows live in, like us living in the Soul Society?" Tessai asked, eager to know more about that place.

Bansui nodded his head at the young boy with glasses. "Correct, Tessai. Hueco Mundo is where the Hollows dwell. But let us not forget that their lifestyle and culture is different from that of ours here in the Soul Society. The same thing can be said for the Human World and Hell" the Shinigami answered while making sure the other students heard what was being said.

"You're saying that Hell actually exists?" Shinji asked causally, as he usually did during his days as a child. "Now that's just messed up. I wonder what kind of wackos live there" the blonde-haired boy wondered smugly.

"We will talk about Hell some other time, Shinji. But now, I would like to ask you kids a question. What lies above the Sereitei? Or more specifically what lies in the Royal Realm? Anyone of you wanna answer those?" Bansui asked them with his smug smile, trying to give his students a challenge.

"The Royal Guard and the Soul King!" two voices could be heard at the same time and they came from the two boys, who were considered to be the best listeners of Bansui's glasses. The first boy was Urahara, but the other boy was Aizen, who was sitting across from the blonde-haired boy's perspective.

Both Urahara and Aizen stared at each other after saying the answer at the same time. While Urahara simply glanced at him curiously and raised an eyebrow, Aizen only stared at him in return with a huff. From the look on Aizen's face, he seemed to be bear some form of resentment towards the easygoing boy. The two boys were often considered to be rivals, as they were the smartest among the students in Bansui's class. Sure, others like Mayuri, Yoruichi and Kakyo were intelligent as well, but they were dwarfed by Urahara and Aizen when it came to such subjects. But while Aizen and the other students considered Urahara to be his rival, the blonde-haired boy never saw Aizen as such. He was only confused by all this talk about him having a rival.

"Spot on, Kisuke and Sosuke! I salute you both!" Bansui interrupted the boys' staring contest, when he commended their knowledge. The two students looked at him with curious eyes. "Yes. The Royal Realm is where the Royal Guard is residing. It is also the location of the Soul King's Palace, where the Soul King himself resides, watching over our realm, as well as regulate the souls that travels from here to the Human World. Quite fascinating, don't you think?" the Shinigami captain told them.

Neither Urahara nor Aizen opened their mouths to respond to him. However, they did return to glance at one another. Aizen was still giving the blonde-haired boy a dirty look, something which Urahara himself didn't get why.

"But Bansui-sensei, we all know that the Soul King doesn't govern the Soul Society" the stern and bored voice came from Mayuri, the young boy trying to correct his teacher's assessment. "That's Central 46's thing. They are like the highest judiciary authority that exists here" the blue-haired boy added to his statement.

Shinji only shrugged his shoulders when hearing this. "Tch, you always have to act like you're a smartass?" he asked Mayuri with such foul language.

Mayuri simply glanced at him in return. "I was simply stating basic facts, Hirako" he responded.

"But there must be more to Central 46, isn't it?" Tousen asked his classmates curiously. "I mean, is the assembly fair to all denizens of the Soul Society?" the blind boy asked those around him.

His close friend Kakyo smiled at Tousen. "Of course, it is fair to all denizens, Kaname" the young girl insisted to him. "As a matter of fact, not even the most high-ranking nobles are above the law, as well as the judiciary authority Central 46 possesses" she added to her explanation.

Bansui smiled when hearing Kakyo tell those things. "Spoken like a true optimist, Kakyo. I admire it" the long-haired Shinigami told her, forcing Kakyo to giggle in return. "Now let me tell you children about how the Soul King came to be. As a matter of fact, the Soul King's origins would be described as a fairytale" Bansui told them while the children were listening to what was being said. The Shinigami suddenly put a ball in the middle of the ring and started to tell them a story.

"Eons ago, the Gods created this world, which included the realms which the different people would live in. The Gods were proud of their accomplishments, yet there was something they were not satisfied with. It was all the negativity, depression and hostility that had arisen in world and among its various inhabitants. Because of all this, the Gods had decided to eradicate the world, deeming their creation a failure. But as everything was about to turn into oblivion, one God had started to take pity upon the world and its creatures. This God believed that it was unforgivable to simply destroy the world because of mere negative symptoms. As such, he decided to save the world. But to save it, the God would have to sacrifice himself in order for him to accomplish that. His power would be sealed, and portions of his power would be severed from his body. This became the result of the one we all know today, as the Soul King. He watches us, takes care of us and makes sure that the balance of the world is never disturbed" Bansui told them the story.

While this story may have not been a clear coverage of the Soul King's past, it was a perfect story to tell small kids. At that time, literature about the Soul King and the creation of the world was largely vanished. Not even students at the Shin'o Academy were thought of this. No, all that they had to know, was that they would grow up to defend the Soul Society, as well as its sealed king and its laws.

* * *

 _Back to the present, in the icy cityscape of Wahrwelt, Royal Realm, Soul Society_

Urahara had taken notice of Yoruichi gradually weakening. This was partly due to Askin's poison returning to affect her. The immunity drug he had injected into her had now worn off. It was time for him to officially cure her of the poison. But before he could even start, something happened that stunned both Urahara and Yoruichi.

They both felt an incredible amount of Spiritual Pressure all around them. It happened when a giant bubble suddenly erupted all around them, creating something of a forcefield in their location. This giant forcefield was big and it took a portion of the icy cityscape. The two Shinigamis was completely caught off guard, and didn't know what kind of mess they had stumbled upon.

"What the hell!?" Urahara cursed, feeling that his surroundings had changed drastically. He watched as Yoruichi felt motionless, yet she wasn't dead. But still, how could he possibly cure her now that he was trapped in this forcefield.

Urahara's worries increased once he could hear the voice of Askin Nakk Le Vaar: the Sternritter whom Yoruichi had presumably defeated. To Urahara's shock, Askin was alive, albeit in a different form.

"Gift Ball Deluxe. This is the largest poison ball I'm capable of making" Askin said, although he could see that Urahara was more focused on the fact he was still alive and breathing. "Oh, that's not what you meant now is it? Knowing you, you're far more interested in this new form of mine, right?" the Sternritter asked him smugly.

Askin's new look was stunning. He had gained wings composed of circles connected by beams of Reishi and shaped like molecular sequences. The same material surrounded his waist as a belt, and he now wore a visor, one bracelet on his right arm, and three on his left arm. Circles hovered over his arms and chest, and his Heiligenschein took the shape of the Quincy Zeichen with circles at each point of the star. This was without question Askin's Quincy: Vollständig.

"It's called Hasshein. A pretty morbid name, don't you think?" Askin revealed the name of his new form which in the Quincy tongue meant God's Poison Taster or Poison of God. The Sternriter floated above the ground while facing Urahara, who had so far, not moved an inch of his body to make a move. Askin eventually descended upon the ground beneath him. "A Spiritual Pressure that changes 48 times per second. In other words, I'm absorbing 48 different types of patterns per second. Basically, in my Vollständig, if I can spend one second without attacking and only receiving attacks, I have then been exposed to all 48 different types of patterns" Askin began explaining this new form of his.

As he explained all that, Urahara found himself sweating intensively. Apparently, both he and Yoruichi had underestimated Askin and his extraordinary survival skills. What more tricks did he possess that the Shinigamis had yet to figure out? Urahara only sat still and listened to the Sternritter's explanation.

"All that's left is analyzing and developing the immunity, which is only a matter of time" Askin said before pointing a finger towards Yoruichi, who was still lying on the ground getting paralyzed by the poison of Askin. "Now, now, there may well still be other ways to change one's Spiritual Pressure up, but that's all…...moot now. In order to ensure we can end this without you having to waste any more of your time, and this is purely from the kindness of my heart by the way, I'm going to share with you the properties of my Vollständig" the Sternritter then revealed to the Shinigami.

Urahara still didn't open his mouth to speak. But sooner or later, he would have to make an effort to help Yoruichi. However, listening to Askin would perhaps give him an advantage over something. Hoping to learn more from this powerful Quincy, Urahara decided to listen to Askin's boasting.

"My Vollständig: Hasshein, adepts to the changes in the properties of the poison. No matter how much, the surface layer of the poison changes. As long as the base remains the same, the immunity acquired will adjust as well and render the poison instantaneously ineffective" Askin explained the details of his new form, only to see Urahara pant so deeply. It would seem to him that the Shinigami was struggling to follow through the explanation. "Was that too much of a longwinded explanation? Hopefully it didn't go over your head. Because from here on out, no matter how much you, or her, try to change your respective Spiritual Pressures, neither of you will be able to land a single scratch on me" Askin told him smugly, taking pleasure in seeing Urahara struggle amidst this confusion.

"Damn…..I sure got myself dragged into quite a mess, didn't I?" Urahara noted in his head.

Askin was beaming with confidence while being in this new form of his. The Sternritter was confident that he had the upper hand against his opponent. It gave him satisfaction, considering that Urahara was one of the 5 Special War Potentials.

"Now then, there are more surprises right, Kisuke Urahara? I mean, there's no way that you've exhausted every trick up your sleeves…and played your cards already?" Askin smugly asked him as he began sending something in the barrier they were currently stuck in.

Urahara became cautious as Askin's Reishi Wings began creating cells that spread across the gigantic ball of poison. It was Reishi, and it spread so quickly for him to realize that.

"Don't look so surprised. This is just to be on the safe side. I've set up a Gift Bereich" Askin told his opponent while stretching out his arms to show Urahara his work. "I'm not a fan of using really tough sounding words. Dudes who merely talk the talk just come off as jittery, all bark and no bite. I want to look like a real deal so I try to come across as perpetually calm and composed. But I'll say this once just for your information. Breaking out of my Gift Bereich….is absolutely impossible" the Quincy went on telling Urahara about this "Gift Bereich" of his.

After having remained silent for a long time, Urahara finally decided to speak up, even forming a cunning smile in the process. "If you wanted us to stay so badly, you could've just asked…." Urahara told him.

"Riiiight. Do I look that dumb to you? We're enemies, after all" Askin replied, not amused by Urahara's choice of words.

"Okay, then let me put this in another way. From my standpoint, it doesn't exactly look to me as though you're acting out of pure loyalty, your heart definitely isn't fully committed to it anyway" Urahara then spoke up his mind.

Hearing this made Askin cook and eyebrow, indicating that he was slightly surprised by Urahara's assumption. "How very presumptuous. If it's pure loyalty you wanna see, then I'm saturated in more of it than a Pomeranian pup. But your assessment isn't exactly off base, it's true that there's much more to this while story" Askin replied, although he was confirming Urahara's assumption to some extent. This only encouraged Askin to let him in on this secret of his. "The truth is…His Majesty intrigues me. Does it come off as very haughty of me to declare such thing? Of course, that's not what I meant by that" Askin admitted to Urahara while holding up three fingers for him to see. "The World of the Living, Hueco Mundo and the Soul Society. Annihilating all three worlds and trying to make something out of it after the destruction. Is there anyone who would dare attempt this other than His Majesty? If hypothetically, I overlooked this chance with His Majesty this time round, when do you think the next guy like him is going to come along?" the Sternritter began asking questions to Urahara.

Urahara was listening to what the Sternritter told him. He had to admit, he had never really understood why Yhwach had such great ambitions. While he knew that the Quincy Emperor desired the fall of the Soul Society, he never knew the specific goals he had. And now, Askin was now revealing some of the details he had desired to know about.

"Kisuke Urahara, you are a wise, well-informed individual. You have the face of a man who has seen all there is to see in this world. In that case, can you see where I'm coming from?" Askin asked him another question. "Whatever His Majesty will create, after destroying these three worlds. Aren't you the least but curious to see it, too?" the Sternritter was more direct in asking Urahara about those desires of his.

Instead of opening his mouth to answer, Urahara opened his mouth to activate his Zanpakutou. "Awaken. Benihime!" Urahara activated his Shikai and suddenly swung his blade at Askin, who was quick to dodge it with his newfound speed. He fled backwards and could see that Urahara was not standing on his feet.

"You can still move with such an agility? That's an impressive feat in the Gift Bereich" Askin noted while glancing at his opponent.

Urahara was still sweating intensively despite being able to stand. "I'm afraid I'm not the least bit interested…" he told the Sternritter.

"Oh, that was a reply to my last query. Well, it's a grand shame. And here I was so sure you'd see eye to eye with me on the matter" Askin told Urahara, feeling a bit letdown by the fact that Urahara wasn't the type he had thought he would be.

The blonde-haired man clutched onto his Zanpakutou. "If it were Mayuri Kurotsuchi, you may have found a cohort who shared you demented vision" Urahara said to Askin.

Askin raised an eyebrow when hearing this. "Mayuri Kurotsuchi…you mean that disgusting and perverted clown who cosplays all the time?" he asked before waving his dismissively at the Shinigami. "Oh please, don't insult my intelligence by pairing me up some sociopathic wackjob! It's just so…cynical" Askin told Urahara.

Urahara only smirked in return. "A wackjob he may be, but Kurotsuchi is still a genius. However, by no means, would that have meant that he desired to see whatever Yhwach is thinking of creating" he pointed out to Askin. "If something that no one has ever seen before is about to be created, then he's the type of individual to who would want to create that with blank canvas with his own two hands. That's what it means to be a true scientist" the blonde-haired man went on to tell Askin why Mayuri would perhaps be more interested in this than him.

Hearing this made Askin laugh and he found himself grinning with satisfaction over hearing Urahara's story. "I see. Now that's a pretty damn good answer" Askin said before fixing his smug look on Urahara. "I bet Bansui Amatsuki would've been soooo proud of you" he then said to the Shinigami in a taunting manner.

The moment Urahara heard that name coming out from Askin's lips, he froze completely. His grey eyes widened as a result of this. The young man's mind was drifting back to the past, back to the time when he was a child. His teeth began gritting with slight anger, something the Quincy seemed to notice of.

"You sick, despicable bastard….." Urahara uttered out those words before he swung his Zanpakutou in anger. "KAMISORI, BENIHIME!" he yelled as he fired a wave of red energy from Benihime and it headed directly towards Askin.

Askin narrowly managed to dodge it with the help of his Hirenkiyaku. The wave of energy proceeded to head towards a ruined tower, thus destroying it completely. Askin stood and watched the results of Urahara's attack. He was stunned to see the tower bring reduced to ashes.

"My God…...that attack almost took me. If I hadn't been in my Hasshein, I would've been taken by it for sure" Askin noted lowly. He soon turned around to face his opponent with a smirk running across his mouth. The Quincy could see how infuriating the usually laidback Urahara was right now. "What's the matter? Did I ruffle some feathers here?" he tauntingly asked the Shinigami.

"Spare me your crappy taunts, Sternritter!" Urahara snapped at Askin, which was unusual for him, given how calm he was during a battle. "I could care less about your insults, but I sure as hell don't wanna hear you speak that name in front me of ever again! That man has a special place in my heart" the green-robed Shinigami told him sternly.

Still, Askin was not impressed from what he was hearing from him. "Geez, don't act like I'm some clueless detective. I've done my homework! I understand that you, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Yoruichi Shihoin, Sosuke Aizen and other Shinigamis were students of that man. It's a great shame that he's dead, though. Perhaps he would be interested to see what His Majesty will create" the Sternritter said, much to the fuming of Urahara. "Which leads me to this question, Urahara. Are you even aware of what will happen now?" Askin smugly asked him.

Urahara narrowed his eyes beneath his hat while resisting the urge to cut his opponent down. "What the hell are you rambling about?" he rudely asked the Quincy.

Askin mused to himself. "You know, every great event, like the one I just told you, has a fantastic process, not to mention a prelude. I'm certain you know what it is I'm talking about right?" Askin could see that Urahara was not responding to him. "Very well, then allow me to fill you in on the matter. Times are dire, Shinigami. The winter is coming. But I'm not talking about just any ordinary winter with snow, ice and celebrations. I'm talking about a winter of war, battle, conflict and power. That being said, it's a war that will dwarf the White Invasion" the Quincy revealed to Urahara.

Urahara was confused when he heard this, yet a part of him couldn't help but to be curious to know more. He knew what the White Invasion was. It was when the 13 Court Guard Squads along with the Vizards battled Sosuke Aizen and his Arrancar Army in the fake version of Karakura Town. Two years had passed since that event, which had almost cost the Shinigamis their lives. But still, the Soul Society was only experiencing a more disastrous event with the ongoing invasion of the Wandenreich.

"With us claiming the Soul Society as our own, you Shinigamis are all but a pack of leaderless ants. None of you will survive in the upcoming battle. Especially since there are three mighty empires who will convene on this battle" Askin told him before showing Urahara his fingers once again. "The first empire is the Wandenreich. Now that we no longer hide in the shadows, he will reclaim what is ours and make the Soul Society our domain. The wisest Shinigamis will soon disown the Court Guard in favor of His Majesty. Well that was one of the three. Do you know who the two others are, Kisuke Urahara?" Askin asked him smugly.

Urahara's grey eyes widened when he realized what Askin was truly getting at. "The Imperio de Hierro…" Urahara uttered out the name of the resurgent Arrancar empire in Hueco Mundo. Somehow, Urahara knew that the Imperio de Hierro would get itself involved in this upcoming battle. "But if the Imperio de Hierro is also involved in this battle…who are the last empire…no.….does that mean…." Urahara soon got a realization of who the third player was.

Askin grinned. "You guessed right with the second empire. And I believe you now see who the third player is. An empire is emerging in the Soul Society. Another empire is emerging in Hueco Mundo. But the World of the Living does not have one. But there is a small realm that has already made gains in light of the Soul King's death" the Sternritter told him smugly.

"Hell…" Urahara uttered out the name of the realm in which the unforgiven and sinned dwelled in. Something suddenly hit in his head. "Shit! The death of the Soul King….it enabled Hell to….." the Shinigami was filled with so many thoughts and they were too much worrying for him to bear.

The Sternritter chuckled to himself when seeing Urahara getting all stressed. "Know you see why I look forward to this, Shinigami!? All these events will change the course of history!" Askin said before pulling out the ring around his right hand. "That said, I simply long to see His Majesty's creations! Gift Rring!" he exclaimed while raising his hand in the air. The ring around it began floating up while becoming larger.

Askin proceeded to throw the ring at Urahara, who was still standing his guard with Benihime. The blonde-haired man was about to swing his Zanakutou to destroy the ring, only to see the ring disappear before his eyes. Urahara was stunned.

"The ring…...it disappeared!?" Urahara wondered as he could see nothing before him.

Unbeknownst to Urahara, the ring itself hadn't really disappeared as he thought it had. Rather, it had simply shrunk in size and continued floating until it reached Urahara's right eyeball. The moment the ring hit it, his eyeball exploded.

"AAARGHHHHHH!" Urahara screamed as blood began pouring endlessly from his eyehole. He tried to stop it by holding into the bleeding with his handpalm. Apparently, the ring had also spread itself to his other eyeball as well, thus rendering him completely blind.

"Gift Ring is extraordinarily strong and only used on the troublesome ones whom the Deathdealing doesn't work too well on. How it works is it focuses all of the Deathdealing's into one focal point, pinpointing it on the part of the body that currently bears the piercing and forces an "Instant Death" as I call it" Askin began explaining the nature of his Gift Ring as Urahara continued to suffer serious bleedings from his eyeholes. "I'm sorry but you're just way too strong. I can't lower the lethal dose, nor will I just nullify all this. In this light, mutilating your internal organs one by one, is the only option you've left me….and with it, your demise" Askin told Urahara who was now on his knees while breathing.

But even though he was on his knees, Urahara still had enough strength to speak. "Very well…...you leave me no choice…if you wanna defeat me so badly then I might as well return the favor...but don't say I didn't warn you…" Urahara said between his panting, which only made Askin confused. "Bankai….Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame!" the blonde-haired man did something he hadn't done in a very long time. He activated his Bankai! Out of nowhere, a giant woman with dark, braided hair arranged in loops on her head and mannequin-like arm and a revealing robe appeared behind Urahara's location, standing watch over him.

Askin froze when seeing the giant woman appear. "What the hell am I looking at?" the Sternritter asked before something hit in his head. "Hold on, did you say Bankai? That can't be true. There wasn't anything on your Bankai in the intel His Majesty gave me" Askin told his opponent, recalling what he had learned from the intel.

"This is the first time I've ever used it in front of Quincies" Urahara answered.

"I see. On another note, I was also told that your friend Yoruichi didn't possess a Bankai, only for that to be proved by her. I guess I'm just repeating the same mistake here" the Quincy told Urahara while studying this Bankai. "May I ask, just in case, exactly what kind of power does it possess?" he then questioned the Shinigami.

Urahara formed a smug smile when hearing this. "Asking me such a personal thing. That's more of a second date type of question if you ask me" the blonde-haired man pointed out to his opponent.

Askin merely shrugged his shoulders. "What can I say? I like to move fast. Either way, I figured I'd try seeing as how facing that thing head on is enough to make me soil myself" he responded to Urahara.

"Very well, I'll tell you about my Bankai. The thing is…even if I didn't tell you, you would be up close and personal with it soon enough" Urahara then revealed to Askin.

Askin didn't get what Urahara meant by that. However, that was about to change. He felt something unusual happen with his left arm and looked to see what it was. Askin became shocked when he saw his left arm being split open and it caught him by surprise.

"WH-WHAT THE FUCK!?" Askin yelled as he began flying up to the air, making sure he also had his distance between him and Urahara. As soon as he was far away from the Shinigami and his Bankai, Askin could feel his arm getting regenerated. Still, he had a lot of question for Urahara with regards to this ability of his Bankai.

"As cool as the other side of a pillow, most people would be shocked and panicked at the sight of their arm being split open. But just as you have ascertained, my Bankai's effect has a range" Urahara began telling Askin while his Bankai began doing something on him.

Askin had taken notice of this as well, and the Sternritter remained cautious about the Shinigami's tricks. "Heh, I just don't have the backbone to sit back and let my arm get torn apart" the Quincy responded to what Urahara had said to him.

The gigantic woman was still moving her hands around Urahara's face, and it only made the Quincy more curious to know what she was really doing to him. "You may have seen through that attack just now, but Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame's ability…." Urahara stopped speaking as the gigantic woman finally removed her hand hands from his face, this enabling Askin to get a clear view of what she had done to him. "Is the power to restructure anything it has touched" Urahara revealed the nature of his Bankai, thus sending chills running down Askin's spine. It was horrifying for him to watch. Urahara had used his Bankai to restructure his eyes to restore his vision. Even now, part of his faces was covered by sewing patterns running across it. In a way, he almost looked like a zombie.

Askin had been frozen by this view, and he was too distracted by Urahara's new look to even realize his opponent launching an attack on him. Using his mastery in Shunpo, Urahara managed to slash the Quincy with his Zanpakutou, whom he still retained despite his Bankai being activated. Askin was too late to bolster his defenses, but he was quick enough to defend himself from Urahara's attack from behind. The two clashed blades, with Askin using a blade made out of Reishi. As they clashed, Askin was finally given a clear view of Urahara's face. But on the other hand, something else hit in his head.

"WHAT!? YOU CAN SEE!? BUT YOUR EYES…THEY WERE DEAD ON THE SPOT!" Askin blurted out in disbelief.

Despite hearing this, Urahara smiled as usual. "Oh, I can see! After all, they've been "restructured" as well!" he told Askin as he began showing his left arm, which had gradually been cut due to Askin. To the Quincy's horror, Urahara's left arm became restructured. He became disgusted over seeing the Shinigami's hand being sewed into whole again.

Feeling cornered and panicked, Askin felt himself getting overpowered by Urahara. The blonde-haired man won the clash and succeeded in sending Askin flying through the icy cityscape. Still, Urahara pursued his opponent, intending on winning against Askin once and for all. But he stopped as he could see Askin emerging out from the rubbles.

"No, no, no, no, no! I won't let it end like this! Anything but this! This is just turning into a battle of brute force versus brute force" Askin's angry voice could be heard as he was now gathering powerful Reishi to his side. The Quincy faced Urahara, still feeling smug over his process in the battle. "Even after I was kind enough to let you drag me into your field and then let you set the pace for a minute there, you didn't even capitalize on that? Instead, we are here just duking it out. That's coldblooded, Kisuke Urahara" the Quincy told his opponent.

But Urahara was growing weary over hearing Askin's diarrhea in his mouth, so he proceeded to charge towards the Sternritter. In response, Askin only felt like doing the same thing, but not before reminding him about who held the power inside this Gift Bereich.

"But no matter what you throw at me, you're still far from perfect! Or have you forgotten already? THIS GIFT BALL DELUXE IS AN INESCAPEABLE POISON FORTRESS!" Askin revealed to him as the ball was now beginning to grow smaller by the minute. "THE ONLY REASON YOU'RE STILL BREATHING INSIDE HERE, IS BECAUSE I'M STILL DIALING IT IN TO JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT!" the Sternritter added to his statement.

Urahara proceeded to charge towards his opponent. "Correct me if I'm mistaking, you can increase the concentration inside this Gift Ball Deluxe even further? Even now, it's taking all my strength to just crawl about the ground" the Shinigami asked his opponent.

Askin began floating in the air as he saw his opponent coming for him. "That was pathetic! Like I would fall for that! And even if you were just crawling around the ground, your Bankai is not something I want to trifle with!" the Quincy replied to the Shinigami's words.

"You got me there. Perceptive as ever. But you missed one little thing" Urahara told Askin.

The Sternritter didn't know what his opponent was saying and was about to make an attack, only for him to feel something pierce through his chest. Someone had just taken out his heart. The one who had just done that, was none other than the Legionario, Grimmjow Jeagerjacquez. The Arrancar was now in his Resurrección: Panthera. He seemed to have no regret for what he just did to Askin.

"What happened!?" Askin wondered as he felt his heart getting taken away.

"It's been on my mind this entire time. This Gift Ball Deluxe of yours, you kept saying it was inescapable, but you never mentioned it was impenetrable. So I thought I'd give it a try" Urahara told Askin as he looked up at the now heartless Quincy. "And from the outside of the ball, I was able to create a path to infiltrate it. Thank you for the aid, Grimmjow" the blonde-haired man thanked the Arrancar while Askin was stunned to hear how he had succeeded with those means of his.

Grimmjow only huffed as he grasped Askin's heart before proceeding to throw Askin away on a rooftop of a building. The Sternritter was lying on his stomach. But somehow, he still had the ability to speak. Truth be told, Askin was surprised that Grimmjow was still alive.

"So…..you're actually able to move now? That's rather remarkable. I had completely underestimated you…" Askin admitted while seeing Grimmjow standing behind him.

The teal-haired man only glanced down at him with a sneer. "The hell's this? I skewer you, yank out your heart, and you're still breathing? You're one tough son of a bitch" Grimmjow remarked.

Urahara appeared on the rooftop where Grimmjow and Askin were on. "I healed him while he was on his way here" the blonde-haired man told Askin as he began sitting down on his knees. "There is something intriguing about Arrancars. When resurrected, their Spiritual Pressures is completely transformed into the Spiritual Pressures of Hollows. So I thought that bit of information might prove useful during battle" Urahara added to his explanation.

"You're saying..…..you were anticipating that far ahead?" Askin asked between his panting.

Urahara shook his head. "Not at all. Like I just said, I simply thought it might prove interesting. That's why I was prepared for it. I always come expecting 1000 what-if-scenarios just so I'm never caught with my pants down. Ready for an able to act on any fathomable possibility that may occur" he answered the Quincy.

Askin found himself chuckling to himself. "That's…..way too extreme" the Quincy noted.

"What's that now?" Urahara asked as he looked directly at Askin's face. "We're talking about war. If you lose, you're dead. Preparing and pushing yourself to the brink so you give yourself the best odds of survival. It's no different from what everyone does" the blonde-haired man told Askin the meaning of his methods.

The Quincy mused to himself. "I see…...you've got quite frightening drive…I'm also beginning to finally understand your…" Askin was interrupted in his speech when Grimmjow stabbed through him once again with his claws. It finally made Askin stop speaking.

The Arrancar sneered at the dying Quincy once again. "That should shut him up for good. His talking bored me to death" Grimmjow said as he rose up to his feet. He was then turning around to walk away, only for Urahara to stop him.

"Wait. Where are you going, Grimmjow?" Urahara asked the Arrancar.

"Tch, what does it look like? I'm gonna go after Ichigo and the others. I pretty much helped you with killing this bastard, so I see no reason for us to be hanging around here anymore" Grimmjow replied to him.

Urahara narrowed his eyes slightly in return. "You'll have to wait before we can regroup with Ichigo and the others" the blonde-haired man told him sternly. "I first need to cure Yoruichi and then…" Urahara was interrupted by the angry voice of Grimmjow.

"Oh for fuck sake! I told you already! I repaid your healing on me by dealing with that ugly bastard! Quit barking out demands from me!" Grimmjow berated the Shinigami. "And for the record, you're not in power to command a Legionario, cause you're technically in the service of Allowin!" he added to him with a psychotic grin directed towards Urahara.

Feeling weary over hearing Grimmjow's mouth run without breaks, Urahara decided to teach him a lesson or two. "I wouldn't threaten me so lightly, Grimmjow. You may not believe it, but I'm more than capable of teaching you some manners the hard way. Or is it that you're afraid of making an ass out of yourself in front of former slaves of Aizen like Gantenbainne, Yammy…or perhaps him?" the blonde-haired man tauntingly asked the Legionario.

Hearing this made Grimmjow furious, especially when Urahara mentioned "him". He knew who that was, and it was not Allowin. No, it was someone Grimmjow really resented in the Imperio de Hierro. Someone who along with him, Nelliel, Harribel, Gantenbainne and Yammy, had served Aizen and his loyalists in the past.

Gritting his feral teeth in a rage, Grimmjow was ready to fight Urahara, regardless of how powerful the Shinigami really was. "You sanctimonious piece of shit! You think you're cool just because Allowin has you as his servant!? Well, I sure as hell don't care! So I'm gonna rip you to shreds and leave you blowing in the….." before the aggressive Legionario could even attack the Shinigami, both he and Urahara felt an enormous burst of Spiritual Pressure at their location.

The burst was so powerful that it forced Grimmjow down to one knee. Urahara tried his best to compose himself. It didn't take long before both of them figured out where that Spiritual Pressure came from. It was from Askin. But the two even got more shocked when they saw the Sternritter stand up to his feet. But something drastically had changed in Askin's skin. It had turned into purple, yet his hair and eyes remained the same. The Quincy chuckled as he could see the reactions of Grimmjow and Urahara.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH! HOW THE FUCK ARE YOU STILL ALIVE!?" Grimmjow cursed as he could see Askin standing on his two feet feeling so confident in his abilities.

"There may be a final thing I have forgot to mention to either of you. Among the Schutzstaffel, only three of us have a second form of the Quincy: Vollständig, which only activates when die. Unfortunately for you…I am among those three!" Askin revealed to them, his maddened grin never disappearing. He watched Urahara sitting on his knees struggling. "Another key part to understand is the fact that I'm completely radioactive inside my body. Now that your pet Arrancar tore out my heart, he has unleashed the radioactivity that was formerly restrained by my heart. I have now transcended into my second form, which I myself have personally named it Grafenrheinfeld!" the Sternritter told Urahara.

Before either of them knew it, Urahara and Grimmjow began coughing up chunks of blood, and they couldn't even breathe. Even their skin was gradually affected by whatever plague Askin had unleashed in his Gift Ball Deluxe.

"FUCK! WHAT'S HAPPENING!?" Grimmjow yelled as he couldn't stop coughing up blood.

"Kisuke Urahara, I'd really love to say you've earned my respect. But I'm afraid all you've done here has been for naught. I assume you also knew from headstart, that escaping from my Gift Ball Deluxe or me specifically, was going to be a try or die situation. Either way, you may want to figure something out now before you die. And don't worry about me. This is all a part of not getting caught with my pants down!" Askin told Urahara, who had so far, not done anything to retaliate against the Sternritter.

Grimmjow was trying his best to attack Askin, but it was no use. "SHIT! I'M NOT GONNA LET THIS BE THE END OF ME!" the Arrancar yelled before coughing out a pool of blood.

As Askin stood there feeling very certain that victory was finally his, Urahara thought that it was the end of the road for him. Somehow, he himself lamented over the fact that Ichigo would go up against Yhwach without him being present. Part of the reason was obvious, he knew that Ichigo had not been the same man as he was before, especially after knowing the truth of his mother's death. But hopefully, something good would come out of this upcoming battle.

"I'm sorry for leaving everything to you again…Ichigo" Urahara said as he was on the verge of collapsing.

But in the minute of all this commotion, a piercing bullet suddenly appeared above the Gift Ball Deluxe. It had appeared from the sky and dived straight towards the ball. The ball of poison's ceiling was destroyed and the piercing bullet proceeded towards the building where Askin, Grimmjow and Urahara were on. All of them were too slow to take notice of it, and as such, they were taken by the explosion that appeared, thus sending them flying,

Askin was sent crashing towards a pile of rubble, yet he managed to get up on his feet. The Quincy stretched his neck as he stood. "What the hell…what is the meaning of this outrage!?" Askin angrily asked, but it was impossible for him to see as the dust around him hadn't settled just yet.

All of a sudden, an evil chuckle could be heard amidst the dust. For some reason, Askin recognized that voice, yet he was furious to hear how taunting it sounded.

"Stop it! Just who the hell are you!? And what's so damn funny!?" Askin asked one more time.

"You ask who I am? That's unusually presumptuous for a self-proclaimed genius such as yourself. The years must have been unkind to you" the voice come up once again. But now the dust settled and Askin could be given a clear view of who it was. His eyes widened. "But then again, it would be rude of you to forget a dear classmate of yours, wouldn't it?" the man who was now revealing itself spoke up.

"What….you're…..it can't be….Luddenwig Van Gogh?" Askin uttered out the nickname he had given to someone he knew from before. That's right. The man standing before the Sternritter was one of the Dechados of the Imperio de Hierro, the white-haired man in an armor: Luddenwig Van Gogh.

Luddenwig smiled when hearing this. "So, you still recognize my face and name? Good. Because I still remember yours, Askin Nakk Le Vaar. How could anyone ever forget a face so fragile and a name so treacherous as yours?" the white-haired man replied to Askin's question.

The Sternritter was too stunned to see this man standing before him. "This doesn't make any sense….." Askin said, feeling very insecure. "How are you still alive!? You're supposed to be dead!" the slick-haired man demanded an answer out of Luddenwig.

The Arrancar only chuckled to himself, this time, his voice sounding deeper than usual. "Fool, did you honestly think that Hell itself would be the end of me? You are as foolish as that false god you worship!" Luddenwig told him before revealing something for the Sternritter to see. He removed his cape and removed a plate of his silver armor. It showed his stomach, where there was a hole at the bottom. "Unfortunately for the two of you…..I survived" the yellow-eyed man revealed to Askin grimly.

Askin was mortified over what he had just seen. "A Hollow-hole!? Not to mention that cape…as well as this Spiritual Pressure…" he quickly stopped speaking and looked at Luddenwig in a mortified manner. "You've become an Arrancar!? But how!? When a Quincy's blood gets mixed with a Hollow's blood…the Quincy dies! Is this the work of Augustus Zod Allowin? IS IT, DUMMKOPF!?" Askin demanded an answer while addressing Luddenwig by his usual nickname for him.

Luddenwig growled when hearing this. "NEVER CALL ME THAT AGAIN! THE ONE WHO IS THE DUMMKOPF AMONG US IS YOU! YOU, WHO FOOLISHLY DID ANYTHING TO BECOME YHWACH'S MOST LOYAL PET BY BETRAYING THOSE WHO WERE YOU FRIENDS, INCLUDING ME!" the white-haired man lashed out against Askin. But his sneer was soon turned into a smug grin. "But on the other hand, I must actually thank you, Askin. I thank you for leading me to the true God of this world! A true God, who knows the truth about the weakness of your emperor. As such, I feel both resentful and grateful towards you" Luddenwig revealed to Askin.

Askin had only stood still and never opened his mouth to interrupt Luddenwig. "You're such a delusional psychopath, Luddenwig! I don't know how you became this…monstrosity. But I sure don't regret the action I did!" the Quincy told his former friend before gathering power with his Reishi Wings. "That being said, it's time that I finish you off personally! If Hell wasn't enough to kill you, then I might as well be your executioner! As a matter of fact, you arrived here just in time, Luddenwig. My Grafenrheinfeld will be more than enough to kill you" the Sternritter exclaimed as he was prepared to attack this Arrancar.

Luddenwig could feel himself loosing his composer, yet he wasn't brought down to his knees. Apparently, the Gift Ball Deluxe was also affective on him. But the Dechado would now unleash his power in this zone. As such, he pulled out his blade and aimed it at Askin. The Sternritter was confused on whether Luddenwig was attempting to shot something out of the blade. But that wasn't the case here.

"You think your powers are stronger than mine? Allow me to open your eyes as I transcend into my form, bestowed upon me from His Highness himself. That will make you see how your emperor is a fraudster compared to mine!" Luddenwig exclaimed, feeling very delightful in demonstrating his power in front of Askin. Hopefully, this would shatter the Sternritter's spirits. "Die…. Caìdo!" Luddenwig exclaimed the name of his Zanpakutou, thus activating his Resurreciòn.

Without delay, Luddenwig shot out a black aftershock and it darkened almost everything. But the most important part of it was the fact that the aftershock managed to shatter the walls of the Gift Ball Deluxe itself. Askin was left devastated over what he was just seeing. His own creation was now gone. But he was more mortified over the Spiritual Pressure that Luddenwig was unleashing.

But Askin was not the only one to feel this. Both Urahara and Grimmjow, having both emerged from the rubbles, where stunned to see Luddenwig standing there, as well as having destroyed the Gift Ball Deluxe. Luddenwig's Spiritual Pressure was so intense that even Grimmjow was feeling intimidated over sensing it, not just Urahara.

"Such malicious aura….." Urahara remarked lowly as he watched Luddenwig transforming himself. "For some reason, Luddenwig's Spiritual Pressure seems so different from the other Dechados. I don't whether it's because he's both Quincy and Arrancar….or it's some kind of evil power" the blonde-haired man wondered as he continued to observe the ongoing confrontation.

As soon as the aftershock was finished, Luddenwig was floating slightly above the air, wearing black armor and a blade that was glowing white. However, white feathered wings had now sprouted out from his back and there was tints of darkness on these wings. His yellow eyes were fixated upon Askin, who was too shocked to even move. Seeing his reaction only felt so satisfying to Luddenwig.

"Normally, I wouldn't have come here to this mess between Shinigamis and Quincies. But when I was informed about you being one of Yhwach's new bodyguards, I couldn't pass this opportunity to make you suffer. As such, His Highness gave me permission to come here in order make sure the Arrancars helping Ichigo were protected. And that is how I ended up finding you" Luddenwig explained while moving his wings before landing on the ground. "Tremble and despair before me, Askin Nakk Le Vaar! The fallen angel has now come to exact its vengeance upon you!" Luddenwig exclaimed before flying towards his target.

Askin avoided getting slashed using his Hirenkiyaku. But instead of fighting Luddenwig, the Sternritter made a run for at. "FUCK! STAY AWAY FROM ME, MONSTER!" the slick-haired man told him. But that wasn't enough, since Luddenwig was still pursuing him. "GODDAMNIT! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU!? Askin asked once again, this time deciding to make his stand in order for him to face Luddenwig.

Luddenwig was laughing sadistically as he continued chasing the Sternritter. "What's this? Wasn't it you who always said I was a coward and a weakling!?" the white-haired man tauntingly asked Askin. "It seems that the only coward among us now….IS YOU!" he added before resuming his chase of Askin.

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Author's note: Now that was a great chapter! It started with a flasback part with Urahara, Yoruichi and Tessai as kids. I also wanted to show them how they came to know other Shinigamis. Yeah, in my story, they're childhood friends with Shinji, Mayuri, Aizen, Love, Tousen and Tousen's friend, whose name is actually Kakyo. All of these young kids were stuends of Bansui Amatsuki, who is actually a character from a Bleach game, yet he's designed by Tite Kubo himself. It's a shame that he's never been used in the canon story. Most of the fight between Urahara and Askin is loyal to the canon story, but I decided to add some input, considering it's my version of the story. Also, I didn't wanna have Askin just die because of Grimmjow grasping his heart, so I decided to come up with a second form of his Quincy: Vollständig. The name Grafenrheinfeld comes from a real-life nuclear plant in Bavaria, Germany. I thought it would match Askin pretty well. I will write more about the story between Luddenwig and Askin, as well as how Luddenwig became this Arrancar. But that will have to wait. Askin deserves to see how this upcoming battle between the empires will unfold. I don't want to spoil what the next chapter's about.**

 **Fun fact: Yes, I used the phrase "winter is coming". It is similar to how it's used in the Game of Thrones-franchise. I have only watched a few episodes of the series, yet I plan to do so.**


	47. My Last Words

**Author's note: This chapter will slightly move us over to Ichigo and his pals, while also telling us about how the main group of Shinigamis are coming along. But I will first tell you a little bit about how Askin is doing things with Luddenwig. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 47: My Last Words**

 _Somewhere in the icy cityscape of Wahrwelt, Royal Realm, Soul Society_

Askin was flying through the empty streets of Wahrwelt. He was chased by someone he had least expected to see. It was Luddenwig Van Gogh, a former friend of his during their time as young Quincies. But the one he had known back then, was a different person now. He was no longer a Quincy, but a fallen Quincy filled with Hollow-blood in his veins. To make matters worse, he was now one of the Dechados in the Imperio de Hierro. The white-haired man was chasing the Sternritter, feeling so much satisfaction over doing this, given what Askin had done to him in the past.

Having managed to outrun his opponent, Askin found himself standing on a rooftop, surveying the icy cityscape. Right now, the slick-haired man couldn't help but to reflect on what he had just witnessed. "Just what the fuck is all this? Here I have my hands full with Yoruichi Shihoin and Kisuke Urahara only to be met by none other than the Dummkopf himself? My whole head's spinning around in circles!" Askin exclaimed in utter confusion and disbelief.

The Sternritter quickly turned around and walked towards the other end of the rooftop. So far, he couldn't see anything. But as he was standing there, Askin could take notice of something with regards to his fellow Schutzstaffel.

"Hmmm….I don't sense Gerard anymore. But I can tell he's still breathing. Perhaps he has resorted not to use his "godly" size to defeat the intruders. Can't say I blame him. And Nianzol is also being active. I swear, what has that fool been doing since we tricked him into going that direction? He's probably been getting lost as usual" Askin wondered while thinking about his comrades. The Sternritter then turned his attention to the imposing palace of Silbern. "Well, I guess His Majesty will be in for a surprise when dealing with Ichigo Kurosaki and his gang. I just dread the feeling of him scolding me once I get back" he then remarked to himself.

"You think he will save you?" Askin snapped once he could hear a low voice calling to him from behind. The Sternritter quickly turned around to see Luddenwig standing there, already being in his Resurreción: Caìdo. "You could have been part of a solution by helping me dismantle that bastard. Instead, you chose to follow him like some Pomeranian puppy. And worst of all, you betrayed your friends" the white-haired man said, hissing as he continued speaking.

Surprisingly, Askin wasn't as scared of his opponent as he was before and simply folded his arms in a cocky fashion. "Are you still such a sourpuss about that? Come on, you know that there was no way I was gonna let you dethrone His Majesty. And for the record, who are you to call me a Pomeranian puppy? Aren't you one yourself? I mean, I guess Allowin doesn't treat you fairly" the Sternritter responded.

"Since you already know so much about His Highness, you should be able to tell the difference between the way he and Yhwach treat their subordinates. But I guess you are incapable of doing that" Luddenwig told the Sternritter while brandishing his blade. "Now, let me see what I shall do with you. Shall I kill you now, or spare you. I must admit it is a hard choice for me" the Dechado revealed to Askin.

Askin responded by glancing at his opponent with dispassion. "It's illogical for you to think that you can kill me. I may as well want to show you something more. You see, I haven't yet showed you how my Grafenrheinfeld actually works" the Sternritter told him before something happened to his new form. A new form of Reishi Wings grew out from Askin's back and they were formed like the symbol of radiation. His purple skin across his body began mutating itself to contain scales and eyes, almost as if he was a lizard. Yet despite this, Askin remained unfazed and simply glanced at the transformed Quincy with his empty eyes. "I usually don't use this form considering its hideousness. But because of you, I'm afraid I must use it. But surely you wouldn't mind that, would you?" Askin told his opponent.

Luddenwig was still feeling smug in face the Sternritter. "And you said my Caído was a terrible form? Now that is rich coming from a demented man such as yourself" he said while moving his feathered wings a little. "Just who is the monster between the two of us now, Askin? I for one think you fit into that category" the Dechado quizzed his opponent.

Askin had to grin when hearing this, and his new monstrous teeth was shown. He had in an away become a mutant and the many eyes on his body began winking as a result. "Well, perhaps I must be an exception amongst us Sternritters. I mean, some forms are not always perfect, not even my Grafenrheinfeld. And I say this to be blunt" Askin told his opponent before preparing something from his hands. Askin could see that Luddenwig was readying himself, much to the Sternritter's joy. "I don't know how you were able to survive Hell itself. But this time, I will make sure that you stay dead this time! Being one of Allowin's lapdogs doesen't make you invincible!" the Sternritter pointed out to him.

Luddenwig seemed far from impressed with Askin's cockiness and arrogance and frowned at him deeply. "Hmmm, your overconfidence is unbearable. That I really can say about you" he said before forming a cunning smile with his mouth. "But your intimidation however eludes me. Do you honestly believe that being a Schutzstaffel makes you invincible? I think I'm starting to pity you for this sad delusion you suffer from" he then added with a taunt directed towards his opponent.

The more Askin heard words coming out of Luddenwig's mouth, the more agitated he became. It only made it more tempting to end this fight quickly. "I grow weary of you and that newfound attitude of yours. It's slowly starting to become a huge pain in my ass. So in that case, let's end this fight! I've more important things to focus on, so I can't be stuck with you and your overconfidence. Have a taste of my fabulous attack: Gift Kanone!" he then said and was about to fire poison from his hands, only for a shadow to appear above him.

Once noticing how the shadow was quite large, Askin ceased his attack and looked up to see what it was. The Sternritter could see a giant golden cross hanging right above Askin. The Quincy couldn't believe in what he saw and began feeling some hints of fear within him.

"WHAT THE…..WHAT IS THAT!?" Askin exclaimed in shock and fear. He proceeded to glance at Luddenwig, who had both arms stretched out while holding his Zanpakutou. Askin became furious. "IS THIS YOUR DOING!?" he demanded some answers out of the Dechado.

Luddenwig took pleasure in seeing his opponent getting distressed, so he decided to exploit the Sternritter's fears to his advantage. "Why, of course it is. How else did you think it would appear above you? I am your only opponent, after all" the white-haired man told him. "Allow me to demonstrate the power I truly possess and why someone like you will never reach up to my level. What you see above you is the punishment you will receive for your sins and treachery! You may be able to survive it, but you will think twice before challenging me to a fight afterwards!" the Arrancar added as the giant cross began moving a bit up.

Askin was completely unsure about this. "This is so much bullshit…" the Quincy uttered out and was about to make his move. "THIS IS SO…" Askin was too late.

"IT'S OVER! CASTIGO DIVINO!" Luddenwig yelled as the giant golden cross suddenly landed upon Askin, but it didn't stop there. The cross proceeded to fall through the building they were standing upon till it reached the ground.

Nothing remained of the hole in the ground that the giant cross had made. Luddenwig himself personally took his time to observe his handy work. He felt so much satisfaction over seeing this, even if he didn't see the Quincy's corpse.

"Hmmm, I honestly could care less about whether you survive or not. Vengeance was something I really didn't have against you. It is more reserved for Yhwach" Luddenwig spoke up, trying to speak to Askin as if he was near him. "But still, this fight was indeed satisfying. I only desired to shatter your fighting spirit and now that you have seen my power, it's futile to try and challenging me now. The gap between our powers is vast." he said before letting out an evil chuckle.

Once the chuckling finished, the Dechado could notice both Kisuke Urahara and Grimmjow Jeagerjacquez standing nearby, so he flew and landed before them. The teal-haired Arrancar only crossed his arms while seeing the Dechado arrive.

"Tch, took you long enough" Grimmjow said with a huff.

Luddenwig ignored Grimmjow's rudeness and proceeded to glance at Urahara, who had still not made a move. The Shinigami was more astounded by the power the Dechado possessed. It was unbelievable!

"So, you actually entered, even though Allowin told you not to?" Urahara questioned Luddenwig, before letting out a smug smile towards him. "Heh. I guess my instinct were telling the truth. You would only interfere as long as the lives of either Nel or Grimmjow were in jeopardy" the blonde-haired man smugly pointed out towards him.

Even so, Luddenwig was far from impressed to hear this. "I have no time for such idiocy, Shinigami. If you were smart you would have concentrated on treating your friend Yoruichi Shihoin rather than wasting breaths with me" he told Urahara, causing the Shinigami's eyes to widen in realization. He had almost forgotten about her. But Urahara could see Luddenwig open a Garganta and Grimmjow walked up towards it. "Come, Grimmjow. His Highness awaits us back in El Dorado" the white-haired man told the Legionario.

"Whatever you say. I hope he has a good reason for wanting me back. I'm not helping this lazy bastard anymore" Grimmjow told Luddenwig and proceeded to enter the Garganta. He was somewhat relieved that he would go back to Hueco Mundo, considering how he resented working with Urahara.

Luddenwig also entered the Garganta, yet he turned around to look at Urahara one last time. "Another reason for me being here is because of His Highness requesting me to deliver you this message. You will get your wish to stay here in fight this foolish battle. But don't expect us to let you and your friends get off the hook so easily. You still have a lot to answer for. But until then, do what you wish to save this wretched society you care so much for" those were the last words before Luddenwig and Grimmjow vanished and the Garganta closed itself.

This left Urahara all by himself, yet he didn't have time to just stand around and ponder on what to do. He had to find both Yoruichi and Yushiro. Treating their injuries was his number one priority right now. So he was quickly on the move in order to search the bodies of the Shihoin-siblings.

"Okay, once I've helped them both, we'll head for the palace. But I'm certain Ichigo is battling Yhwach by the time we arrive there" the blonde-haired man noted to himself.

While Urahara kept looking for his friends, Askin was indeed still alive. But he was not in his normal form. The Sternritter was had transformed himself into purple liquid and was now falling through one of the nearby grates. Despite this, Askin had still been injured by Luddenwig's attack. Once all of the liquid was gathered in the sewers, it gradually began forming itself into a humanoid form. This was indeed Askin, who was now sitting against the wall pondering to himself.

"Fuck! I almost got my ass handed to me by that Dummkopf! I can't believe it!" the liquid-formed man lamented to himself. "And I had to resort to this escape method. It takes a couple of hours before I am myself again! Geez, that's another of the many things why I don't like Grafenrheinfeld!" the Quincy kept complaining about how much he resented this form of his Quincy: Vollständig.

Askin looked sideways, towards the direction of Silbern. He was now thinking about his liege and how he would react to this defeat of his. But then again, Askin wondered whether he even thought about problems such as these. He was already busy planning on remaking the world. Thinking about this made Askin realize something. That was one of the many reasons why he had become loyal to Yhwach in the first place. To see him destroy anything and remake it from the ashes. That was what he really desired to see.

"How will these events unfold? This only keeps getting better and better by the minute" Askin wondered to himself, feeling his curiosity taking hold on him.

* * *

 _Inside the towering palace of Silbern_

Since infiltrating Silbern, Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends had gone through hallways and up stairways in order to find the throne room where Yhwach was resting. They had first arrived at the dungeons, yet quickly started moving upstairs to reach the heights. So far, the group of friends had only encountered minimal resistance from Soldats and members of the Bewachen. They were easy to deal with, but the true dangerous opponents like the Sternritters were yet to be encountered. Even so, the Sternritters were not on the Substitute Shinigami's mind right now. All he was thinking about was ending Yhwach and his schemes once and for all.

"Send me everything you got, Yhwach! They won't stop me from coming at you!" Ichigo said, trying to taunt his enemy, knowing well that the Quincy Emperor could hear him, even though he and his friends had yet to figure out his location.

"Strange. So far, we've only encountered the lowest ranking Quincies and their Shinigami servants" Nelliel noted as they kept wandering these hallways. "Surely this palace's defenses can't be that weak" she added to her statement.

"Yes. I share your suspicions. However, I also fear that we may encounter tougher resistance once we reach to the palace's upper heights" Tessai spoke up his opinion.

"But we will still take them head on, won't we, Tessai?" Ururu asked, the teenage girl carrying her missile launcher.

Tessai had to smile when hearing her say this. "Of course, we will, Ururu. I myself will not back down from this fight. I will be of assistance in any way I can. I trust that you and Jinta also do that" the tall man explained to the teenagers.

Ururu saluted at him in return. "Yes sir!" she responded quickly.

Jinta only muttered to himself. "Tch, since when will he ever give me points for speaking something logical?" he wondered, feeling a little jealous of Ururu and Tessai's favoritism of her.

"Look over there, guys!" Ganju called to everyone as he pointed his finger towards an opened doorway. The group could see a stairway that lead them upwards to the next level. "I guess that's our way up!" he added.

"Then we best continue. There's no other way" Orihime suggested to everyone.

"Agreed. But watch your steps. There's no telling what we may encounter once we reach the top" Chad advised his friends while agreeing with Orihime's suggestion.

"Thank for you reminded them, Chad. It makes me confident that all of you know what we're up against here" Ichigo commended his friend.

The group walked out of the doorway and was now running on the top of one of the many towers Silbern had. But the only way up was a steep stairway to the east of them. It was quite steep, and the group had decided to walk up carefully instead of running. They each had many expectations to what they would stumble upon. But above all, they would expect some form of resistance against them.

Once they reached the top, the group was in for a surprise as they could see so many thick pillars standing in a line. There was only one way and it was at the other end, on which an opened doorway could be seen. But other than that, there were no enemies to be seen so far.

"It's quiet around here. Too quiet" Chad remarked as he glanced around.

"Yeah, I don't like this place one bit" Ganju said, agreeing with Chad's sentiment.

"Either way, there's only one way to follow. And its entrance is over there" Ichigo said while motioning his head towards the doorway across their location. "It will take us back into the palace and probably closer to Yhwach's throne room" the orange-haired man said. The Substitute Shinigami began taking small steps before running. "Let's move out!" he told them and they all began running to catch up with Ichigo.

But as Ichigo and his friends kept running, the group was in for a shock once they were almost hit by a rain of Heilig Pfiels. This forced them all to backtrack, hoping to avoid getting shot by these Reishi Arrows.

"What the hell!? What just happened!?" Jinta asked, feeling outraged over the matter.

Tessai held onto his staff while facing the road before them. "It appears we are not alone here" the Shinigami told his friends. "As a matter of fact, I think I sense somebody's Spiritual Pressure" he then added.

"No kidding. I feel it too. How come we didn't sense it before? Someone must be good in…." Orihime was wondering who it could be, only for someone to show himself before the group.

Every member of the group froze once they saw who was emerging from hiding amongst the thick pillars. It was someone everyone knew, especially Ichigo, Orihime and Chad. Emerging from hiding was none other than Uryu Ishida. He held onto his new Heilig Bogen, shifting his direction towards the group. But he wasn't alone. Uryu was being accompanied by some of his trusted helpers, including Kana Kido, Reinhardt and Hugo. The raven-haired man fixed his eyes upon Ichigo, the orange-haired man only glaring at him angrily in return.

"You're still in the Royal Realm. even after what I suggested to you? Your stubbornness knows no bounds" Uryu remarked, his voice feeling as cold as ice itself. "Don't tell me you have stopped listening to my advices, Ichigo. There was a time you valued them, as a matter of fact" he added to his statement.

"Uryu…." Ichigo uttered out his name lowly before getting more furious on the inside. "YOU DARE SHOWING YOUR FACE HERE!?" he angrily demanded an answer out of his former friend.

Even after hearing Ichigo's outburst, Uryu remained unfazed at him. "Showing my face here? This is His Majesty's palace. It's my duty to guard it and deal with any intruders" he told Ichigo while explaining what he was doing. "So therefore, I am showing my face here. And to be blunt, I should be asking that question to you" he then said.

Kana walked up to Uryu's side and bowed to him with formality. "Prince Uryu, how can we be of assistance?" the blondie asked him before facing her stern glance towards Ichigo and his friends. "Shall we deal with these intruders?" she asked him.

"No. That is out of the question, Kana. Leave them to me. And besides, Ichigo Kurosaki is one of the 5 Special War Potentials. Therefore, it would be better if I took care of him" Uryu spoke up before facing Kana and the other scientists. "However, I want you, Reinhardt and Hugo to go look for my Schutzstaffel and ask them to come here this instant. They will assist me with apprehending these intruders. Now go. And close the doorway while you're at it" the raven-haired man told his subjects on what to do.

The three scientists bowed their head before him in formality. "Your wish is our command, Prince Uryu, We won't let you down" Kana told him and the trio of scientists moved towards the doorway and closed it. In the meantime, Ichigo and his friends were stunned to hear the way the scientists had addressed Uryu.

"Hold on…Prince Uryu?" Jinta wondered while cooking an eyebrow. "Call me crazy, but did that chick address four-eyes as a prince?" the teenager asked his friends while getting confused.

"I heard it too. Does this mean that Uryu is as Quincy Prince or something?" Ururu asked while feeling curious.

Orihime's eyes widened in disbelief. "A Quincy Prince? It can't be true!" she exclaimed in disbelief of what she was hearing. She looked at Uryu with a slightly angered expression on her face. "Is it, Uryu!?" she demanded an answer out of him.

Ichigo gritted his teeth while glaring at Uryu, who was still standing in their way. "You're not only one of Yhwach's servants…you're also his…" the orange-haired man felt anger boil within him when he got the picture of what Uryu had done.

He remained cold towards the orange-haired man. That same attitude was also aimed at his friends. "Correct. I am now known as the Prinz von Lichts. That means I have been chosen by His Majesty to be his heir to the Wandenreich's throne. I partook in his ritual, where I drank his blood and received the Schrift: A. I carry a part of his soul as a result of that ritual. And thus, I will inherit his empire once in my lifetime" Uryu said before he formed a smirk with his mouth. "Becoming Crown Prince of the Wandenreich. It's an opportunity so rare that I couldn't even pass on it. Imagine all the powers you get to obtain once you lead one of the strongest empires in this world" he then told them.

"You're what now!?" Chad asked in outrage. "This has to be a fucking joke! It just has to be!" he added to his anger and disbelief, as Chad always knew Uryu to be the smartest person he had come across.

"What the hell's the matter of you!? How can you do this to us, after what we've been through!?" Ganju also asked, not believing how someone like Uryu would become their enemy.

"Such depravity…" Tessai noted grimly as he heard Uryu's statement. "And here I thought you were the smartest of Karakura Town's inhabitants. I guess I was wrong" he then added with a statement.

Uryu adjusted his glasses as he heard their reactions. "Why are all of you acting so surprised? I believe I told you where my loyalties lied back in the Soul King's Palace. My loyalties lie with the Quincies, given that I am one." he sternly told them, not regretting the tone he used to address his friends. But Uryu soon faced Ichigo, who was still glaring at him. "But then again, I wouldn't happen to be the only Quincy standing here right now. Wouldn't you agree, Ichigo?" he suddenly asked the orange-haired man smugly.

Hearing this immediately set fire into Ichigo and he lost all focus on what was important. Roaring in anger, the Substitute Shinigami charged towards the four-eyed man with his blades. Uryu readied his Reishi Bow, intending on shooting and fighting his friend. He fired some arrows, only for Ichigo to avoid them by using Shunpo. Ichigo jumped in the air and planned on attacking Uryu from above.

Uryu was stunned to see how fast Ichigo had really become, yet he didn't seem worried. He quickly reached for a Seele Schneider he carried with him. With it, Uryu clashed with Ichigo, the two friends trying to overpower the other. The four-eyed man could see the anger in Ichigo's eyes, yet he kept his cool.

"Don't fucking say that to me! You know damn well why I'm here!" the orange-haired man told him. "I'M HERE TO KILL THAT BASTARD YHWACH!" he then yelled.

"On whose orders? The Soul Society's? Urahara's?" Uryu questioned him with a raised eyebrow. He smirked at Ichigo. "You're only throwing away your life for a lost cause, Ichigo. How stupid can you possibly be? Do you even know what they were planning to do with you if the Soul King died? They were planning on creating a new one, by using you!" he rebuked Ichigo while revealing something very disturbing.

Ichigo got more agitated when hearing this. Maybe it was due to what Uryu told him, maybe it was something else. Either way, the orange-haired man was now raging towards his former friend. "TO HELL WITH THE SOUL SOCIETY!" Ichigo yelled at his friend before overpowering Uryu and push him some feet away. Uryu was still standing, ready to engage in combat once again. But he stood and listened as Ichigo faced him coldly. "I honestly don't give rat's ass about the Shinigamis and their flawed leadership, let alone what plans they had for me! I'm taking this matter into my own hands! Therefore, I won't need their help in destroying Yhwach. I'll do it myself!" Ichigo told Uryu, holding nothing but contempt towards the Court Guard.

Uryu had to admit he was surprised to hear this side of Ichigo. It was as if he had given in to his Hollow, if that creature still existed within him of course. "I have to admit, seeing this side of you makes me more interested in you, Ichigo. Just how can someone like you exist? You are a Quincy by birth, yet you possess the powers of a Hollow. Can't believe I'm saying this, but you are unique in the cosmos. We both know what happens when Quincies come into contact with Hollows. They die. But you, who also carries the powers of a Shinigami, are able to survive" Uryu told Ichigo.

Despite hearing this, Ichigo was still filled with rage and he proceeded to swing his Zanpakutou quickly. Uryu responded by blocking the attack with his Heilig Bogen. "Get this straight! I'm not some specimen for you to get excited over! Aizen may have done that, but he will be the only one! Nobody will be taking advantage of me anymore!" Ichigo snapped and proceeded to kick Uryu away from his position. He then started to launch new attack upon the Quincy. "GETSUGA TENSHOU!" he yelled and a crescent energy was headed straight towards Uryu.

Even so, Uryu was not worried and proceeded to avoid getting hit by using his Hirenkiyaku. Uryu was in the air, musing to himself. "Come on, Ichigo! That trick is getting old! Don't you have a better…" Uryu paused once he could notice that Ichigo was nowhere to be seen on the ground. Looking up, the four-eyed man widened in surprise over seeing Ichigo standing there, getting ready to slash Uryu. "What the…...HE'S FAST!" Uryu said before using his Heilig Bogen to block Ichigo's attack. He also began firing new rounds of Reishi Arrows.

"That won't fly!" Ichigo said before unleashing one of his new attacks on Uryu. "GETSUGA JUSHISHOU!" he yelled and fired a cross-shaped blast at Uryu. This sent the Quincy down to the ground. An explosion erupted as a result of this.

Out from the dust, Uryu emerged, the young man having gotten some bruises on him due to the crash. But then again, he was not out of the game yet. Looking up, Uryu aimed his Reishi Bow at Ichigo, who was now diving towards him.

"Tch…..damn it, Ichigo!" Uryu cursed beneath his breath as he was dealing with the Substitute Shinigami. "This is just getting hopeless! Is this even worth fighting over!?" he wondered in his head, getting more frustrated by the minute.

As Ichigo battled Uryu, Nelliel and Tessai were worried about Ichigo's slowly descent into rage. They each wondered whether they should've interfered and taken Ichigo place while he would proceed towards Yhwach's throne room. Maybe that was the wiser suggestion rather than to delay the inevitable.

"A part of me wants to interfere and hold off Uryu while he and the rest of you go on ahead" Nelliel tells Tessai. "But another part of tells me not to interfere, given that Ichigo is beyond listening to reason right now" the Dechado added to her concerns for Ichigo.

"I too have that feeling in my gut" Tessai admitted to her. "Ever since he came back from training with the Royal Guard, Ichigo had acted rather antagonistic towards the Soul Society. It must be something that happened during his training by the Royal Guard. What is it? I must learn more about this from Ichigo's father" the tanned-skinned man noted to himself.

"Enough of this, Ichigo!" Uryu told his opponent as they continued to fight. "I don't want you to throw away your life for some petty quest for vengeance! It's time for you to stop this and grow up!" the four-eyed man told him, yet Ichigo was not convinced.

"Me growing up? Well I can tell you this: I grew up without knowing who the true murderer of my mother was!" the orange-haired man told his former friend as they clashed. "What about your mother, Uryu? Or your grandfather for that matter? Don't you have anything to say!? Don't you have the desire to avenge someone you loved deeply!?" he asked him.

When Uryu heard these words, he quickly fired a Heilig Pfiel towards him. "Leave my family out of this! I may harbor little love for the Shinigamis myself, but I still know when to NOT chase lost causes! That said, I would rather focus on the future which is in my best interest" the four-eyed man told him.

Ichigo swatted away the Reishi Arrow with his blades, yet he kept charging towards Uryu with his blades. He was not keen on backing down, something Uryu took notice of.

"I don't give a rat's ass about what your deal is! Letting Yhwach do as he pleases is definitely not in my interests! I'll never stop fighting! Not until I say it's over!" the orange-haired man yelled at his opponent.

Uryu was growing more agitated by seeing how determined Ichigo was to fight him. "Damn you! You won't be running with your tail between your legs once I'm done with you!" the raven-haired man told him and was about to fire his Seele Schneider towards his opponent. Reishi began gathering around his Heilig Bogen as he aimed it at Ichigo. "I'm doing this for your own good! Don't expect me to haul your ass to the hospital once you're bleeding!" he then added with an insult directed towards him.

Ichigo's fury overcame him. "I'LL END YOU FOR GOOD! DIE URYU!" the orange-haired man retorted back at his former friend.

"YOU DAMN IMBECILE!" Uryu retorted back at Ichigo.

But amidst this duel between Ichigo and Uryu, something happened that caused the match itself to stop. Uryu suddenly noticed himself falling as a hole in the ground itself appeared around his standpoint. This only meant that somebody was attacking Uryu from underneath him, but who? Ichigo quickly backtracked, wondering if the ground itself was getting unstable. To his surprise, it wasn't. The Substitute Shinigami walked over to the hall and watched his opponent fall down into the darkness. Uryu was too distracted by this and even fell down towards the floor in the giant hall underneath him.

"WHAT THE HELL!? WHAT IS THIS!?" Uryu asked and tried to reach his hand out to the hole in the ground, where he could see Ichigo. But the orange-haired man only glared at him in return. Uryu could see this and only got more distressed by the minute. "ICHIGO! DON'T DO THIS! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE DOING! YOU'RE MAKING A MISTAKE YOU'LL REGRET FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!" those were the words Uryu yelled out to him, yet Ichigo was not listening.

He stood still while watching Uryu disappear into the darkness. He was soon joined up with his friends, who were all surprised by this turn of events just as he was.

"What happened?" Chad lowly asked Ichigo.

"Who did that? We saw you not attack Uryu underneath him" Orihime pointed out.

"If it wasn't Ichigo, then it appears someone else attacked him under where we all stand" Ganju spoke up before glancing over to Ichigo. "What do you think, Ichigo?" he asked him.

But the group was stunned to see Ichigo simply walk away from the hole, as if he was disinterested in what had just happened with Uryu. This was very unusual of him. Ichigo was never someone who would just walk away when a friend was in danger. But then again, could Uryu really be considered a friend? He had betrayed them, let alone become the Crown Prince of the Wandenreich. Either way, Ichigo was acting rather strange for someone like him.

But Ichigo soon stopped and looked over his shoulder to see his friends. "Don't worry about him. Uryu is smart, he knows what he was up against. Besides, why should we even worry ourselves about him? He's betrayed us by becoming that bastard Yhwach's servants. Either way, I'm not gonna waste my time feeling sorry for him. All I want now, is to get my hands on Yhwach!" the orange-haired man spoke before proceeding towards the closed doorway.

As he kept walking, all of his friends were stunned to see Ichigo's personality, even someone as cocky as Jinta and Ganju.

Orihime couldn't help but to wonder about something. "The way he resents Yhwach. And how Ichigo wants vengeance against him…...did that man really do something to Ichigo's mother?" the young woman thought as she kept walking. "Either way, Ichigo's quite reserved about his mother's death" Orihime then noted, recalling how he would never mention Masaki's death to any of his friends.

"Man, can't believe I'm saying this, but Ichigo sure acts.…..broody these days" Jinta thought.

Nelliel felt worried for him. "Not that I condone Uryu's actions, but I just can't put my trust in this side of Ichigo, yet. Doing that would only make myself look like a fool" the sea green-haired lady kept saying to herself. "And besides, the Ichigo I knew would never turn back on those in need. Something must have changed him…...but how?" she wondered.

Tessai adjusted his glasses as he glanced at Ichigo. "Was telling Ichigo the truth the wisest choice, Isshin? The answer to that is both a yes and a no" the tall man thought about what Isshin had told his son. Tessai had met Ichigo's mother before, when she was only a young teenager. But he had only learned of her death by Isshin. "Whatever choices you had, this one has affected Ichigo greatly. I can see it in him" the man with the moustache added to his analysis of Ichigo's mood.

Even though the doorway was shut, Ichigo wouldn't let that block his path. Using his blades, Ichigo cut the doors upon with the strength of Zangetsu. The doorway was cleared and it was time to continue reaching for the upper heights of the palace.

Ichigo turned around to look at his friends once again. As they were expecting him to have this cold expression directed towards him, they were awed to see the orange-haired man smile at them weakly. His eyes no longer bore any hint to anger. Could this mean that they had misjudged Ichigo's new personality? They waited for him to speak.

"I'm sorry if I acted rather cold towards you. It was not my intention in doing that" Ichigo lowly yet clearly apologized to his friends. The young man let out a deep sigh after saying this. "It's just hard for me to accept how Uryu betrayed us for Yhwach. And I know that I'm not the only one who feels that way. Wouldn't any of you agree with me?" the Substitute Shinigami told them.

Chad was the first one to respond by nodding his head weakly. "You're correct. All of us feel that way" the Fullbringer said as he clenched his right hand tightly. "I too have find it hard to accept it. But maybe it would be better if we only came to terms with it as it is and proceed forward" he then suggested to him.

Tessai had to smile underneath his moustache when hearing this. "My sentiments, exactly" he remarked, agreeing with Chad's statement.

"Then shall we proceed towards the heights?" Nelliel asked everyone.

Ichigo nodded his head weakly, knowing how she was right in saying this. "Absolutely" the orange-haired man said and the group proceeded to run into the doorway and continue on their journey to reach Yhwach's throne room. The orange-haired man was still determined to find Yhwach and make him pay for his transgressions, the worst if all which was the death of his mother. "Just you wait, Yhwach. I'll get you!" he thought to himself as he felt the urge to rip out the Quincy's spine by only thinking about him.

As they continued on, Uryu found sitting amongst some rubbles. The dust settled and Uryu was done coughing. This attack underneath him had completely caught Uryu by surprise, as he didn't notice any Spiritual Pressure below him. Had he been too negligent in his fight against Ichigo that he failed to take notice of his surroundings? So many questions swirled inside his head right now.

"This is just preposterous" Uryu said while he stopped coughing. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?" he angrily asked as he felt like he was speaking to whoever it was that had interrupted his match.

The four-eyed man was in for a shocker once someone appeared out of the shadows in the hall he found himself in. Uryu couldn't believe who it was. Standing right before him with a cunning smirk was the Sternritter Grandmaster himself: Jugram Haschwalth. He had drawn out his Reishi Sword, as if he was prepared to attack Uryu. But there was more than that. His eyes now had three irises, thus signalizing the fact that he and Yhwach's powers were now switched.

"Welcome back, Uryu Ishida. I trust that you had a wonderful fight just now" the blonde-haired man spoke to him.

"Haschwalth…." Uryu uttered out his name lowly. "What are you doing….WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST DO!? WHY DID YOU INTERFERE IN MY MATCH!? I WAS TRYING TO PROTECT HIS MAJESTY FROM ICHIGO KUROSAKI!" the young man snapped at Haschwalth.

Even after hearing this, Haschwalth remained unfazed. "Hmm, protecting His Majesty you say? That is not how I view the situation" the Sternritter Grandmaster revealed to him.

Suddenly, more people emerged out of the shadows and it stunned Uryu. He could see Reinhardt, Hugo and Kana being held hostage by some of the Soldats. But there was more. He could see three Sternritters appearing before him as well. They were NaNaNa Najakhoop, Candice Catnipp and Meninas McAllon. From the looks of it, they were also being held captives by Haschwalth. Uryu's eyes widened, yet he returned his focus on the blonde-haired man in front of him.

"And what's more, I happened to find these traitors spreading these little things across Wahrwelt" Haschwalth told him as he dropped some of the glowing chips Uryu had given to the three Sternritters. As they fell down, the raven-haired man felt himself cornered. "I recall seeing these chips being used by a certain someone. Correct me if I am mistaking, but aren't these used by the Leidenshand that was taken away by Souken Ishida? Or perhaps a more suitable explanation: used in the disintegration and dispersal of Reishi" the blonde-haired man questioned Uryu.

"You've got the wrong idea, Haschwalth. Those aren't used for such things. They are used for…" Uryu was interrupted by Haschwalth's voice once again.

"Stop feigning ignorance, Uryu Ishida. Your actions have already been uncovered. I have these people to thank for telling me all about your plans" Haschwalth told him.

Two new people appeared before Uryu and he couldn't believe what he was seeing. The first Quincy was the scientist named Arthur while the other one was none other than the Sternritter Loyd Lloyd. They both appeared before Uryu, who couldn't believe that they had actually done this to him.

"I'm sorry….." Arthur spoke up lowly before raising his voice louder. "BUT MY OATH TO HIS MAJESTY IS STRONGER THAN MY DEALERSHIP WITH YOU!" the scientist told him loudly.

Loyd however, only faced the floor with nothing but resentment in his face. "Don't look so damn surprised! My loyalties are my own! You think I'm gonna let myself get taken advantage of by another Yhwach!? Hell no! I'm on my side, not on anyone else's!" the Sternritter told Uryu.

Haschwalth fixed a deadly glance upon Loyd in response to his words. "You are about two seconds from getting pierced by my sword, Loyd Lloyd. You would do well to mind your manners" he warned the Sternritter without remorse for what he just said.

Uryu had finally gotten up from his seat and was now glaring at Haschwalth angrily. "Are you doing all of this because you're upset with me becoming His Majesty's successor!? Well, like or not, he has chosen me for the title! You have no right to come here and accuse me of betrayal! The only traitors I see here are you!" he snapped while glaring at both Loyd and Arthur.

Haschwalth narrowed his blue eyes as he saw Uryu's defiance and denial. "You think this is what it's all about?" he questioned Uryu before letting out a laugh in response. "Your delusional acting never ceases to amaze me, Prince Uryu. Especially since you are forgetting something I told you the other day at Silbern. The moment you joined the Wandenreich, drank His Majesty's blood and become his appointed successor, you had no way out!" the long-haired man told him.

"What do you mean by that!? I was trying to hold off the Substitute Shinigami before you interrupted me! You let him escape! Now move aside and let me go after Ichigo Kurosaki! I don't have time for this nonsense!" Uryu retorted and was about to walk past Haschwalth, only for him to block his way by pulling his sword near Uryu's throat. "Damn it! I will have my Schutzstaffel know of this!" he snapped at Haschwalth.

The Sternritter Grandmaster was still smiling smugly. "Your words are insufficient. And must I remind you that during the night, the powers of His Majesty and mine are switched" he told them while demonstrating this to Uryu by showcasing The Almighty to him. "It has enabled me to look deeper into the future, as well as figuring out our intent here on Silbern. And more importantly, I now realize you know about His Majesty's plans for Ichigo Kurosaki. Isn't that what you have been trying to accomplish here, Uryu Ishida?" he questioned Uryu smugly once again.

Despite being in this situation, Uryu remained calm and collected as usual. It was stunning, given how anyone who found themselves in this predicament to be filled with nothing but distress. But he showed none. That only demonstrated his hidden determination within him.

"I believe I told you this the other day, Jugram Haschwalth" Uryu told him in his usual voice, forcing Haschwalth to cook an eyebrow. "I said to you that I would do whatever it took to make sure the Wandenreich emerged victorious in this battle. And while you may have uncovered some secrets of mine, there is a slight thing you fail to realize" Uryu then smugly said to Haschwalth.

"And what is that, if I may ask?" Haschwalth questioned Uryu sternly.

Uryu adjusted his glasses. But at the same time, he reached for something underneath his cape. He made sure not to let Haschwalth notice his hand. What he grabbed appeared to be some kind of bomb. But what was it, really? Uryu smiled smugly. "What you fail to realize is a philosophy that even Ichigo Kurosaki used to follow and something I admit I have started to take an interest of.…I NEVER QUIT!RAUCH BLASÉ!" he yelled as he threw the bomb right onto the floor.

The moment this bomb hit the floor, an enormous amount of smoke suddenly appeared in the hall. All the Quincies who were standing inside were coughing, given how thick this smoke actually was. It was also impossible for them to see through this smoke. Amidst this commotion, Haschwalth slashed the thick smoke away by using the air of swinging his sword. As soon as he could see clearly, the Sternritter Grandmaster realized that Uryu was gone.

"Damn!" he cursed, realizing that Uryu was now escaping.

Uryu was running through the halls, not even bothering to look back to those chasing him. The four-eyed man was sweating intensively and he reached for what appeared to be some kind of communicating device. He did that as he was running towards one of the nearby walls.

"Leopold, this is Uryu! Open the secret passageway! I need to reach the throne room this instant! And inform my Schutzstaffel about what just transpired!" he kept telling the scientist. "I don't know what happened, but Arthur, Loyd and some Sternritters sold us out! Be sure that you hide the secret entrance to the Leben Kapsels before Haschwalth starts coming for them! Do whatever you can to survive! I must now go help a friend in need!" the four-eyed man was finished with his talk with the scientists and was focused on reaching to the throne room of Yhwach. But could he make it in time?

* * *

 _Somewhere in the lower reaches of Silbern_

The main group composing of the 13 Court Guard Squads and the Vizards had begun walking up the long way to the imposing palace of Silbern. Before doing that, the Shinigamis had to deal with a Sternritter blocking their way, as well as Kenpachi Zaraki losing control of himself during the battle. But now that everyone had healed and were ready to continue, there was no time to waste. The way into Silbern was clear, and nobody would stand in their way.

With the head-captain still falling behind, the five Shinigami captains that were present: Kenpachi Zaraki, Byakuya Kuchiki, Mayuri Kurotsuchi and Shinji Hirako, decided to press on with the attack, especially since they had no time to waste. All the Shinigamis had received treatment thanks to Isane Kotetsu and Hanataro Yamada from Squad 4. This, coupled with the defeat of Gerard Valkyrie only motivated them to besiege the palace.

The group of Shinigamis ran up some stairs and reached the top, surprised to see how there were only few soldiers standing and ready to greet them, as well as some constructs of Reishi. But they proceeded upwards until they reached a tall door which would take them into the palace itself. The group of Shinigamis had so far only encountered mild resistance on their way here.

"Well, looks like we found the entrance!" Shinji exclaimed with a sigh of relief. "Finally, I can't believe we made it this far. The enemy's security really is lacking, that's for sure" the Captain of Squad 5 remarked.

"Tch, this surprises you?" Hiyori questioned the blonde-haired man while folding her arms. She only poked one of her ears as she kept badgering Shinji. "I must say, you really have gotten softer since your return to the Court Guards, Shinji" she told him, although it was not sure whether she was being sarcastic or not.

Shinji shrugged his shoulders in response to that. "I won't even dignify that with a response!" he snapped at her, yet Hiyori now pretended she was not listening to him.

Kenpachi had not felt quite satisfied over the resistance he and the Shinigamis had encountered so far. Ever since he had been freed from that Bankai of his, Kenpachi was still acting as his usual self once again. Neither Ikkaku or Yumichika wanted to inform their captain about what he had done to them while he was in his Bankai. It was for the best choice.

"This is getting so lame! After we defeated that giant monster, all that we've encountered on our way here are nothing but weaklings. I'm really starting to grow agitated" Kenpachi lamented on the opponents they had been facing.

"Don't get too overconfident just yet" Byakuya told him as he faced the door before them. "Behind this door, I am certain we will encounter tougher resistance than what we just witnessed. You ought to save your frenzy for them" he went on explaining to his fellow Shinigamis.

"Yeah, I also get that feeling in my gut" Renji spoke up, the Lieutenant of Squad 6 agreeing with his captain's assumption.

"Then what the hell are we standing outside for!? Let's bust this door till it's nothing but bits!" Kenpachi exclaimed.

Mayuri had to facepalm in hearing this. "My, my, you really have a poor sense of direction, Zaraki" the Captain of Squad 12 spoke up his mind, yet Kenpachi didn't seem to give much thought of what he said. "Speaking of which, we will continue one without Head-Captain Kyoraku, yes? But who else are we expecting to come here? Ichigo Kurosaki and Kisuke Urahara, perhaps?" the scientist questioned his colleagues.

All of a sudden, Renji, Rukia, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Kenpachi, Byakuya and Shinji could all feel a familiar Spiritual Pressure nearby. As soon as they recognized it, they had to smile. They knew very well who this power belonged to.

"It's Ichigo…..he's here somewhere…." Rukia expressed her surprise while looking around. "But the only question is where specifically he is. Looks like we just have to find him ourselves" the young woman wondered as she looked up to the towering palace itself.

"Finding him won't be an easy task. This building sure is tall as hell. He could be anywhere" Yumichika spoke up while glancing up.

"Tch, what does that even matter to us?" Ikkaku quizzed while resting his blade on his shoulder. The baldheaded man grinned at the door before them. "I say we just break into this place and start searching this crappy place until we stumble upon Ichigo and his buddies" he suggested to his comrades.

Hiyori had to smile as she heard what he said. "So that means we get to trash whatever things we come across?" she asked, getting very excited about entering the palace. "Now we're talking! Let's vandalize this place along the way!" she told those around her.

Some of her fellow Vizards cooked an eyebrow when hearing how enthusiastic she was in terms of wreaking havoc across the rooms, especially Hachi, Lisa and Love.

"Hiyori, please do not come up with such rash suggestions. It's inconsistent" the tall, but gentle man told him.

"You tell her. But I don't think she even knows what that word even means" Lisa sternly spoke up.

The young girl heard what they said and vented her bad temper at her fellow Vizards. "Ya know I can hear every damn thing you say, right!?" she spoke up aggressively.

"Of course, we do. But it's like we care about it or anything" Love told her, this making Hiyori only feel more agitated by the minute.

"You guys are such assholes! Would it kill to show me some respect for once in your lifetime!?" she berated her comrades.

Shinji overheard what she said, and decided to lecture the aggressive girl about respect. "Tch, if you wanna be respected, then you'll have to earn it. So far, you're not making a good impression on your comrades as a leader" the Captain of Squad 5 explained to her.

Hiyori wanted to simply punch Shinji for saying that. However, something else came into the young girl's mind. With a devious smirk, she looked at Shinji, as well as his subordinates from Squad 5, which only made them confused.

"Oh, I see. Then I wonder how you had to earn the respect from your subordinates. Let me guess, they probably did something to satisfy your needs or massage your scrawny ass!" Hiyori told him while pointing a finger at Shinji.

The blonde-haired man snapped in anger by seeing what Hiyori was doing, while Momo, Matsuri and Fujimaru only raised eyebrows in confusion. "Hey! You've no idea how we do things over there, so back off! And leave my subordinates out of this! This is just between you and me!" the captain retorted.

Momo and the Kudo-twins only sighed when seeing their captain getting into his usual verbal confrontation with Hiyori. "I swear, doesn't Captain Hirako ever grow up? I mean, this only continues with no end in sight" Fujimaru asked his friends.

"It can't be helped. That's just who he is" Matsuri told him. "But then again, Captain Suzunami found this to be one of the many traits he liked him" she then spoke of the Seigen Suzunami, the Captain of Squad 5 before Shinji.

"Yeah, you could say that" Momo said, agreeing with what Matsuri just told her.

"This is no time for us to be goofing off" Byakuya spoke up, catching the attention of everyone. "The longer we keep waiting, then the stronger the enemy's defenses may become. It is time we begin out assault" the Captain of Squad 6 explained.

Mayuri only responded by shrugging off his statement. "Heh, I never thought you would say that, Kuchiki" he noted smugly.

Kenpachi was resting his blade on his right shoulder. "Then what are we waiting for? Stand back while I slice this door in two!" the aggressive man exclaimed and proceeded to use his Zanpakutou to make an entrance into the palace. Swinging Nozarashi, Kenpachi succeeded. The Captain of Squad 11 olnly grinned while observing his handy work. "Heh! Now this will go in the record of creating art with the sword!" he said.

Most of the Shinigamis didn't pay attention to what he said and proceeded to enter the palace. Now, they were truly inside the enemy's fortress. All that remained was to reach to the top, where Yhwach's throne room was located. But whether they would encounter more challenges along the way, remained to be seen. They had entered a hallway and could see a stairway that lead them to the next level. Therefore, they had no choice but to walk up, despite how far it seemed to the top.

"Aw man! Why did it have to be stairways in this damn palace!?" Marechiyo complained as he ran up, the chubby man trying to catch his breath. "My feet are almost killing me!" he then added.

"Really? Because I thought I heard you say your weight was killing you" Renji spoke up, trying to get under his skin.

The Lieutenant of Squad 2 was fuming with anger, which had only been empowered by his intensive sweating. "You better take that back! Otherwise, I'm more than happy to teach you some manners!" he told Renji, yet the red-haired man proceeded to ignore his threat. "Hey! Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Marechiyo then snapped at him.

"How about you shut up instead of running your mouth?" the voice came from Isane, the usually reserved Lieutenant of Squad 4 surprisingly speaking against Marechiyo. "Honestly, I don't know which is worse: your overweightness or your diarrhea in your mouth" the medic expressed her opinions of him.

Marechiyo responded by simply ignoring Isane as a whole. However, he was not stopping speaking. "Tch, even you criticize my lifestyle? Gee, that's quite gutsy of you. How would a mere medic like you know the ways of the Stealth Force operates? I mean, you aren't even an experienced fighter" he questioned Isane and her abilities as a lieutenant.

Isane felt very offended by hearing the arrogance in Marechiyo's voice. "Some of us get on by skills, Omaeda. And how dare you talk to me in this manner? I'm the one who treated you during your concussion, I'll have you know!" Isane then pointed out to him, yet it would seem to her that the chubby man was now completely ignoring her.

"Just ignore him, sis. You know how someone like him can never change. Besides, in his mind, only money talks" the voice came from Kiyone Kotetsu from Squad 13, who was Isane's younger sister. "Speaking of which, when this is over, will you become the next captain of Squad 4?" the young girl then asked Isane.

The Lieutenant of Squad 4 quickly snapped in surprise an embarrassment at the same time when she heard this. "W-what!? What are you talking about, Kiyone!?" she questioned her.

"Quit being so insecure of yourself, Isane. Right now, you're probably the best healer the 13 Court Guard Squad has in it's ranks. It's only natural that you would take that position" Kiyone rebuked her older sister.

As Isane heard those words, a part of her couldn't help but to wonder whether this was actually true. Yes. Because of Unohana being dead, she was probably the most capable medic of being promoted to Captain of Squad 4. However, if she were to ever become a captain, who would become her lieutenant? There were so many to chose from that it slightly made Isane feel a little dizzy.

Rukia had overheard this conversation between the Kotetsu-sisters and she couldn't help but to muse over what she had heard them say. In fact, the talk of taking the mantle of captain only reminded Rukia about her position in Squad 13. With Ukitake know out of commission, perhaps it was time for her to fill in the shoes. But was she ready for carrying such responsibilities? She had achieved her Bankai, yet a Bankai alone was only one of the few requirements a Shinigami would need to be promoted to as captain. This was something she would have to think about once this battle was over.

"I will become captain someday. I just know it!" Rukia told herself, vowing to continue the legacy of Ukitake, as well as former Lieutenant of Squad 13: Kaien Shiba. These two men had been credited with making Rukia feel home in Squad 13.

The group of Shinigamis could see a giant door at the top and it was the only way for them to go. Even so, they would have no problems barging into it. Once they reached to the top, they simply opened the door and everyone in the group entered whatever room they arrived in. The group had arrived in a white hall, which even contained many pillars. So far, there were no Quincies to be seen in it, yet the Shinigamis remained cautious.

"An empty hall? Give me a fucking break" Kenpachi expressed his dissatisfaction.

"Yeah, who come there's no one to face us?" Ikkaku asked, also feeling the same disappointment as his captain did.

"Let's not concentrate on them. Help us finding a way out of this hall" Shinji told them as he looked around. "God, this place almost resembles a labyrinth. Did we enter a wrong room or something?" the captain added as he looked around.

Their confusion was short-lived as they could hear a boastful laughter throughout the hall. All the Shinigamis stood their guard, as they seemed to actually recognize this voice.

"What the…you gotta be kidding me….." Kenpachi spoke up as he perfectly began sensing the Spiritual Pressure nearby.

Someone appeared out of hiding by walking out from one of the many pillars in the hall. The Shinigamis were stunned, as this was actually someone they had fought before entering the palace. It was a Sternritter, but not just any ordinary one. This was one of Yhwach's Schutzstaffel: Gerard Valkyrie. The blonde-haired man was now facing them with his usual cocky grin.

"You again?" Byakuya asked while gritting his teeth in frustration.

"Why can't you just stay dead?" Renji demanded an answer out of Gerard.

Gerard only watched them unfazed. "Believe it or not, I am finally here. And it happened by a miracle. Did you actually think I would die from a mere cut from someone like him? Hah! I laugh at your naivety!" the blonde-haired man told them while pointing his Reishi Sword at Kenpachi. "You forget I am the greatest knight of His Majesty. Therefore, I will make sure none of you escapes my wrath!" he added.

"Geez, what an ego you really are" Renji expressed his annoyance with the Sternritter while brandishing Zabimaru. "But like or not, we're gonna get past you!" he then told him.

"You already lost while in your godly size. What good will it do to use it again?" Rukia questioned Gerard sternly.

"Using my godly size?" Gerard asked before his confusion erupted into laughter, probably as an attempt to mock the Shinigamis. "Don't be ridiculous! There is simply no way that I will need my godly size in dealing with you. The near-death experience I had with Kenpachi Zaraki did give me a great idea. Instead of using my godly size…how about I use my godly power!" Gerard exclaimed and proceeded to make a cut on his neck with his sword. He began bleeding, but something else happened.

The blood that sprouted out from Gerard's neck soon formed into a Quincy Cross and it didn't take long before a powerful light erupted before the Shinigamis. They all covered their eyes, wondering what in the world was going on. As soon as the light stopped, the Shinigamis looked at their opponent, only to be stunned. Something had happened with Gerard.

Gerard had transformed himself, and he looked different now. He now wore a Norse Reishi helmet, carried a star extending over the edges of his shield in addition to his sword, and had thick patterns covering his arms and legs as the star on the hilt of Hoffnung turns white. Gerard had also gained a large pair of feathered wings resembling those of a real Valkyrie. There was no question about it. This was the Quincy: Vollständig of Gerard Valkyrie. The Shinigamis were stunned. Even though Gerard was not in his godly size, there was still something humongous about him: his Spiritual Pressure. Some of the Shinigamis struggled to hold onto their feet, as Gerard tried to intimidate the intruders. He was taking joy in this.

"Behold, intruders! Behold the power of His Majesty's greatest knight! This is my true form! This is my Aschetonig!" Gerard exclaimed with pride, his feathered wings only creating winds as he moved them to each direction. The name of his form meant Power of God in the Quincy tongue. And powerful it was indeed, as Shinigamis like Isane, Hanataro, Sentaro and Kiyone were starting to lose their balance. Gerard then pointed Huffnung towards his opponents. "Let's see if you are still worthy to battle me, the Heart of the Soul King! Do you suppose you are up to the challenge!? I dare you all to come at me at once! I relish the challenge!" Gerard continued taunting his enemies while revealing to them who he really was.

 _To be continued…_

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 **Author's note: That was chapter 47. We saw how Ichigo and Uryu fought one another. The real fight in which we will get to see how Ichigo has developed will be explored during his fight against Yhwach. You will also learn what Uryu's intentions for joining the Wandenreich really was, and why Yhwach would even let Uryu become his successor. We also saw how the main group of Shinigamis were now entering Silbern and confronted once again by Gerard Valkyrie. As I said in previous chapters, I didn't want Gerard to become the Wandenreich's version of Yammy, so I wanted to do something different. I will not spoil what I will write in the next chapter. But I'm almost reaching to 50 chapters. And as I told you, this is not the final battle of the story. I will reveal new plot twist which will change the Soul Society forever. Get ready for the unexpected!**

 **Gift Kanone – German for "Poison Cannon": This is an ability that allows Askin to fire two beams of poison from his hands. It takes a while to load the attack before firing it.**

 **Castigo Divino – Spanish for "Divine Punishment": While in his Resurreción, Luddenwig can call upon a giant cross to attack any foes he wishes. But it has to be done fast, given how the cross is sometimes late to attack its target.**

 **Rauche Blasé – German for "Smoke Bubble": A Quincy invention used by Uryu Ishida. It creates a smokescreen that enables its user to take advantage of any situation. But the smoke can be cut in order to reduce its thickness.**


	48. Son of Darkness

**Author's note: This chapter will be the beginning of Ichigo's fight against Yhwach, although we will first see what the Shinigamis are up to. Uryu will also have a brief scene in this chapter as well. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 48: Son of Darkness**

 _Inside the towering palace of Silbern, Wahrwelt, the Royal Realm, Soul Society_

The soldiers of the 13 Court Guard Squads had entered the enormous palace called Silbern and sought to find a way to Yhwach's throne room. After running up a stairway, the Shinigamis had arrive at a hall which almost seemed like some kind of labyrinth. They couldn't even see an exit. However, the situation got only more complicated once the Shinigamis were confronted by the Sternritter Gerard Valkyrie, the one who had presumably died when Kenpachi had slashed him with his Bankai. The member of Yhwach's Schutzstaffel had reverted back to his normal size. He was more than pleased to see how the Shinigamis had found their way to him. As a matter of fact, he decided to unleash his "godly" powers.

Gerard activated his Quincy: Vollständig and displayed this new form called Aschetonig for everyone to see. The Shinigamis were not only stunned by his new form, but also the level of Spiritual Pressure that could be felt from him. It was not like the previous time they fought him outside the palace. The Quincy then proceeded to reveal something to his enemies. He told them about the fact he was more than just a Sternritter. He was also the Soul King's Heart. At the same time, Gerard dared the Shinigamis to come at him.

"What in the hell is this annoying dude rambling about?" Kenpachi asked out loud while brandishing his Zanpakutou: Nozarashi. "The Soul King's Heart, you say? More like the Soul King's Ass!" the aggressive captain began taunting Gerard, trying to play words with him.

Despite getting annoyed, Gerard didn't seem pay much heed to this insult. He was surprisingly acting calmer than before. When he was in his "godly" size, Gerard would often let his aggressiveness get the best of him. But now that he had activated his Quincy: Vollständig, things seemed very different. The Shinigamis could see that based upon his power.

"His Spiritual Pressure…..it has only increased since the last time we fought him" Rukia told her friends, taking notice of the Quincy's power.

"No kidding! And not only that, he's beginning to sound like a smartass. God, I hate those types!" Hiyori spoke, the young girl still holding a low opinion on Gerard.

"Now this is a rather odd surprise" the voice came from Mayuri Kurotsuchi as he observed Gerard's new form. "But honestly, is this man really what he claims to be? Is he indeed the Soul King's Heart? I can't believe I'm saying this, but I find that notion rather preposterous" the scientist said as he began analyzing the enemy.

Shinji only shrugged his shoulders in hearing this. "Well, didn't you, Zaraki and the others encounter the Soul King's Left Hand before regrouping with us?" he quizzed him.

"Yes, but that is because each of these beings are easy to identify. Furthermore, there absolutely exists no evidence of a certain Soul King's Heart ever roaming the Soul Society. All that I know of are the Left Hand Susuhame, and the Right Hand Mimihagi" Mayuri pointed out to his fellow captain. "However, I think I see where that Quincy gets his regeneration abilities from. He is without question no ordinary Quincy" he continued with the analysis.

"Whatever that bastard is, he sure isn't the same cocky guy as he used to be when we fought him outside" Renji spoke up while resting Zabimaru on his right shoulder. "Something's odd about him" he added warily.

"Then we best not take him lightly" Byakuya spoke up. "Since he survived Zaraki's cut, it means he has only emerged more powerful than ever. I suppose that his speed has also increased as well" the black-haired man added, feeling how more powerful the Quincy had grown.

Mayuri was still pondering over whether to take Gerard's words seriously or not. However, the Captain of Squad 12 began recalling what he had learned during his youth, especially from his late teacher Bansui Amatsuki. "Could you be right, Bansui-sensei? Were there other body parts of the Soul King being removed? Honestly, this is getting too much for my head" Mayuri added, still remembering what he had learned.

Gerard, who grew tired of waiting for the Shinigamis to come at him, decided to make them take things seriously. As such, he used Hirenkiyaku to vanish in the blink of an eye. "I grow tired of you underestimating me. So allow me to demonstrate my powers!" Gerard spoke up, as he vanished. The Shinigamis were too slow to react to it. Gerard first appeared before the Kudo-twins and used his powers to actually send them flying towards each direction in the hall. Matsuri and Fujimaru were each too slow to even come up with a defense, let alone avoid Gerard's push.

"What the hell!?" Shinji blurted out as he saw what the Quincy was doing to his subordinates.

"MATSURI! FUJIMARU!" Momo cried as she watched her comrades being sent flying to different directions.

Marechiyo had already activated his Shikai and he angrily slammed Gegetsuburi right on Gerard's face, which was covered by this Norse Reishi helmet. "YOU'RE GONNA PAY! EAT THIS, SUCKER!" he yelled as he did that. To the stout man's utter shock, the attack didn't so much as scratch Gerard. "AH FUCK ME IN THE ASS!" Marechiyo cursed in fear over this mess.

Gerard only grinned in return. "Was that supposed to harm me? How laughable. To me, your spiked ball was nothing but a nuisance" he badmouthed the Lieutenant of Squad 2's weapon but the Quincy didn't stop there. "And I kindly advise you to let go of that arrogant attitude of yours. There is no way you could ever hope to defeat a godly knight such as myself" Gerard continued with trying to ruing the Shinigami's spirit with words.

Marechiyo couldn't stand having his weapon being insulted. "You smug-headed bastard…" he first muttered lowly. In his anger, he swung Gegetsuburi once again. "NOBODY TALKS TO ME LIKE THAT! I'LL SHUT YOU UP FOR GOOD!" he yelled as he aimed for Gerard's exposed torso.

But while Gerard was standing there, he had taken notice of Ikkaku, Yumichika and Hiyori charging towards him. Seeing this gave Gerard a perfect idea. Before the spiked ball could even hit the Quincy's torso, he grabbed it with his left hand, not even injuring himself as he did that. Marechiyo became pale when seeing this, yet Gerard only smirked and looked at the attacking Shinigamis.

"You're dead meat, monster!" Ikkaku yelled as he decided to use an ability with his Shikai. "Split Apart, Hozukimaru!" he then exclaimed as his weapon was separated into different sections.

"Let's get him while Omaeda is keeping him occupied!" Yumichika told his friends as he held onto his Zanpakutou.

"Time for payback, arrogant jackass!" Hiyori yelled, the little Vizard having just activated her Hollowfication.

Gerard only grinned. "Here! You mongrels can have this instead!" the Sternritter exclaimed as he suddenly threw the spiked ball like it was some kind of a paddleball. As such, the three Shinigamis were taken by it. Marechiyo was too stupid to even realize what had just happened, yet he screamed once he saw his comrades being hit.

"ARRRGHH! I'M SO SORRY!" the fat man apologized in desperation while running towards the three in order to help them up. However, he was stunned when he could feel his left hip getting slashed by Gerard's Spirit Weapon. It was quite a slash and the Lieutenant of Squad 2 were forced down to his left knee. "AAAHHHH! MY FUCKING HIP!" he yelled as he watched the Quincy only taking pleasure in injuring him. Marechiyo desperately tried to hold onto the bleeding.

"Hah! You shouldn't have taken your eyes off me! That only left yourself wide open, not to mention the fact how round that body of yours really is!" Gerard mocked the chubby man before almost starting to laugh. But the Sternritter was interrupted by someone shooting fireballs at him. However, these didn't even hurt him. Gerard looked over his shoulder to see Momo standing not far behind him, having just activated her Shikai: Tobiume. "You call that an attack? It didn't even so much as tickle me. I almost feel guilty for laughing at your attempt, little girl" Gerard told the Lieutenant of Squad 5.

Despite hearing this, Momo remained firm. "I'm not afraid of you, monster! You hurt my friends! I won't stand for such outrage!" she snapped, feeling surprisingly brave in face of this powerful enemy. Using her Shikai ability, Momo prepared another round of fireball for her enemy. "This time, I won't hold anything back with my fireball! You'll feel its full heat!" she said in a determined manner.

Gerard turned around and even motioned for Momo to launch the fireball at him. "Go ahead then, child. Take your best shot! I dare you!" he encouraged her to fire it at its fullest.

Momo couldn't stand hearing the cockiness in Gerard, so she let her short fuse explode and did as he requested. "SHUT UP!" she yelled and proceeded to launch the fireball. It was bigger than the last one she had fired on him. Even so, Gerard didn't do anything to move, since he was waiting for something to happen.

While Gerard was observing the fireball coming right at him, Lisa Yadomaru was charging towards the Sternritter from behind with her Zanpakutou: Haguro Tonbo. She was planning on impaling Gerard from behind. However, she didn't know that Momo had actually lost her cool and fired this fireball. All went according to Gerard's plan. In the minute before it could hit him, Gerard swiftly vanished from his spot, thus making Momo gasp in disbelief. And because of Lisa being too focused on impaling Gerard, she was too slow to react and make an escape. Therefore, she was caught in the fireball, much to Momo's utter shock.

"OH NO! YADOMARU!" Momo was filled with guilt, yet she also took notice of Gerard diving towards her from above, eventually getting hit by his shield. With his Reishi Wings, Gerard flew quite fast, so Momo didn't have time to use Shunpo in order to avoid the attack. The young girl was sent rolling onto the floor, as the hit she took was quite hard for her.

Gerard landed on his feet and grinned sadistically while seeing the lieutenant on the floor. "Foolish girl! You think that I would waste time on the likes of you!? You're barely even a warmup!" he said and laughed loudly. However, the Quincy used his shield against an incoming beam of ice straight towards him. This was due to Rukia using Tsugi no mai, Hakuren, a technique of her Zanpakutou. Once it was done, Gerard could see that his shield had indeed been frozen. "Hmmm, clever move. I better watch myself while fighting you, Rukia Kuchiki" Gerard complimented his enemy. But by banging the shield on the floor, the ice broke. "Still, you need to improve your skills if you are to freeze my shield completely" he added with a taunt directed at the young woman.

Rukia only glanced at him coldly in return. "For your information, I don't accept compliments from enemies! Get it through your thick skull!" she said as she was joined by Renji, Byakuya, Shinji and the rest of the gang of Shinigamis. "Next time, I shall fire my ability below absolute zero! Then we'll see who laughs last!" she added to her voice.

"Scatter, Senbonzakura" Byakuya activated his Shikai and the many blades of cherry blossom began coming to his side. "We will not hold back on you, this time. There will be no mercy" the Captain of Squad 6 told him sternly.

But as the group of Shinigamis felt ready to confront him, they were surprised when they could see something happen with the tip of Gerard's Spirit Weapon. It was as if he was loading something. The Sternritter was feeling confident in himself. "Throw all the insults and taunts you want. They won't help you with besting me! Well then, allow me to show you what my Hoffnung can do while in my Aschetonig!" he declared as energies of Reishi began gathering above the tip. It became clear to the Shinigamis that he was indeed planning an attack on them. "NOW, FEEL THE WRATH OF HOFFNUNG'S ENERGY BLAST!" he exclaimed and he proceeded to fire this blast straight from the tip of the blade itself.

The group of Shinigamis were all stunned at how fast it was and they were too slow to make an escape. Therefore, the beam hit their location. It was quite a blast and that area became bombed as a result. Smoke erupted amidst the explosion and it damaged some of the interiors in the hall. Even so, none of that mattered to Gerard, as he was simply enjoying himself with the intruders.

"Hah! How's that for a taste of justice? I bet you all may want to start reconsider underestimating me, now would you?" Gerard told them, yet his eyes snapped once he could see something. "What in the name of…how is this even possible!?" he demanded as he could see that the group of Shinigamis was currently protected by a Kido-spell. This was the Ryūbi no Jōmon, used by none other than Hachigen Ushoda.

This gigantic shield had been made just in time before the blast hit them. It had given the Shinigamis an opportunity to save themselves from being blasted into oblivion. However, Hachi had put a lot of effort into performing this Kido-spell quickly. Therefore, he was slowly feeling his energy being drained till it was empty.

"Sheesh, that was a close call. Way to go, Hachi. Once again, you saved your asses" Shinji complimented his fellow Vizard.

Hachi stopped panting and looked at Shinji and the other Shinigamis he was with. "Then try not to waste breath with compliments. Try figure out a way to beat this Quincy instead!" he told him while trying to compose himself.

"He's right. It's about time we got serious here" Renji agreed with this sentiment. He then looked at the barrier, where he knew Gerard was somewhere behind it. "That cocky son of a bitch! He singlehandedly toyed with Momo and the others like it was nothing. I for one won't fall in the same trap" the Lieutenant of Squad 6 assured those around him.

"A wise suggestion, but how exactly are you planning on fighting him, Abarai?" Mayuri questioned him sternly. "Outspoken words and harsh language aren't strategy" he pointed out to Renji.

Renji only scowled in hearing Mayrui berate him like this. "Man, you really know how to make people hate you, Captain Kurotsuchi" he told the captain, although Mayuri didn't seem interested in listening to him anymore.

"Let us not waste more breath on this foolishness. Ushoda is right. It is best that we figure out a way to defeat this Quincy before he takes advantage of….." as Byakuya was trying to get the Shinigamis into coming up with a plan, he and the others were stunned once they could hear the giant barrier crack into half. And thus, it was broken. The Shinigamis quickly turned around to face the enemy.

Through the dusts that appeared, Gerard's laughter could be heard loud and clear. "Don't tell me that you honestly thought this trick was immune to my Hoffnung!" Gerard said as he suddenly showed himself for the entire group, the dusts vanishing due to him using his Reishi Wings. "Fools! My blade can cut through anything that is of deceit and trickery! Do not forget that I'm a knight of truth and justice!" the blonde-haired man reminded his enemies of he was.

Kenpachi was growing agitated over Gerard's overconfidence. "Justice this, justice that, blah, blah, blah! Can't you shut up for a goddamn second!? Man, you're annoying me!" Kenpachi said as he readied his blade. "Anyway, how about we go another round of fighting? This time, I won't let anything interrupt us!" the Captain of Squad 11 challenged the Sternritter to a duel once again.

Gerard only frowned deeply while seeing this. "Why should I? At this rate, its more preferable if I simply take each of you out all at the same time. His Majesty doesn't like uninvited guests" he told Kenpachi while the other Shinigamis listened as well. "But let me tell you something, Shinigamis. I don't think you realized it, but so far…...I haven't even used the Miracle against any of you while in my Aschetonig!" he then revealed to them smugly.

The Shinigamis were stunned, but they weren't surprised as well. It was true. Gerard hadn't been using his Schrift. He had simply relied on his own personal strength given to him by the Quincy: Vollständig.

"What is it you are implying here?" Hachi questioned the Sternritter warily. But the kindhearted Vizard was in for a shock once he realized that someone was right behind him. And that "someone" was indeed Gerard. "WHAT!? BUT HOW…" Hachi was too slow to react, as he got himself pierced by Gerard's blade.

"Hmm, you were too slow to figure it out, buffoon. You only have yourself to blame for being negligent" Gerard scolded his opponent he was just piercing. He eventually pulled out his Spirit Weapon and watched as Hachi struggled in holding himself together. A musing smirk crept across Gerard's lips. "I see, you only rely on this "Kido" instead of carrying a weapon. A foolish choice in coming here, I must say" he went on critizing the man he had just stabbed.

"HACHI!" Shinji yelled as he could see the tall man trying to hold onto his injury.

Gerard was still observing Hachi struggling, until he could hear someone charging at him from behind. The Quincy grinned, as Love was preparing to attack him with both his Hollowfication and his Zanpakutou: Tengumaru.

"Another one makes a daring attempt to attack me? How reckless of you" Gerard remarked and proceeded to ready himself for this incoming attack. "Very well then, show me what you got!" he taunted the Vizard.

Love was still going at him in his fullest. But underneath his Hollow-mask lied a cunning smile. This only meant he had something planned. "Heh! You may but be all strong, but you sure as hell are filled with openings!" the laid-back man said before he surprised the Quincy by vanishing with the help of Shunpo.

Gerard's eyes widened. "WHAT!? WHERE DID YOU…" the blonde-haired man quickly looked behind him and could see Hachi still standing there, but not as weak as he was before.

"Roppō Fūjin!" Hachi exclaimed and he performed another Kido-spell. Before Gerard knew it, he found himself trapped in 3-dimensional, horizontal and vertical cross-shaped green barrier forms. But as Hachi was trying to hold him inside, Isane and Hanataro were healing his critical injury. The Vizard was sweating intensively as he struggled to shut the Quincy inside. "I have you now!" he said while panting between his words.

Gerard felt himself getting angry once he knew what predicament he had gotten himself into. Love had never intended on actually attacking him. He was only trying to distract Gerard from Hachi. That only made it possible for Hachi to perform this spell on him. Thinking about all this only invigorated Gerard, as he felt somewhat humiliated.

"The nerve! To think these pests managed to catch me! A foolish mistake on my part" Gerard quietly lamented to himself as he watched his captors surround him.

Kenpachi only grinned by seeing Gerard being held inside the barrier. "Finally, he's inside a cage! That outta shut him up for good" he expressed his delight in seeing the Quincy being trapped.

"It is too early to celebrate" Byakuya calmly spoke up his mind. He then looked to Hachi. "How strong is this barrier?" he questioned the Vizard.

Mayuri had to glance at his fellow captain in slight disbelief in hearing this. "You must be joking. Why do you even ask about this Kido-spell's efficiency? From my standpoint, I seriously doubt that this will be enough to hold him. Surely, you and the others realize this" the scientist pointed out.

Byakuya didn't pay heed to him, yet Renji was getting annoyed of Mayrui's constant badmouthing. "Is that so? Then how about you contribute to this battle, Urahara 2.0. Help us with finding a way to take down this oaf" the Lieutenant of Squad 6 berated the captain.

"Shut your trap, Abarai! For your information, I am actually trying to be helpful here, yet you and the others insist on…." Mayuri's verbal assault on Renji took an end once he and the other Shinigamis could hear something crack. To their shock (except for Mayuri), Hachi's barrier was slowly disintegrating.

"NO! THE BARRIER!" Hachi exclaimed out of frustration.

"IT'S CRACKING!" Rukia blurted out, yet she could see that Gerard was doing nothing, not even swinging his Spirit Weapon. "But how in the world is he able to break it without so much as moving a muscle!?" she wondered, still taking notice of Gerard standing still inside the slightly weakened barrier.

As soon as the barrier was gone, the Shinigamis could feel the enormous amount of Spiritual Pressure that came from Gerard. It was unbelievable, considering that the Quincy had freed himself by only relying on his power. Furthermore, some of the hall's interior were also affected by Gerard unleashing this power burst of his. The blonde-haired man simply laughed at his enemies.

"Imbeciles! Did you honestly think that some mere sorcery would be powerful enough to imprison the likes of me? A fatal mistake on your part!" Gerard exclaimed as he stood his guard against the intruders. "No matter. It's time I humbled you intruders by giving you the most gracious welcome, as well as a ticket to your demises!" he went on taunting his opponents.

* * *

 _In an open area at the upper reaches of Silbern_

Having just experienced a difficult encounter with his former friend Uryu, Ichigo and his friends proceeded upwards to the palace's heights. With tough luck, they would reach Yhwach's throne room in no time. But they needed to be hasty, as they could feel other sources of Spiritual Pressure throughout the palace. They were not just that of Quincies, but Shinigamis as well. Even so, there was no time to waste. The day was almost there, which only meant that Ywhach would soon awaken from his sleep.

Having run up stairways, the group found themselves running in an open area, almost like a courtyard. The area was covered with tall statues who carried spears, as well as pillars and fountains. At the end of the way, lied an open doorway. Two statues also stood by this doorway, likely for decoration. But unlike the others, these statues closely resembled real-life griffins from fables. Looking upwards, the group could see the top of the palace, including its roof. This only confirmed the fact that they were almost at the top of Silbern, where the throne room was likely to be located.

Eyeing both sides, Ichigo and his friends made sure not to walk into any traps as they had done earlier. Given the fact that they were almost at the top, resistance was to be expected, either from hiding or out in the open. Either way, they treaded with caution.

"Be on your guard for any Quincies lurking around here. If we can't sense their Spiritual Pressure it is likely due to them disguising it" Ichigo informed his friends while clutching onto his weapons.

"I sense nothing so far" Tessai said as he tried to search around the statues and the pillars for any spies.

"Me neither" Nelliel spoke up. "Personally, I don't think there are any spies in this area" the female Arrancar told her friends what she thought was the situation.

"For real?" Jinta quizzed both Tessai and Nelliel. "Well, we are like, almost at the top of the palace. Doesn't it strike it to you as weird in how little security there is in this place?" the red-haired teenager went on pressing them for answers.

"Ya know, the kid's right" Ganju spoke up as he looked up to the statues. "And there's something different about this place. All these tall statues…..we didn't see anyone at the place where Uryu confronted us" he noted as he observed the statues.

Each of these statues looked the same, wearing covers on their heads while carrying spears. But they were many, whereas the doorway had only two griffin statues standing by each side. In a way, this scene resembled that of a leader's welcome, when soldiers and other fighters in service would stand in lines while receiving the leader. But could the same thing be said for a place with statues? The group of friends were curious to know the answer.

"At any rate. I feel that we're almost at the top of the palace" Chad said as he gazed out to view the scenery. "But where did the others go? And how come things have become so quiet around here? Aren't the enemy aware of their palace being invaded?" the tall man asked as he began observing the view.

"I can ask the same thing" Orihime remarked before turning her attention to Ichigo. "So what's next, Ichigo? Do we proceed as planned?" she asked him.

The orange-haired man weakly nodded his head as a yes before slowly taking stepds towards the opened doorway. "Yeah. We all know what's at stake here. There's no turning back" the Substitute Shinigami spoke, yet he looked over his shoulder to face his friends. "And before we go, let me be clear with you guys on one thing. I appreciate how all of you have contributed greatly to this campaign. But I'm afraid that I must ask each and everyone of you to stay out of my fight against Yhwach" he suddenly revealed to his friends.

Ichigo's friends were astounded to hear what the young man just told them. They wanted to know why he was requesting this from them.

"You don't want us to interfere in the fight?" Chad quietly asked Ichigo.

"Why, Ichigo? How can you come up with such a ludicrous strategy? Yhwach is unlike anyone you have ever encountered before!" Tessai pointed out to him.

"I know that. But this isn't about me wanting to figure out his weakness" Ichigo firmly told him, an aura of seriousness brewing inside of him. "Yhwach is more than just an enemy. He's taken something very precious away from me and my family. I don't intend for that to slip by" he went on explaining the reason for his hatred towards Yhwach.

Ganju crossed his arms while huffing at him. "There you go again. Always willing to act like the hero and take all the credits to yourself! I swear, don't you get tired of that!?" he complained.

"Yeah! I knew you were always a hothead and stuff, but I never realized how much of a douche you've grown over the years!" Jinta joined in on the verbal assault.

Ichigo felt more agitated and angry in seeing this. "You don't get it! This has nothing to do with me wanting an opponent to myself, let alone defend the Soul Society!" he yelled before he took a deep breath to compose himself. Somehow, Ichigo regretted what he just did. "I'm sorry….I didn't mean to get mad at you guys. The truth of the matter is…...I don't wanna lose any of you. You're all my friends. Therefore, I won't let Yhwach away the lives of those I care about" the orange-haired man spoke up, the formerly stern expression on his face now softening.

His friends were stunned to see this kind of Ichigo. Why was he suddenly acting this way, considering that he had just gotten into a fight with Uryu? Perhaps this was the reason he was behaving this way.

"Ichigo….." Nelliel spoke up, still mumbling with words. "Are you having second thoughts about confronting Uryu?" the Arrancar asked him, wanting to know what the young man was thinking about. Ichigo's expression remained unchanged, despite the fact that he faced the ground with resentment.

"We all feel the same way towards Uryu. And truth be told, his actions are very difficult to forgive. I don't even know whether I can" Orihime told everyone before facing Ichigo. Surprisingly, she was facing him with rather determined eyes. "Now about your request, Ichigo. I appreciate your concern. We all do. But can you look at each and every one of us in the eyes and promise you will defeat Yhwach?" the orange-haired woman questioned him.

Ichigo was rather surprised to hear someone like Orihime ask him about this. He was too slow to realize it, but Orihime had grown. No longer was she the naïve woman and classmate back in Karakura Town. A part of Ichigo understood why, because he knew how Orihime lost her older brother Sora.

After much consideration, Ichigo formed a slight smile at his friends. This surprised them all, given that his eyes seemed more friendly and relaxed than usual. The Substitute Shinigami faced each of his friends, as if he wanted to give them some parting words.

"Orihime, thank you for believing in me. I promise I won't let you down. Chad, thank you for being able to befriend you. I'm proud to be your friend. Nelliel, thank you for all the good times you have given me. They are unforgettable. Tessai, thank you for advices. Give Yoruichi and Urahara my regards. Ganju, thank you for showing me creative ideas. I guess you really are my cousin. Ururu, thank you for becoming a dependable friend. Keep it up. And Jinta, thank you for all the wisecracking quotes. I think you're worthy of dating Yuzu" Ichigo began thanking each of his friends, while commending their abilities in friendship. Each of them was stunned to hear those words coming out of Ichigo's mouth, considering how rarely he expressed gratitude in a manner such as this. But Ichigo was not yet finished with his words. "And to each of you. Thank you for everything" the orange-haired man said before he did the unthinkable. He vanished into thin air with the help of his Shunpo. His friends were stunned, as they were too slow to even react to this sudden action.

"Wha…where did he go?" Orihime gasped as she couldn't see Ichigo anywhere in the area they were in.

"Hard to say, but I think he just took off without even telling us where he was going" Ururu said, the teenage girl also looking for Ichigo.

Both Ganju and Jinta angrily gritted their teeth over this. "That sniveling dandelion! How could he tell us these words and just vanish without saying anything! He's got some balls doing that on those who're risking their lives coming to this damn place!" Ganju spat, feeling sour.

"Yeah…what a jackass!" Jinta blurted out in agreement. But the teenager soon realized something. Had Ichigo really said it? Did he in fact say that Jinta was welcome to ask Yuzu out? The impulsive boy's expression softened. "Ichigo…...how…...where you also aware of my feelings towards Yuzu? I don't understand…" his mind was conflicted, trying his best find the right answer.

"That boy…..." Tessai reflected on what Ichigo had told them before vanishing. "Is he really serious about it? Does he intend to kill Yhwach?" the tall Shinigami had to admit that he was unsure about Ichigo's motivation.

"As difficult it is for us to accept that Ichigo has left us behind, I could hear the honesty in his words" Nelliel remarked while facing the floor with a somewhat sad smile. The Dechado could feel herself blush, yet she didn't realize it. "Perhaps he really does care about us after all. He wanted us to not get in his way, obviously because he didn't wanna lose us. Boy, Ichigo sure is amazing sometimes" the sea green-haired woman admitted.

Both Orihime and Chad took a few steps forward, observing the opened doorway in which Ichigo had likely entered. Each of them realized that Ichigo was shielding something from them, but what? However, they too understood how frank he had been with them just now.

"I know that you don't want us to interfere, Ichigo. But as your friend, I can't let you carry all the burden by yourself" Chad said lowly as he began taking steps towards the doorway. "Therefore, I'll head over there and help you! No matter how many times you refuse!" the tall man proceeded to run as fast as he could.

Orihime was surprised by seeing her friend on the move. But as she was about to do that as well, she paused once she could notice something moving towards Chad from the left. The young woman quickly opened her mouth to warn him. "CHAD! WATCH OUT!" she cried.

Chad was confused at first, yet he could see a giant spear headed towards him. It caught him completely by surprise and without even thinking, Chad activated his Brazo Derecha de Gigante and formed a shield. This protected him from whoever the attacker was. The Fullbringer was stunned to realize that his attacker was one of the statues in the area.

"What the hell is this!?" the tall man asked while trying to push against the giant tip of the spear.

"ORIHIME! TO YOUR RIGHT!" Nelliel yelled as she could see something headed straight for the orange-haired woman.

Fortunately, Orihime was quick-witted and activated her Santen Kesshun before the incoming spear could pierce her body. A wall of shield was erected to her right. She was also stunned to see another statue come to life.

"My God…..the statues….." Ganju spoke up as he and the others realized that more of the statues began moving, eventually blocking their only passageway. "The statues…...are coming to life! They're seriously coming to life!" the long-haired man exclaimed out in disbelief.

Chad and Orihime regrouped with the others as the giant statues began surrounding the group, their long spears pointed at them. But not only were they the problem. Looking up, the group of friends were stunned to see that the griffin statues were now flying in the air circling around them. In a way, they felt themselves at an impasse.

"There's also flying statues!? Crap!" Jinta cursed beneath his breath.

But Ururu aimed her missile launcher upwards and fired a few rockets. She intended to fire on the griffin statues. In the meantime, Ganju used some of his Shiba-fireworks to do the same thing. But unfortunately, the griffins quickly evaded their attacks.

"Damn it! Those beasts avoided my fireworks!" Ganju spat while getting slightly distressed.

"Maybe we shouldn't focus on them! Perhaps these statues are what we should concentrate on instead" Ururu remarked as she and Ganju could see Chad, Nelliel and the others already starting to deal with the tall statues trying to surround them.

Chad used his strength and Fullbring to land a hole in one of the statues. Given that he had trained since the last time he fought, Chad was now capable of standing his ground against these gigantic constructs. The tall man watched to see the other statues preparing to attack him.

"Which one of you wants to go next?" Chad said, as a means of taunting them, although he was uncertain about whether these statues even understood him.

Nelliel used her Zanpakutou and incredible skills to deal with the enemies. So far, everything was good. She also felt somewhat confident in herself as she avoided and traded blows with the statues. "I won't even need my Resurrección with taking these things down. They're easy!" she told her comrades before using Sonido to avoid getting swapped by another statue.

Tessai used his extraordinary talents in Kido when dealing with the attackers. As a matter of fact, three of them were headed towards him. Despite this, the tall man was not backing down from this fight. Tessai aimed his right palm at the statues. "HADO 33: SOKATSUI!" he exclaimed as a torrent of blue energy was fired towards the statues. With an advanced spell such as this, Tessai was certain to have destroyed these constructs.

Jinta and Ururu were surprised to see how despite not carrying a Zanpakutou, Tessai was more than capable enough to handle enemies on his own. Truth be told, this was the first time they had seen him in combat. But they were not alone. Orihime and Chad were equally surprised.

"I never imagined that Tessai was that talented in Kido-spells" Chad remarked lowly before taking notice of more statues coming towards them. "Damn! These things sure are persistent! Obviusly they intend on blocking us from pursuing Ichigo" the tall man said.

"That's true. But you forget something Chad" Orihime told her friend, causing Chad to raise eyebrows. Once again, the young woman looked very determined. "Ichigo is currently facing off against Yhwach and he didn't wish for us to interfere. But we got bigger problems to face with these statues. You see what I mean?" she questioned him.

While confused at first, Chad soon understood what the orange-haired woman was trying to say. "Yeah. If we are to ever become dependable to Ichigo, then we need to prove him that we're worthy. How can we ever face him if we can't even defeat these gigantic statues?" Chad remarked as the rest of the group soon gathered at their side.

"So let's prove Ichigo wrong. We'll show him that we'll not loose to these things!" Orihime encouraged everyone.

Nelliel smiled. "Right. I'm ready" she said while brandishing her Zanpakutou.

Tessai mused to himself and his smile could be seen underneath his moustache. "Then let us make our stand here! No walking statues are gonna block our path!" he said.

"Hell yeah! I'm game!" Ganju expressed so much enthusiasm while cracking his knuckles.

Jinta readied his kanabo while daring his enemies to come at them. "Come on, you giant pieces of crap! We'll send you to the junkyard!" the teenage boy exclaimed.

Ururu aimed her missile launcher at any target, the teenage girl having possessing some fire within her. "Don't take all the opponents to yourself, Jinta. I also wanna take some" she told him, only for Jinta to shrug it off like he didn't listen.

The group of friends were prepared, as the statues would now resume their assault on them. They would prove to Ichigo how they could also be of great help to him. Hopefully, they would reach the throne room in time to help Ichigo not succumb to his anger. But was that even possible? Only time would tell.

* * *

 _Outside giant doors, Silbern_

Having used all his speed to run away from his friends, Ichigo was now standing outside the doors, which was without question, leading to the throne room. He had to walk up a stairway in order to reach them. The Substitute Shinigami had to admit he was surprised over the lack of security in these corridors, given how Yhwach was here. But that was not on the young man's mind right now.

A part of him felt slightly guilty over leaving his friends in the courtyard. It was selfish. But deep down, he had to do this. He didn't want to lose any more friends or loved ones to Yhwach. After coming so far, Ichigo would not waste this opportunity. Yhwach would pay for what he had done.

"Forgive me, everyone. But I must do this….for my family!" Ichigo lowly said and proceeded upwards the giant doors. Ichigo was prepared for any battle, even for assassins in the throne room. But to his surprise and relief, he sensed no assassin. He could only feel one Spiritual Pressure from the other side. "Even now, I can feel his power behind these doors. I know he's there! And I'm sure as hell certain about him knowing of me arriving here" Ichigo thought as he pushed the doors to each side so that it opened.

Entering the throne room, the orange-haired man could see Yhwach sitting on his throne all by himself. There was no one else in here but him. He couldn't see anyone standing on the nearby balcony or even behind the throne itself. At this rate, it was just the two of them in the throne room, which only suited the atmosphere well.

As Ichigo took some steps forward, Yhwach could be seen smiling. The Quincy Emperor opened his eyes, thus revealing something that slightly shocked Ichigo. It was the eyes of the Soul King, which were oval eyes with black sclera and unusual pupils. Still, Ichigo stood his guard, finally standing face to face with his hated enemy.

"Welcome, Ichigo Kurosaki. What took you so long? Surely you must have enjoyed observing my empire's new seat of power. It is called Wahrwelt, the true world, and the first step towards the remaking of the worlds" Yhwach broke the silence by speaking, his eyes never leaving sight of Ichigo. "So glad you could carve out some time for us. I have been patiently waiting for your arrival…my son born in the darkness" he then told Ichigo with a cunning smile curving underneath his moustache.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed. He continued with taking steps towards the seated Quincy. "You've been waiting for me, you say?" he asked him lowly, his eyes glaring daggers at Yhwach. "Then you won't be waiting for me any longer. Because I'm the one who's gonna kill your ass" he spoke up with his usual foul language.

Despite hearing those words, Yhwach was far from intimidated. He remained seated on his throne with his deep frown. "Normally, I would have encouraged you to draw your blade, as well as pointed out how you have left yourself full of openings" Yhwach told him before surprisingly smiling at his enemy. "But it appears as though that would be far from the truth. In fact, so much Spiritual Pressure is overflowing from your body that is has begun to take visible form. You have grown stronger. Or rather…...you have attained your true, original power" he went on expressing his delight in seeing how strong Ichigo had become.

Yhwach was no lying. He could feel the enormous Spiritual Pressure coming out of Ichigo. It was different from the last time he fought him. Ichigo proceeded to take small steps towards the emperor, the young man still not taking his eyes off Yhwach. This feeling only delighted Yhwach, and he felt more obliged to fight the Substitute Shinigami.

"Now, how will you greet me? Will you say hello from the right? Or the left? I am anxious to see what you are capable of" the Quincy admitted towards his opponent, still not moving an inch from his throne.

Ichigo stopped in his tracks, starting to get irritated about his opponent's words. "What the hell are you babbling about? You can see it, can you? Exactly how, when and where I'm going to try to attack you" he pointed out to him. "And more importantly, these eyes of yours…..while they're different than the ones you have showed me….they seem awfully linked to your abilities" he went on explaining.

Yhwach shrugged off Ichigo's words. "I am not using The Almighty. And as a matter of fact, these eyes have nothing to do with it. They are a different story" he sternly told Ichigo. "Besides, why would I need it? For such a long-awaited meeting between father and son, it would be a remiss not to savor every juicy moment" he added to his words, telling Ichigo why his ability would be unnecessary.

Ichigo scowled in what he was hearing him say. It irritated the hell out of him whenever that man referred to them as father and son. "You're not my father. Get it through your thick skull" he told him.

"Ah yes, Isshin Shiba, the former Shinigami captain. But he was merely a surrogate father to you, as well as to your younger sisters. You should have already heard by now about the true source of your power" Yhwach reminded the young man.

Ichigo felt his blood boil by hearing Yhwach mentioning his sisters. It made it only tempting to slice off his throat. "Yeah…...and what of it!?" he lowly, yet threateningly asked the emperor. However, Ichigo could no longer contain his anger. It had to be released. "DON'T YOU DARE SAY YOU'RE MY PARENT! YOU'RE THE MAN WHO KILLED MY PARENT! AND MY SISTERS' PARENT!" he angrily yelled towards Yhwach.

The Quincy remained calm, even smirking at Ichigo in the process. "Is this about your mother? You are still the ever petulant, little school girl, Ichigo! Just like Yuzu and Karin!" he taunted the young man while mentioning the Kurosaki-twins.

The Substitute Shinigami could no longer stand and let himself be ridiculed like that. He was also furious about Yhwach mentioning his younger sisters. In his anger, he grabbed one of his Zanpakutous and charged towards Yhwach, who was still not moving from his throne. "I DON'T WANNA HEAR YOU MENTION THEIR NAMES BEFORE ME!" the orange-haired man yelled and proceeded to unleash a wave of energy towards his opponent. "GETSUGA TENSHOUUUU!" he exclaimed as he launched the attack.

But even as this powerful attack was headed towards him, Yhwach remained seated. However, he did in fact try and block the attack by using dark Spiritual Pressure. It began moving around like tentacles. Ichigo, stunned to see how he easily repelled the attack, backed off once he could see Yhwach's power headed towards him. But Yhwach's power still pursued Ichigo, and the Substitute Shinigami was forced to draw out his two blades in order to fend off the Spiritual Pressure. In fact, Ichigo succeeded and pushed through Yhwach's denfenses until he reached the seated man. Yhwach only glanced at him unfazed as Ichigo struggled with cutting his way through.

"YOU CAN'T KEEP ME AWAY FOREVER! MY BLADES WILL REACH YOUR THROAT!" Ichigo yelled as he was nearing his hated enemy.

Yhwach remained unmoved at Ichigo's threats. "You are in over your head to be skulking over something so insignificant. Your mother's life was taken because there was no other choice. She and other Quincies. Their very existence was nothing more than to provide me with sustenance….so I could give birth to you. There is absolutely nothing at all to lament" the long-haired man told him, yet his frown soon changed into a delighted smile. "FOR THERE IS NO GREATER POSSIBLE HONOR AND JOY IN THE WORLD!" he exclaimed over what he was saying.

But for Ichigo, this was the tip of the iceberg. He was focused on nothing but the death of Yhwach. Now that he was near him, the time to strike was now. "DIE BASTARD!" he yelled and was about to attack, only for Yhwach to send him flying with the help of his enormous Spiritual Pressure. However, something else happened. Yhwach finally rose up from his throne.

"But sadly, our conversation must come to an end. Even so, it was fun, truly" Yhwach said as he now began unleashing his newly acquired powers he had gotten from absorbing the Soul King. A black cloak soon descended over the emperor, thus demonstrating his terrifying abilities. In addition, he also showed Ichigo the eyes he had gained on each of his hand. There was the eye on his left palm while another one could be seen on his right hand. "Now then, you shall bear witness to me in all my wondrous glory, Ichigo! Face the wrath of the one, true Soul King!" he challenged his opponent while addressing himself as the Soul King.

Ichigo had been sent crashing into the wall, yet he quickly got back on his feet. "What the hell just happened? This black power of his, he never showed it to me the last time I thought him. And those eyes…what did he do to the Soul King?" the young man wondered in his head. But he had no time to ponder over such speculations. He began charging towards Yhwach once again, despite seeing the black tentacles coming towards him. "I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET!" he yelled in order to boost his own morale.

"Charging in so recklessly. Quite unusual of you, Ichigo. Did your hatred cloud your mind and make you forget about planning your moves? Don't be so impatient. You will be devoured by me…your death is inevitable. Let us not rush things and ourselves a bit more" Yhwach berated Ichigo, who was struggling with withstanding Yhwach's power. Some of it had even managed to land a cut on Ichigo's right cheek. Despite this, Ichigo pressed on. Yhwach felt slightly amused by how stubborn the young man was. But it also annoyed him at the same time. "You have no idea how much time it took and how many sets of circumstances had to line up just right to have you created. So cease your impetuousness and stop making light of your "so-called" important life!" he continued to verbally assault Ichigo.

"Shut the fuck up! You don't own me! I'm nobody's property! And I don't owe you shit!" Ichigo retorted while proceeding to withstand Yhwach's obstacles. "The only thing that I owe you, as a one-way ticket to hell!" he added to his angry outburst.

Yhwach frowned upon hearing this. "And how is that? Everything, including your body and power, they were never yours alone to begin with, Ichigo" the emperor told him. "They will be returned to their rightful owner. So spew out every last bit of your power and then die, punk!" he continued to try damaging Ichigo's spirit before sending the young man flying once again.

Despite this, Ichigo still had enough strength to get back on his feet. The young man was now growing more agitated. Yhwach was simply toying with him. This time, he would have to get real. So he charged towards Yhwach once again. "THE ONLY ONE WHO'S GONNA DIE HERE…..IS YOU!" Ichigo yelled, refusing to back down from this fight.

"I simply cannot understand this recklessness. Why are you in such a rush to die?" Yhwach wondered while seeing his opponent struggle against his power. However, Ichigo was now cutting himself through repeatedly. "Is it because you fear showing me your true power? Is it the fear of having it stolen from if you unveil it? Are you sure you are okay with ending like this, Ichigo? If you fail here, both the Human World and the Soul Society will meet their end by mine very own hands! Now tell me, do those facts sit well with you?" the emperor continued while asking his opponent about his loyalties and goals.

Ichigo was having enough of this. As he was pushed back, he got up. But this time, he was acting slightly calmer than usual. "How many times must I tell you…" Ichigo spoke lowly before fixing his eyes upon his sworn enemy. "I DON'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT THE SOUL SOCIETY! THIS ISN'T ABOUT THEM! IT'S ABOUT MY FAMILY! YOU TOOK SOMETHING WE LOVED AWAY FROM US! MY MOTHER WILL BE AVENGED!" the young man yelled as he charged towards his opponent once again.

Yhwach wasn't sure whether he was to feel sorry for Ichigo or laugh at him. Either way, the Substitute Shinigami was growing to be very contemptable for him to bear. "Spineless brat. I expected you to answer me as the voice of the powerless, the weak and those who wouldn't be able to breath without you. But it would seem to me that I overestimated you" Yhwach remarked before sending another round of shockwave towards Ichigo. He stood and watched as his opponent still struggled in dealing with his obstacles. "Therefore, I dare to land a blow upon me! Stand tall! Fight! And breath your last, Ichigo Kurosaki!" the emperor dared him as Ichigo was pushed back once again.

The young man quickly got back on his feet, yet he was in for a shock once a large amount of black beam was headed towards him. Ichigo realized that he could not land a blow on Yhwach in this state. He would need to act now. Ichigo began holding his Zanpakutous together, aiming them at the incoming beam. He was determined to face his enemy. The tip of his blades began changing into white. Yhwach could see a slight smirk forming on Ichigo's lips.

"You thought that this was everything I had? Well, you're seriously mistaking! Because so far….." Ichigo spoke up lowly as the beam neared him. "I'VE BEEN HOLDING BACK THE ENTIRE TIME! BANKAI!" the moment Ichigo said that word, a large burst of Spiritual Pressure erupted in the throne room.

This burst was so powerful that it even sent shockwaves towards Yhwach. He was surprised by this and used his newfound power to cover himself for the powerful winds that were headed towards him. "What is the meaning of this!? How can he obtain so much power!?" the emperor wondered while covering himself for the blowing.

But the shockwave soon ended and it enabled Yhwach to get a clear view of what had just transpired with his opponent. As the dust settled, he saw Ichigo, although in a different appearance than before. Surprised as he was, Yhwach couldn't help but to let out a chuckle.

"Now I understand. So that was your endgame? To show me your true power" the emperor spoke up while observing Ichigo's new form.

Ichigo could be seen wearing a black dress shirt with an upturned collar and cuffs, black pants, low-heeled boots and a long, amorphous white overcoat with a burgundy highlight that flares out into ragged ends. Truth be told, the outfit looked similar to the one worn by his manifested Quincy power. But that was not all. Ichigo's hair had gradually changed into more slick-like. Furthermore, he had two white, forward-pointing horns protruding from the sides of his head, as well as black tattoos stretching across his eyes, thus making giving his eyes the appearance of eyes while being under Hollowfication. Even Ichigo's Zanpakutou had changed in wake of the transformation. It looked almost like a Khyber knife, since the smaller black blade comprised the inner part of the sword and had the handle fixed to it, while the base of the sword was slanted and the blade continued with a section jutting out from the underside as a guard, with a chain attached to it that looped over the top and attached right before the point of the blade. This was in fact the true form of Ichigo's Bankai.

"Tensa Zangetsu" Ichigo said lowly, his serious and cold eyes never leaving sight of his opponent.

So far, Yhwach had remained still, although he called his new power to his side. "Your resemblance to a Hollow is striking. Is this the Hollow-form you take when you meld together with your power? Is this your true Bankai?" the emperor asked while observing Ichigo's new form.

"It is" Ichigo replied before tugging on his white coat with his left hand. "The Quincy powers I inherited from my mother, Old-Man Zangetsu" he said before moving his hand to hold onto one of his horns. "And the Shinigami powers I inherited from my father, the Hollow within me. While they were constantly at odds with each other, those two have finally found balance. And as Zangetsu, I reforged these two swords into a single entity" Ichigo went on explaining what he had done in learning about his Zanpakutou.

The young man took a look at his left handpalm, feeling the amount of power that dwelled within him. However, he also used his Blut Vene to move around in his hand, watching as it disappeared when Ichigo commanded it to.

"If they remain under control while the balance between them is maintained, then it stands to reason that they should come forth if the balance is destroyed. Up until now, whenever I unleashed massive amounts of Shinigami and Hollow power, this thing has always come out of me" Ichigo remarked before facing Yhwach once again, this time forming a smug grin at his hated enemy. "To be honest, since this power has been melded together with mine, it would be a whole lot more convenient if I could draw it out at will. But I'm still far from mastering that, which is why I used your power to give me that nudge. How's that?" he revealed to Yhwach, also trying to taunt him.

Hearing this made Yhwach chuckle deeply to himself, and he even grinned with satisfaction. "I see. So that is why you kept running towards me like some idiot? You really are one, cunning bastard, Ichigo" he replied, still feeling a bit annoyed over the fact that Ichigo had used him.

Ichigo's mouth formed into a frown once again, his eyes narrowing with nothing but killing intent. "Spare me these false praises! No way will I ever let someone like you compliment me!" the young man said before taking steps towards his hated enemy. As he did that, an enormous amount of Spiritual Pressure could be felt and it even affected the entire throne room. Holes began appearing in the ceiling. "I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN MY TRUE OBJECTIVES FOR BEING HERE! AND THAT IS TO MAKE YOU SUFFER FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO MY FAMILY! I WILL TURN THIS PALACE INTO YOUR TOMB, YHWACH!" Ichigo yelled as he readied himself for combat, even managing to destroy part of the ceiling.

Seeing how powerful Ichigo had become only delighted Yhwach. Never had he felt so amazed to be near Ichigo. "Such magnificent power! I am honored to feel it!" he exclaimed, yet realized that the Substitute Shinigami was challenging him, Yhwach only felt obliged to accept it. Therefore, he drew out his Reishi Broadsword. "Very well! Since you are taking things seriously, I suppose the time has come for me to draw my sword as well! Challenge accepted!" the long-haired man told his opponent.

But he moment he drew out his weapon, Yhwach was caught by surprise in seeing Ichigo appearing right before him. He was fast, and the emperor was too slow to react. Ichigo grabbed hold of Yhwach's Reishi Broadsword and proceeded to swing his blade upwards before landing at it towards Yhwach. The slash was powerful, yet the Quincy Emperor tried blocking it while holding the blade. Even so, Yhwach could feel that half of his black cloak was gone thanks to Ichigo's attack.

"Surely you jest. With that meager strength, your blade could never hope to pierce me!" Yhwach said and tried to stab Ichigo with his weapon, only for the young man to avoid it by jumping backwards. As he did that, Yhwach could take notice of Ichigo preparing something, almost like an attack. The Quincy mused to himself. "Getsuga Tenshou, is it? Hah! Different approach, same predictable result!" he taunted his opponent.

Ichigo however paid no attention to Yhwach's taunts and proceeded to land on his feet. He even smirked as he decided to show Yhwach what he was truly preparing. "It isn't just Getsuga Tenshou, you stupid, old bastard. It's something more" he thought to himself while demonstrating his attack for Yhwach to see.

The emperor was stunned in what he was seeing. "What!? What kind of attack is this!? It's not just Getsuga Tenshou! Is he combining it with …a Cero!?" he wondered in outrage, yet it was too late for him. Ichigo was finished in loading his attack.

Ichigo grinned in seeing Yhwach's reaction. "Sorry to keep you waiting! GRAN REY CERO!" Ichigo exclaimed and fired the crimson cero right towards Yhwach. But instead of a beam, the Cero was shaped like a crescent moon, similar to Getsuga Tenshou. It headed straight towards the stunned emperor, who tried his best to block the attack. But when it wasn't enough, Yhwach had to take control over it. Even so, the attack still pierced his opponent.

"Ugh! You actually combined the Getsuga Tenshou with a Gran Rey Cero. For you, a mutt born from a combination of all different things, it is a power that suits you well!" Yhwach commended his opponent, before proceeding to throw the attack back at Ichigo. However, Ichigo easily dodged the attack like it was nothing. "However, as I clearly stated…...YOU ARE SIMPLY OUT OF YOUR LEAGUE, ICHIGO!" he proclaimed as Ichigo dashed towards him.

The orange-haired man responded by moving his blade once again. "QUIT FUCKING DEGRADING ME!" he snapped as his blade clashed with Yhwach's the two trying to overpower the other.

"Why should I? Even by now, I can read you like an open book!" Yhwach hit back while proceeding to push Ichigo away. "I know your thoughts. "He is underestimating me, which means he will not be using his true ability, which also means he does not know the extent of my fused Hollow strength. I have to act now while he is underestimating my abilities". Your logic was beyond sound, but now…" Yhwach explained before regaining his black cloak once again. So many eyes could be seen all across him. "That window has just been slammed shut! Yours is indeed a truly magnificent power, Ichigo! So formidable…THAT I NO LONGER HAVE ANY ROOM FOR ERRORS!" the emperor declared, signaling his intend to take this fight seriously.

Ichigo was slightly angered. Had Yhwach also been holding back the entire time? He simply refuted such thoughts. "So you're also starting to realize how dead-serious I am!?" he asked out loud before readying his blade once again. "Good! Then that means we can quit screwing around and take this fight to a new level! AND I'M NOT LEAVING THIS PLACE UNTIL YOU'RE SULLFUCKED! the Substitute Shinigami exclaimed and proceeded to charge towards his opponent in fast speed.

However, Yhwach was responding by doing the same thing. "BRAVE WORDS, PUNK! BUT IT WILL TAKE MORE THAN HARSH LANGUAGE TO SO MUCH AS INJURE ME!" Yhwach exclaimed while readying his blade. "WHEN I AM FINISHED WITH YOU, I WILL SPIT ON YOUR CORPSE AND HANG IT LIKE A FLAG FOR MY EVERYONE TO SEE!" he added to his hateful words.

Ichigo was not intimidated and used his Shunpo to move faster. Yhwach did the same by using his Hirenkiyaku. "NOT AFTER I BUST THE HELL OUTTA YOU!" the orange-haired man yelled as he and Yhwach finally clashed, this causing an explosion to appear on the top of Silbern.

* * *

 _Not far from that location, inside a secret passageway_

Uryu Ishida was using a secret passageway that existed in Silbern to head towards the upper reaches. Having narrowly escaped being slashed by Jugram Haschwalth, the four-eyed man knew what was at stake here. But when he could feel the entire palace shake due, he stopped. Uryu looked up to the direction he knew the throne room was located at.

"No….it can't be….." Uryu said lowly as his eyes started to become filled with anger. "Damn it, Ichigo! What are you doing!?" the young man yelled and proceeded to run up the stairway that lied before him.

Why was the Crown Prince of the Wandenreich suddenly interested in saving Ichigo all of a sudden? The reason for that was simple. Uryu knew very well about the "plans" Yhwach had for Ichigo, including what would happen to him once he was dead. It was too late to reach out to Renji, Rukia, Orihime and the others. Everyone saw him as an enemy. The only exception was his loyalists of course, but they had gradually begun turning themselves over to Yhwach and Haschwalth, with the notable exception being his own Schutzstaffel and the group of researchers.

"I can't let you fight, Yhwach! As strong as you may be, you have no hope of winning!" Uryu said while using Hirenkiyaku to move faster. "But not only is it that! You have no idea about what Yhwach intends on doing with you once you're defeated! When he does that, you will never be able to see your family ever again!" the four-eyed man added to his worries.

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Author's note: That was a great chapter! We are almost starting to near 50 chapters. While we did see the Shinigamis fight Gerard, I'm afraid we won't see much of his fight against the Shinigamis. However, he and the other Quincies won't be sacrificed by Yhwach. I have something else planned for them. The next one will be mostly focused on Ichigo and Yhwach. And I assure you, Ichigo will demonstrate some abilities he has learned in this new form of his. I thought Ichigo's new Bankai form in the canon story was a bit lame, so I decided to add some improvements by making his form a cross between his Hollow form and his Quincy powers. I have decided not to add Orihime into the fight. She and the others may appear later. The reason is that I wanted to show how Ichigo really cared about his friends that he didn't want them to interfere in his fight. Finding out the truth about his mother's death has really affected him. And of course, Uryu will also have a part of to play. But will he become a hero? Or will he continue to be a villain? Stay tuned for the next awesome chapter of Thousand Year Blood Prophecies.**


	49. In the End

**Author's note: This chapter will continue the fight between Ichigo and Yhwach. And of course, this is what is only written in my story. In addition to that, I have decided to add someone into the fight near the end, but I won't spoil who it is. You will just have to read this chapter in order to find out. It will sure be a plot twist for everyone who's a Bleach-fan. When writing this chapter, I was inspired by a song from Linkin Park, which is the namesake of this one. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 49: In the End**

 _Somewhere on the spires of Silbern, Wahrwelt, Royal Realm, Soul Society_

Battles were raging all across Silbern, the majestic and imposing palace of the Wandenreich. The Shinigamis of the 13 Court Guard Squads were dealing with a powerful Sternritter, friends of Ichigo were battling living statues and Ichigo himself was now fighting Yhwach at the top of Silbern. But amidst these ongoing battles, two figures had appeared in Wahrwelt, coming as far as Silbern itself. They had arrived through one of the many Gates of the Sun located throughout Wahrwelt. The only thing they could've accomplished that was with the help of a medallion.

Those two figures were none other than Isshin Kurosaki and Ryuken Ishida, the fathers of Ichigo and Uryu, respectively. For some reason, these two men had come to the Royal Realm. The only question was for what reason.

"This is rather unexpected. I never imagined this portal we used decades ago would still be in working order. So many years have passed since last time I used it" Ryuken commented as he looked at the medallion he had used to bring him and Isshin to the Royal Realm.

Isshin only smiled smugly as he glanced around the icy cityscape from the spire they were standing on. "Well I'm grateful to your old man. Thanks to his quick wits, he used it to escape back to the Human World when he was exiled" he remarked.

Ryuken let out a deep sigh before speaking. "Indeed. It's the one only time I have ever been grateful for my father's sticky-fingered habit" the four-eyed man admitted, silently cursing himself for saying this.

The Shinigami his shoulders in hearing this. "Speaking ill of your own dad…...and you always wondered why people called you a bad son…." Isshin said, still not getting how Ryuken had this attitude towards his late father.

"Well, you never hear me scold your father or family. So who are you to judge me?" Ryuken sternly reminded him.

"Relax! I was just busting your balls, buddy" Isshin said while at his friend grinning cheekily. However, the Shinigami soon fixed a more serious expression on his face. "But seriously though, why have you decided to come here all of a sudden? Didn't you tell me that Uryu was free to do as he pleased with his suicide mission of his?" he then asked him.

Ryuken faced his friend in return. "Yes. I did say that. However, I wouldn't have bothered if that stubborn son of mine had stolen that "thing" from me" he revealed to Isshin, who was stunned to what he heard.

"That thing…wait…...are you saying that Uryu has taken the…." Isshin was filled with disbelief.

The four-eyed man silently nodded his head in return. "He has. I have searched through the entire hospital, even the secret training grounds I built underneath it. It's gone. And that can only mean one thing: before leaving to partake on this suicide mission…...Uryu stole my invention…the still silver arrowhead, the one I have named Vergeltung" Ryuken explained.

"What!? So that's what his gamble is. He plans on firing that arrow on Yhwach, especially since now that he's fighting Ichigo….." Isshin remarked as he looked up to the top of the palace to feel the ongoing clash between his son and the Quincy Emperor. "Damn.…..he's playing a dangerous game…..but how exactly does this Vergeltung work on Yhwach? I mean, what's so special about that arrowhead?" the Shinigami questioned Ryuken in a serious manner.

Ryuken really wished he didn't have to explain this. But because of Isshin being one of the few people he could trust, he felt that it was the right thing to do. "That arrowhead contains the one and only stuff that can weaken Yhwach: silver blood clot. Throughout the years, my father, as well as me, tried to figure out the reason why the Gemischt Quincies perished once they were directly hit by Yhwach's Auswählen. To moment they were hit, their life sources were taken away. After Kanae died, I performed an extensive autopsy lasting for several days. I needed to know why her skin remained despite being hit by the Auswhählen. It was then I found silver clot blood in her heart. That alone confirmed my suspicions. It was the cause of her death" Ryuken told Isshin as he listened.

"I see. It all makes sense. I've always wondered about the differences between the ways Masaki and Kanae died. First, Yhwach resurrected himself, then he stole the powers of other Quincies, including Masaki's. And that allowed her to die at Grand Fisher's hands" the Shinigami remarked while recalling the time his wife died.

"Yes. Despite me having decided to cut ties with Masaki, I still cared about her well-being, so did my father. However, we both knew she was better off staying with you. I would never force Masaki to live in an arranged marriage. She didn't deserve such fate" Ryuken noted, his voice slightly becoming more emotional than usual when thinking about Masaki. "That being said, I think I owe you for telling Ichigo the truth about Masaki. Despite knowing her better than you, I think I could not bring myself to tell him about her. No, it's a more complicated history if you understand" Ryuken added, still feeling soft while thinking about Masaki.

Seeing this made Isshin smile. "Aww, looks like you really have a heart of gold, after all. I wonder what other weaknesses I can exploit you with" he told the white-haired man teasingly.

Ryuken snapped as he heard this. He decided to change the subject. "Anyway, I fear that Uryu's gamble is risky and foolish. He is doing exactly want Yhwach wants him to" the white-haired man told the Shinigami as he faced the imposing structure before them. "I still have a problem sensing Uryu's Spiritual Pressure, but I can feel Ichigo, as well as Yhwach's. They are both fighting on top of the palace" he informed Isshin while observing.

The black-haired man did the same thing. "You can't be…...no shit. He really is up there causing havoc" the Shinigami remarked before looking at Ryuken once again. "Seriously though, if Uryu joins up with Ichigo during the fight, they may have a chance to strike down on him. Isn't that something to be hopeful about?" he asked his friend.

"You don't know about Yhwach almost as much as me and father do! And haven't you begun noticing something? You can no longer sense the Soul King here in the Royal Realm" the Quincy explained while pointing out an important detail that had yet to be understood by Isshin.

Isshin's eyes widened. "You're right…the Soul King…...he really IS gone…...so does that mean…" the black-haired man realized that Ryuken knew the answer better than he did.

"Correct. Yhwach has absorbed the Soul King…...and taken his place as ruler of the Soul Society" Ryuken revealed grimly while glancing up to the upper reaches of the palace in order to locate and measure any Spiritual Pressures he could find.

Isshin slammed his fist on the floor. "Shit! That means everyone here is only walking straight into a deathtrap, including us! We gotta warn everyone and get them outta this hellhole as soon as possible!" he told Ryuken while thinking about someone back home. "Yuzu. Karin. You two need to be strong girls and stay home while I bring back your big brother. It won't take long" the Shinigami said to himself while thinking about his twin daughters.

"I can read your expression. Its about your daughters, isn't it?" the white-haired Quincy asked Isshin who nodded his head weakly in return. "But why leave them alone in Karakura Town? Shouldn't they be…" Ryuken stopped once Isshin interrupted him.

"No need to fret, I asked Mizuho Asano to babysit them. You know, considering how her younger brother Keigo's an unreliable dumbass sometimes. But rest assured, Yuzu and Karin are not being neglected" Isshin informed Ryuken before continuing to observe the towering palace. "I just hope I can get Ichigo back in one piece. If not, not only will I feel bad as a father…..Karin's gonna come after my ass! Damn how I dread that thought" he grimaced while thinking about how Karin would be angry over his failure to bring Ichigo back.

Ryuken's eyes snapped once he felt two familiar Spiritual Pressure somewhere in Silbern's heights. "These two powers I sense. I've felt them before. They belong to Orihime Inoue and Yasutora Sado" he remarked.

His friend stood beside him and felt the same Spiritual Pressures as he did. "No kidding. What are they doing here? Did Urahara drag them into this mission as well?" he questioned loudly.

"Perhaps so, perhaps not. No matter, we better go and assist them with what kind of troubles they are in. Then we can start getting our lousy sons back" the four-eyed man remarked while brandishing his Heilig Bogen. "Let's move out" he added firmly.

"Geez, no need to be so commanding, I'm hearing you loud and clear" Isshin complained as he scratched the back of his head.

And so, the two fathers began jumping from spire to spire, hoping to reach Ichigo's friends and help with them with whatever problems they were having. Afterwards, they would go after their sons. The only question was whether they could actually bring those to safety before one of them got themselves killed.

* * *

 _Somewhere inside Silbern_

The Sternritter M – The Miracle: Gerard Valkyrie was having fun toying with his opponents in the 13 Court Guard Squads. However, Kenpachi, Byakuya, Mayuri and Shinji had sucsessfully managed to hold him at bay, with the help of Rukia and Renji of course. Now that he was in his Quincy: Vollständig, Gerard was an unstoppable knight.

"Heh. Is that all you got? I had expected you to be more resilient" Gerard taunted the Shinigamis, who was busy in not just defending themselves against him, but also in protecting the injured Shinigamis. They were all being treated inside a Kido-barrier erected by Hachi. He along with Hiyori stood their guard in preventing the Quincy from reaching them.

"Damn it…how can that bastard be so powerful?" Renji cursed underneath his breath while sweating intensively.

"We're at an impasse here! There's no way we'll reach up top as long as this Sternritter stands in our way" Rukia muttered, only to look around in this hall they currently found themselves in. "But on another note, we've yet to see where the way continues. I don't know what you think, but it feels as if we've walked into a dead end" the Lieutenant of Squad 13 told her fellow Shinigamis

"You don't say" Kenpachi agreed, the proud Captain of Squad 11 feeling the exact same sentiments as Rukia. "Either this hall has some kind of secret lever, or we really have walked into a dead end. Hard to tell, but I think you actually have a point there, Kuchiki" the long-haired man noted.

"Oh dear! You guys must've really had a tough battle!" all the Shinigamis snapped and turned around to see who had just arrived in the hall.

Even Gerard stopped taunting his opponents and focused his attention on these Shinigamis who had just entered. They were Head-Captain Shunsui Kyoraku and his lieutenant: Nanao Ise, as well as Kisuke Urahara, Yoruichi Shihoin and Yushiro Shihoin. After trying to recuperate and catch up to the main group, they had finally succeeded in reaching them.

"Captain Kyoraku! Ise! Urahara! Yoruichi!" Rukia exclaimed in disbelief in seeing them arrive. "You're all here!" the young girl expressed her surprise.

Shinji had to smirk in seeing them being present. "It's about time you guys showed up. It was kinda getting boring without you in the group, especially you, Kisuke" he told the laidback man, who only nodded his head weakly in return.

"Hmm….I could say the same with you" Urahara remarked before he looked at Hachi and the others inside the Kido-barrier. "Woah, you guys are having your hands full with that Sternritter over there, don't you?" he quizzed them.

"Maybe you should stop acting like a smartass, given that you decided to run on your own!" Mayuri snapped at him.

But Urahara didn't seem to care. "It couldn't be helped. I just had to help Yourichi, who was holding off one of the Sternritters while she let Ichigo and the rest go on without her. She had a terrible injury, but I managed to treat them" he went on telling everyone what he had done in his absence.

"Let's save our stories for later, okay? We've got more pressing matters to deal with here" Shunsui informed his fellow Shinigamis as he began facing Gerard. "So, you're the last one standing between us, eh? Can't say I like your behavior" the pink-clad man told him.

Gerard was not impressed, despite realizing how powerful Shunsui, Urahara and Yoruichi were. But before he could even respond to Shunsui's words, he felt something calling to him from above. Closing his eyes, he could tell that this one belonged to none other than his liege. It even invaded his thoughts, which didn't surprise Gerard to say at least.

"Listen Gerard. I want you to abandon your fight against these fools. Let them come to my throne room. There, they will experience their true defeat. I have already informed the other Schutzstaffel about it. Obey my command" Yhwach could be heard speaking to him.

The Quincy nodded his head as a yes. "It shall be done, Your Majesty. Your wish is my command" he said and proceeded to turn around and walk away from the group of Shinigamis. "Sorry to disappoint you, but His Majesty's call is absolute. Therefore, I will have to leave you weaklings behind for now" the blonde-haired man told them and proceeded to walk away.

While the majority of the Shinigamis were surprised at this, Shunsui and Nanao were not, as they had seen how Haschwalth had abandoned their fight to return to Yhwach's side.

"He really must keep a tight leash on these Sternritters, this Yhwach" the head-captain remarked to his friends.

"Wait! Why the hell are you suddenly walking away from this fight!" Kenpachi barked as he tried to run up to the Sternritter. "You and I still have a serious score to settle! Don't run away from me!" he added stubbornly.

Gerard stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulders to face the aggressive captain. "I have not forgotten about it, Kenpachi Zaraki. But right now, my obligations no longer involve stopping you and your comrades. Carry on with your objectives as you please, for it will be the few hours you have left to survive" the Sternritter told him while making sure the others were listening.

With that message being sent, the blonde-haired man suddenly flew up towards the ceiling, thereby creating a hole in it. He flew through and proceeded upwards. Where he would be next, was yet to be determined. But all things considered, Yhwach had given the Sternritters orders not to fight the invaders. They were to be given free passage.

"Something doesn't add up" Rukia spoke to her comrades. "Why did that Quincy suddenly decide to walk away from us?" she asked.

"I could ask him the same thing. But whatever his reasons are, it sure feels painful to not being able to defeat his smug ass. God, I hate him so much" Renji expressed his open distaste for Gerard.

"We can speculate about that as much as we want. But how about we start changing the subject for a minute?" Shinji asked everyone as he looked up towards the hole in the ceiling. "I don't know whether you guys feel it or not, but there's some serious shit taking place upstairs. Or perhaps I should say on the top of the palace" the blonde-haired man revealed.

The rest of the Shinigamis did the same thing, and they could eventually notice a very familiar Spiritual Pressure. It was recognizable to Shinji, Rukia, Renji, Kenapachi, Byakuya, Urahara and Yoruichi.

"This powerful Spiritual Pressure….is that…" Nanao asked, stunned to notice how powerful it was.

"Indeed. This is Ichigo Kurosaki's. I didn't notice it from before" Shunsui answered his lieutenant, still looking up towards the hole in the ceiling. "He's definitely fighting Yhwach as we speak, with a different kind of power than before" he added to his observation.

Kenpachi only grinned with satisfaction as he heard that. "Heh! Then that only means he's gotten stronger, eh? After this battle's over, he and I will be having a rematch! Can't wait to show him my Shikai for real!" he exclaimed, looking forward to getting into a match with Ichigo.

Mayuri only sighed deeply in what he was hearing. "Honestly, Zaraki. Is everything all about swords and bloodshed?" the Captain of Squad 12 wondered to himself, still not getting his fellow captain.

"Then we all know what we must do" Byakuya spoke up, catching everyone's attention. "Once the rest of the group has recovered from their injuries, we'll proceed upwards to the palace's upper heights. While we can trust Ichigo's efforts against Yhwach will be terrific, we should head up and assist him in any way we can. We cannot afford to underestimate that man, given what he has accomplished" the Captain of Squad 6 added to his explanation.

Urahara smiled smugly as he heard that. "Then we better start moving as soon as possible. We all have faith in him, even me. But this might be the time when he will need us the most. We can't let him down" the blonde-haired man told them.

Yoruichi felt a chill in her spine as she heard him say that. She still remembered about how different Ichigo had behaved since returning from his training by the Royal Guard. Yoruichi felt like she needed to tell Urahara more about what she had seen with the Substitute Shinigami. But a part of her didn't want to. She could only trust Tessai to watch over him.

"Ichigo…..wherever you are….stay alive" the purple-haired woman thought about Ichigo.

With the other Shinigamis starting to recover from their injuries, Shunsui felt like the time to move on was now. Given that he had managed to return from his battle with Lille Barro, they all felt emboldened to press on with the siege and reach Yhwach's throne room, not to mention the fact that Ichigo was now fighting the Quincy Emperor.

"Alright, everyone! Now that there's no one left, I say we continue move upwards until we reach the throne room of Yhwach. As all of you may know, Ichigo will need our assistance in dealing with the Quincy Emperor. Let us not keep him waiting! The fate of the Soul Society depends on all of us! We go now!" the Head-Captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads lead his subordinates out of the room, in hopes of finding another way. On another they, they could even destroy their way through to find the right path. But time was short.

* * *

 _In what was once Yhwach's throne room, on top of Silbern_

Ever since Ichigo Kursaki had entered the throne room, an intense battle had erupted on the summit of Silbern between him and Yhwach. Each of them was trying to overpower the other, yet Yhwach had to admit he was stunned to see how powerful Ichigo had grown since their last encounter. The orange-haired man had even demonstrated some new skills, including combining a Getsuga Tenshou with a Gran Rey Cero. But the tip of the iceberg was his Bankai. This version of Tensa Zangetsu was different, as gave Ichigo a different appearance than the one he had held for the last three years. Now that his Quincy-powers and Hollow-powers was in balance, Ichigo felt he had more than enough strength to battle Yhwach. But even the Quincy Emperor had changed since their last encounter, especially since he had absorbed the Soul King.

So far, the two men were fighting each other on equal terms, trying to overpower the other. They repeatedly used Shunpo and Hirenkiyaku in order to take this fight to a different level in terms of speed. But it didn't take long before Yhwach managed to swat Ichigo away, forcing the orange-haired man to back down from this fight.

"GETSUGA JUSHIOOOOOO!" Ichigo yelled as he created a large cross-shaped blast of red energy and fired it towards Yhwach. Now that his two blades were combined into a single weapon, Ichigo could move his blade in a fast pace, which enabled him to form this cross. But Yhwach used his weapon to cut the cross. He watched his opponent still backing off.

"Solid work, but did you really think you were the only one capable of wielding two swords?" Yhwach questioned his opponent before pointing his finger towards the spot Ichigo was backing off towards. "You better watch your step. There is a trap right there" the long-haired man then pointed out smugly.

Ichigo had no clue about what Yhwach was talking about. But when he landed his left foot, he felt something pierce him underneath the ground. It was something that was looked like a black blade. It pierced through Ichigo's foot. Feeling that his opponent had laid traps across the floor, Ichigo jumped backwards, aiming himself at one of the broken pillars But as he landed on the pillar with right foot, he felt himself getting stabbed once again.

Yhwach mused to himself as he saw Ichigo getting caught off guard like this. "And of course. You missed that one too" he noted smugly.

The orange-haired man couldn't believe what was happening to him. After getting stabbed, Ichigo fell onto the floor, trying to recover from his wounds. "Damn it! Bastard's got this whole area filled with traps! Fuck!" he cursed in his thoughts while feeling his feet bleeding. His sandals had also holes in them because of these traps. But Ichigo didn't have time to ponder, as he could see Yhwach heading straight towards him. He wanted to stab Ichigo with his Reishi Broadsword, only for the orange-haired man to back off once again. It was incredible how he could still move so fast, despite his bleeding feet.

"I am sure you have been told, that my Schrift: the Almighty, can "see" the future" Yhwach informed his opponent.

Ichigo stood his guard, his eyes still narrowing in distrust. "So you're trying to say that because you can "see" the future, you've placed traps in all the places you knew I would step?" he questioned Ichigo firmly before brandishing his Zanpakutou. "If that were really true…..then this attack should have no business hitting you!" he added before readying himself for a clash.

Yhwach felt more than happy to oblige and he swung his blade, only for Ichigo to return the favor by doing the same. However, despite being awfully close to Yhwach as he swung his blade, something didn't make sense. It didn't hit him. The Quincy Emperor proceeded to try and stab Ichigo, forcing the Substittue Shinigami to avoid him with the help of his Shunpo. Now that he was in his Bankai, his Shunpo's speed had only increased. However, it didn't mean Yhwach was much slower than him, as his Hirenkiyaku enabled him to catch up with Ichigo.

"My attack….it didn't land! There's no way he can see every damn thing! If he really could see everything…then he wouldn't want have had to block with his sword like the last time I tried…...he would've had something laid out to handle my attack in the first place!" Ichigo thought as he observed his enemy. The orange-haired man then proceeded to run circles around Yhwach. Even so, the Quincy stood still and did nothing. "There has to be some limit to his ability! I've got to find out what it is! He can't keep on like this forever!" Ichigo added to his thoughts before jumping on one of the broken pillars and looked down upon his enemy.

Yhwach merely glanced up at him, not bothering to chase after the young man. "I can see you searching for it…the blind spot in my ability. Don't expect me not to read through your predictable strategy. Even now, your thoughts are also readable" he spoke up as he slowly began levitating above the ground, moving upwards so that he could face Ichigo directly. "The future can be changed. If you are capable of growing and maturing during the fight, then the future I saw shifts into a different future. I assume that is precisely what your train of thought is right now, isn't it?" Yhwach asked his opponent.

Ichigo stood his guard and brandished Zangetsu. "Since when did you get so sentimental with me? How about to you do me a favor and shut the hell up! I've got a full prediction of how this fight will end! And that is about me staying alive and you lying six feet under!" Ichigo snapped at him.

Yhwach was far from intimidated in hearing those words. "Not a believer yet? Very well. Just stay where you are for a moment or two" the man with the moustache told Ichigo.

Before the Substitute Shinigami even knew it, he could feel blood sprouting out from his left shoulder. A part of his white coat was torn off as a result. Ichigo was stunned as he finally felt pain. And yet, Yhwach had not made a move against him. Ichigo began losing his balance and fell off the broken pillar and landed on the floor.

"What the fuck's going on!? Another trap suddenly appeared, yet I didn't even see it. Goddamn it!" Ichigo lamented to himself, yet soon noticed Yhwach slowly descending towards the floor.

The Quincy Emperor took small steps towards the Substitute Shinigami, who was still struggling with coming to terms with his injury on his left shoulder. "There is an answer to what just happened, Ichigo. And that is: you made one fatal miscalculation. The future you see…...does not wind down a single road" the black-haired man informed Ichigo, before letting something fall between his clenched left hand. It almost looked like a grain of sand or dust. Either way it signalized something. "The future diverges from a single point in time…...like countless grains of sand born in the wind. Now if you could see them…each and every individual grain of sand would be considered a future, which means there are as many possibilities as there are grains of sand" the Quincy went on explaining what the future really meant to him.

Despite listening to this carefully, Ichigo refused to fall victim into any sort of mind tricks. Yes, he had plenty of experience in tried being manipulated psychologically, among them Sosuske Aizen. Such tricks were getting old and repetitive.

But Yhwach paid no attention to how Ichigo was feeling and proceeded to explain his definition of future to his opponent. "Ichigo. I would like to talk on the subject of "hope". As the saying goes, the future can be changed. That is true indeed. It is a marvelous truth, full of what we call "hope". Another splendid sentiment is this: you will grow and mature during battle. Like the previous one, it is also filled with hope" Yhwach informed the young man, who was still on his knees listening to all this. The grain of sand in Yhwach's left hand was gone and he opened his handpalm to show Ichigo that there was nothing left in his hold. "But the truth is…..to "change the future"…..means nothing more than to jump from one grain of sand to another. And as I watch over them all from up on high…I can see every single last grain of sand clearly" he added to his explanation.

Hearing all this, Ichigo's eyes started to widen. It was for the first time that he had done that in face of Yhwach. Could this man actually be speaking the truth? However, something hit Ichigo in his head as he faced the floor. "What am I even doing? Why do I allow that son of a bitch to speak to me as if he's Oldman Zangetsu!? Is it because of their striking resemblances!?" he questioned in his thoughts. His fingers dug onto the floor as he mustered enough courage to wipe off these doubts. "No! I won't allow him! Remember what he's done to me…to us….to mom. I can't let myself go down like this!" the orange-haired man added determinedly.

So far, Yhwach was taking pleasure in seeing Ichigo struggle both physically and emotionally. It only encouraged him to speak more in order to damage his morale. "Do not abandon your "hope", Ichigo. Proceed as you always have. And just as you always have, atop these tumbling grains of sand we call, fate and possibility. Keep jumping from one grain to the next blindly. That is the truth behind what you Humans call "hope". But please do not despair. There is nothing more gut-wrenching for a parent…..than to kill a child who has lost themselves to despair" Yhwach taunted Ichigo while grinning cunningly.

Feeling he had heard enough, Ichigo finally lifted his head up to face his opponent. "And what of this despair? I know it all too well. Because up until now…I've climbed up, kicked it in its teeth and surpassed it…OVER AND OVER AGAIN TO MAKE IT TO THIS VERY MOMENT!" Ichigo bellowed as he finally stood up on his feet, while a powerful outburst of Spiritural Pressure erupted out of him.

Yhwach was surprisingly stunned as he could see something happen with Ichigo. Strings of Spiritual Pressure gathered around the orange-haired man. This was a Quincy-technique that even began healing the most critical injuries on the Substitute Shinigami's body, including his left shoulder.

"It can't be…..." Yhwach spoke up lowly as he faced Ichigo. "Despite carrying the taint of Hollows inside you…you are capable of actually using abilities of Quincies…" the emperor couldn't believe his own eyes.

Ichigo only scoffed at his enemy's reaction. "You mean it surprises you? I didn't expect you to be that pathetic, Yhwach" he told the Quincy while feeling his feet getting treated by his Spiritual Power as well. "The Ransōtengai, a high-level Quincy-technique which allows the user to control their body parts using strings of Spiritual Pressure controlled by their brain, forming lines or strings made of Reishi. Why, you thought that I couldn't use the Reishi in the area to my own advantage? I owe it all to my mother. For someone who claims to know much about me and my family, you sure are flawed" Ichigo added to his thoughts as he could feel his injuries fading away.

So far, Yhwach had remained still, frowning deeply in seeing how arrogant Ichigo was becoming towards him. It only gave the Quincy Emperor a headache. "Do not presume to speak to your father in such manner, boy. Such sanctimony will get you nowhere. You even forget whom you owe your powers to" Yhwach informed him firmly while brandishing his Reishi Broadsword. "And if you believe abilities such as the Ransōtengai will save you, then you have sadly mistaken. None of them will help you" he added firmly.

Despite hearing this, Ichigo didn't seem to give much thought. "You really think I give a rat's ass about what you think or say? The only thing that matters is that I fulfill what I came here for! And for the last time: stop speaking as if we're family!" the orange-haired man readied his fighting stance and was prepared to make his move. "I've grown tired over all this talk about the future and father-shit. So how about we give it a rest and take this fight to a next level. And I'll let you choose which to bust you with: my fists or Zanpakutou. How do you like that!?" Ichigo was trying to taunt his opponent.

"Careful what you wish for, brat. You can't simply deny your bloddline and connection to me. And as for your self-righteous thinking, you will die before that even happens" the emperor told him, only to notice something different with Ichigo's Zanpakutou. It was as if it was charging itself, but with what. "What is this energy…." Yhwach wondered.

Astoundingly, Ichigo had been charging a red Cero along his Zanpakutou. The blade began glowing with a red aura on the inside. "No bastard, you should be careful!" Ichigo said lowly, yet threateningly at the same time. It didn't take long for him to demonstrate his new attack by unleashing it upon Yhwach. "NOW GO TO HELL, YHWACH!" Ichigo yelled as he suddenly swung Zangetsu. In the minute he did it, the Cero as fired in a very wide arc. As a matter of fact, the Cero was following the arc of his sword swing.

Yhwach was caught by surprise in seeing this. But given that he was being close to Ichigo's location, he could not avoid it. But using his newfound power, he created a barrier that allowed the emperor to protect himself from this powerful Cero. It was that moment Yhwach knew something was familiar about Ichigo's attack.

"The way that Cero was being fired…where have I seen it before?" Yhwach wondered, recalling back to a time he fought against someone powerful, yet was no match for him. "Ah yes, I see now. The former Espada: Tier Harribel. When in her Resurrección, she also had an ability to fire a wide range Cero with the help of her blade. It is no wonder why this attack seemed familiar" Yhwach then noted before forming a smirk underneath his moustache. "Regardless, I have seen it before, so it will not harm me" he added before removing the barrier that protected him.

But out once the barrier was removed, Yhwach quicly used his Spirit Weapon to block an incoming attack from Ichigo. Using his incredible and ferocious speed, Ichigo dashed straight towards Yhwach like a bullet heading towards a target. The two of them were once again clashing between each other with their weapons. But this time, Ichigo seemed to have the upper hand.

"Admit your defeat before I do it for you!" Ichigo demanded while trying to overpower his opponent.

"Insolent child! The true Soul King admit nothing! Especially towards a mere mortal such as you!" Yhwach hit back and took on the challenge.

Ichigo felt that Yhwach was now gaining the upper hand, and he proceeded to try and stab Ichigo, only for the orange-haired man to hold the tip of the Reishi Broad sword with his left hand. Despite this, Yhwach didn't seem surprised in seeing Ichigo grabbing hold of his Spirit Weapon.

"I see. You have managed to master your Blut Vene" Yhwach commented as he could see the veins spreading across Ichigo's hand.

"Got that right, shitstick! I've trained it to become a part of my defense mechanism! As long as I breathe, it will protect me from any harm you try to cause!" Ichigo replied, not sparing any pleasantries in his voice.

Yhwach still frowned in hearing this. "Not for long" he told Ichigo before proceeding to push his enemy away from him.

But Ichigo was not giving up just yet. He jumped high in the air and held out his Zanpakutou. "You only got lucky in avoiding my Cero! But this time, I will make sure that you really get blown away to smithereens! Then I will collect your ashes in the nearest urn I stumble upon!" the orange-haired man declared as he was charging a Cero with his Zanpakutou once again.

But as he was loading and preparing to fire it once again, the charging ceased. This puzzled Ichigo, as he wondered why it did that. Looking at his blade, Ichigo was shocked. The tip of Tensa Zangetsu was gone!

"WHAT THE HELL….TENSA ZANGETSU IS…BROKEN!?" Ichigo wondered as he looked down upon his opponent. Yhwach had remained at his standpoint, yet Ichigo could spot something in the Quincy's right hand. It was the tip of his blade! The Substitute Shinigami couldn't believe his own eyes. Yhwach dropped the tip of his blade to the floor. "WHAT THE FUCK'S GOING ON!? DID HE DO THAT? NO, I DIDN'T FEEL HIS SPIRITUAL PRESSURE AT ALL…AND HE SURE HASN'T EVEN MOVED FROM WHERE HE'S STANDING!" the orange-haired man was conflicted in his thoughts.

Yhwach chuckled deeply. "Do not look so frightened, Ichigo. I simply expressed my respect to your power. Believe me, your true Tensa Zangetsu….is a fearsome Bankai indeed. That is what I concluded. So through the future, I broke it" the Quincy revealed to Ichigo.

The young man was feeling incredibly distressed and angry at the same time. "You're lying…" he said lowly. "THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO FUCKING WAY YOU DID THAT!" he yelled loudly for his opponent to hear.

"I am positive you have no idea what I am talking about, especially from hearing your repeated denials. Sadly, you will not have the luxury of trying to figure it out either. But then again, I told you not to let your guard down, did I not Ichigo?" Yhwach informed the Substitute Shinigami before showing something that he had hidden from Ichigo behind his back.

Believe or not, Yhwach was now holding the left horn of Ichigo in his right hand. Ichigo was stunned, as he soon took notice of his left horn being missing. It was just…unbelievable! Without delay, Yhwach threw the sharp horn at the orange-haired man, only for Ichigo to block it with his weapon.

"I JUST DON'T GET IT…HOW…..HOW DID HE…" Ichigo paused in his thoughts once he could feel someone appear behind him. It was Yhwach, having used his Hirenkiyaku to arrive in fast speed. The Quincy only smirked.

"Hmm…...too slow" he said before swinging his blade, thus sending Ichigo flying downwards to the floor.

Ichigo crashed, yet quickly got up on his feet in order to fight back. "I'm not done yet….." Ichigo said as he jumped up the air in a haste. "THIS TIME, YOU'RE….." Ichigo was about to continue his fight with his opponent, only to be slashed in his left hip by Yhwach's Reishi Broadsword. As a result, Ichigo was sent crashing to the top of one of the broken pillars.

The young man slowly got up on his knees, feeling pain spreading across his body. "How…...how can this possibly happen!? I was supposed to have…" Ichigo spoke until he could feel Yhwach preparing to land an attack on him once again. Instead of taking the hit, Ichigo mustered enough strength to block Yhwach's weapon with his left arm. And of course, he used Blut Vene to empower his defenses. Ichigo looked up to face his enemy. "You are no God…...YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY…..." Ichigo's rant was interrupted by having his chest and stomach getting slashed. And yet, Yhwach's weapon had not even reached to those two body parts.

Because of the slash, Ichigo fell down from the broken pillar and rolled onto the floor. His entire body was filled with sweat, blood and bruises. He felt his energy slowly slipping away. Lifting his head up, he could see Yhwach slowly move towards him.

"Did you question it at all? How simply, just by being able to see the future, I could actually place traps in each and every place that you would step?" Yhwach questioned his weakened opponent while taking those small steps towards Ichigo. "I am sure you were skeptical and had your doubts somewhere in your mind. And indeed, you would be correct to do so" the Quincy told Ichigo.

So far, Ichigo had been panting to catch his breath. However, he was not trembling in fear towards Yhwach. Rather, he was glaring daggers at the Quincy Emperor, still remembering his goals in killing the man who had taken his mother away from him. Yhwach had taken notice of this and decided that he would have to be more drastic in this case.

"Still not convinced? Very well, maybe this will open your eyes" Yhwach he began transforming himself. As such, he unleashed the true extent of his Spiritual Pressure, and it affected Ichigo. He had never seen something as monstrous such as this. His cloak of many eyes began expanding itself, especially alongside his Spirit Weapon. "The future can be changed. That was something you said, correct? Then allow me to reveal you the truth about the nature of my Schrift. The Almighty is not the power to "see the future" as you, along with many others, previously suspected. Rather….it is the power….TO CHANGE IT!" the emperor revealed.

It was at that moment, Ichigo's eyes started to become filled with fear. He couldn't believe what his opponent had told him. All this time, despite becoming stronger than ever, Yhwach would always find a way to be a distance ahead of him.

"Do not be alarmed, Ichigo! My power is no different than the one you possess. Just as you are unable to influence no more than the one instant that exists before your eyes. All I can do is influence and change the entirety of fate that I see in mine" the Quincy Emperor explained his powers to Ichigo as he was still on the floor. Yhwach was not yet finished with exploiting Ichigo's fears. "Ichigo. Up until now, countless times before you have overcome despair and changed your fate, correct? Do you know why it is you have been able to do so? The answer is simple…..it is because I was not there" he then revealed.

Yet even as he was filled with fear and despair, Ichigo still had some strength left in his voice. "No…..no…no…..NOOOOOOOOOOOO! I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT! IT'S ALL BUT PURE BULLSHIT!" Ichigo screamed out in anger and despair at the same time.

"Well then, Ichigo. Go on and try to figure out the future! Because it is I that can see how spectacular of a future it will be!" Yhwach said as he was nearing Ichigo, starting to hold up his Reishi Broadsword. "CHANGE IT, AND I SHALL CHOP DOWN ANY FATE YOU TRY TO CARVE OUT FOR YOURSELF!" the emperor then dared Ichigo to make a stand against him.

So many thoughts swirled inside Ichigo's mind right now. But by now, his denials were dead. Yhwach was indeed a dangerous adversary and he was now on the verge of breaking down. Without delay, he screamed in despair, although it was not just over the fact that he would be defeated. It was also the fact that he would fail to avenge his mother.

Yhwach was pleased in seeing how intimidation was working on Ichigo. "Yes! YES! GO ON! DESPAIR FOR ME! ICHIGO KUROSAKI!" the emperor exclaimed madly before proceeding to slam Ichigo away with his sword, this forcing him to roll on the floor bleeding.

At this rate, he was too weak to fight, let alone move. His entire body felt completely numb. With what strength he had left, he looked at his broken Zanpakutou. "My sword has no effect…...so does my techniques…...is this really the end of me? But all that I wanted…was to prove that I could handle things on my own…yet I kept chasing a foolish delusion….is that really something to be proud over…to die with dignity in a place such as this?" he weakly asked himself, only to be picked up by Yhwach himself. The emperor held Ichigo by his head. His eyes started weakening. "It's all over then…...forgive me…Rukia…Renji…Orihime….Chad…..Yuzu…..Karin…..dad…..mom…..forgive me as I failed to realize what was more important to me…" the orange-haired man thought about his family as he was about to die.

"No more fight left in you, Ichigo? I expected so much more of you" Yhwach expressed his disappointment in how Ichigo had almost died out. As such, he let go of Ichigo and made him fall onto the ground as if he was a jacket. "This is what I got worked up for? How disappointing. But at least you did provide me some form of entertainment. Now then, for you final duty" the emperor grabbed hold on Ichigo's face. "It is time for the power that I so generously granted you to return to its rightful owner! You have served your purpose well" the long-haired man said and began sucking out the power within Ichigo.

The orange-haired man's eyes widened in fear. Right now, he was going to die. Would he die in shame? The very thought of it only demoralized Ichigo. He was now giving up and ready to accept whatever fate it was.

Yhwach smirked as the extradition of Ichigo's powers affected their standpoint. It was as if Blut Vene sprouted across the floor. "You need no longer to miss your mother, Ichigo. You will soon meet her on the other side. Give my regards to Masaki in the afterlife. Hopefully, she will be proud of how her son gave back powers that were never his to begin with, as she did. Now, just stand still and watch as you will embrace the eternity of pure whiteness" the man with the moustache told Ichigo and the extradition was going perfectly.

But as the extradition kept going one, Yhwach was too distracted to even notice something that was headed straight towards him from behind. It wasn't until it came close to him that Yhwach started to look over his shoulder. But he was too late. What was headed towards him was an arrow. The moment it hit him, the Quincy Emperor completely changed. His black-eyed cloak vanished and weakened, thus exposing his widened eyes. He remained standstill, yet his extradition on Ichigo was ceased. All his powers were deactivated while this silver arrow was piercing through his body. It began spreading across Yhwach like it was a plague. Ichigo, who still had Yhwach's right hand attached to his face was stunned to see what was just happening.

"My powers…...what is happening!?" Yhwach wondered as he could feel the arrow affect his entire body.

"I hope all this wait was worth it!" the orange-haired man could hear a familiar voice coming not far from his location.

Someone just appeared before the two by using Hirenkiyaku. The one who was standing there was none other than Uryu Ishida, the Wandenreich's own crown prince. It soon became obvious that it was him who had fired that silver arrow on Yhwach. The four-eyed man glanced at his "liege" smugly while aiming his Heilig Bogen at him.

"I suspected that you and Haschwalth would be turning on me shortly, especially since I happen to know what you really want with Ichigo's body. But no matter, none of that were gonna stop me from fulfilling my objectives" Uryu informed Yhwach before aiming a Heilig Pfiel at Yhwach. "You thought I would simply join your side and become your pawn so easily? You're wrong! Only a fool would support a mad prophet such as yourself. You are someone who only treats his subordinates and followers as cannon fodder, someone who claims to be a man of peace yet relies on conflict to survive and someone who foolishly believes he can remake everything while ridding the world of its flaws! It's no wonder why many Quincies in reality resented you. But on second thought, you're not so much as a Quincy yourself…...are you, son of the Soul King?" Uryu began interrogating the paralyzed emperor.

With the arrow stuck through his body, Yhwach didn't have the strength to speak, yet he could move his eyeballs. Even so, Uryu could clearly understand what Yhwach was saying, despite not saying a word. Ichigo though, could speak, yet he didn't find the courage to do so. He was even more shocked by seeing what Uryu had just done, let alone what he heard the four-eyed man say.

"Grandfather was right about you. You really are a demented man, a far cry from the compassionate leader as you and the stories make you out to be. And how could I ever forget _that_ day nine years ago!" Uryu spoke up, reminding Yhwach about what they had talked about prior to this war even starting. "You said it yourself, didn't you? That I was the only survivor of the massacre of the Gemischt Quincies…well let me tell you…..the only reason why I survived…..is because if my mother sacrificing herself! Yes, you weren't only targeting Gemischt Quincies….you also targeted those who were mixed Gemischt and Echt! If not for my mother's actions…..I would've also died" he then added as tears started slowly coming out from his eyes.

Ichigo was stunned. Was Uryu telling the truth? Had Kanae really sacrificed herself in order for him to survive? Was Uryu also supposed to have died that day? Given his critical condition, Ichigo did not have the strength to open his mouth to speak. But he decided to listen to what Uryu was really saying. From his standpoint, Uryu had not even taken notice of Ichigo

"And so, I swore one day to find out the reason why my mother died….and with the help of my grandfather, I discovered the reason. But there is more to this story than it is" Uryu spoke up, his voice feeling slightly embittered. "My grandfather: Soken Ishida, was one of the few brave Quincies to have discovered your true motives. He knew what you really desired. And that leaves me to this hypothesis…were you involved in taking his abilities away from that fight? I know you were! There's no reason my grandfather could've died to a bunch of primitive Hollows! He was a powerful man, even during his elderly years! Yes, I've discovered the truth behind his death! And this isn't all about the Shinigamis and their supposed late arrival. It's about how YOU took the advantage of him trying to defend me from those Hollows! In the same manner as how you did to Masaki Kurosaki, you stole his powers away, thus leaving him weakened! For that, I'll never forgive you!" the four-eyed man yelled as tears continued falling out.

Ichigo had to admit he was surprised in hearing this story. But there was something that had him thinking. "What the hell, Uryu…if that bastard really did those things…why the hell did you join his side!?" he wondered.

After fighting back some tears, Uryu faced Yhwach smugly once again. "And that leads me to this point. This is why I partook in this suicide mission to end you! Such actions would be scorned upon by my grandfather, but I had to take the risk. And therefore, I took with me this arrowhead to use it on you. You know very well what that arrowhead contains, don't you?" Uryu told him, still feeling high and mighty over talking to his hated enemy like this. "It contains your greatest weakness: silver blood clot. It is the same one that you used to kill my mother with during your Auswählen! Now, I will use it to kill you! So beg for mercy as much as you can, Yhwach! This is your final judgement!" the raven-haired man yelled before he finally let go of this powerful Heilig Pfiel.

It was now or never. This arrow could be the end of the great and powerful Emperor of the Wandenreich. Yhwach was still paralyzed and could not move a muscle, let alone speak. The arrow headed straight towards him and Ichigo watched as Uryu was determined to end the life of Yhwach. But before it could hit him, a thick block of ice appeared right before the paralyzed Quincy. It came as a surprise to both Ichigo and Uryu, given that despite how powerful the Heilig Bogen was, it wasn't enough to break through the icy block.

"WHAT THE…NO….NOOOOO!...DAMN IT! WHO THE HELL DID THIS!?" Uryu angrily demanded as he could see several people appear before him by using Shunpo. The four-eyed man was stunned. Despite their style of clothing, these people were not Quincies…...they were Shinigamis! And worse of all, they weren't just the average type of Shinigamis. But for some reason, Uryu could recognize the Spiritual Pressures to some of these white-hooded strangers, as he had felt them before. "It can't be…you…..of all people, you would serve Yhwach!? I never thought the most powerful captains would switch allegiances!" he exclaimed out in disbelief.

The smallest of these strangers, who obviously was the one responsible for saving Yhwach, rested his Zanpakutou down onto the floor. "Switch allegiances? That's a little presumptuous. I would rather say we have found our true calling. As such, we pledge ourselves to protect the one, true Soul King" he spoke up with a very familiar voice before pointing his blade at Uryu. "Lord Yhwach had foreseen your insubordination, so he tasked us to come to his side when you made your move. Surely, he couldn't rely on Haschwalth alone to keep you in check" he spoke while explaining everything they knew about Uryu.

Another hooded Shinigami folded his arms while staring at Uryu. "And more importantly, did you hope you could actually defeat His Majesty by waiting for him to unleash his full power? You have seriously overestimated your chances, kid. Because you just fell right into his trap!" he taunted Uryu, as the block of ice started to crack.

"NO! DON'T TELL ME HE HAS…." Uryu yelled out in desperation.

The moment the ice was gone, Uryu was terrified over what he was seeing. The silver arrow that was previously stuck inside of him was now in his left hand, except for the fact that it was broken. Even the arrowhead was now turned into white and silver dust. The long-haired man chuckled deeply to himself as his eyes met Uryu's. He was still holding Ichigo by his face while looking at the supposed crown prince.

"Do not feel so smug of yourself, Uryu. It only masks your enormous failures that you are known for. But then again, I must thank you for how useful you have been to me up until now" Yhwach said before revealing a delightful grin on his face. "Did you honestly think I would trust the future of my empire to a half-Gemischt, half-Echt mongrel such as you!? You are unbelievably foolish, Uryu Ishida!" he exclaimed before laughing once again.

Uryu gritted his teeth in frustration, even trying to aim his Heilig Bogen at his target once again. But the surrounding Shinigamis would not let him do as he pleased. As such, they dealt with him by slashing his hips.

Yhwach only glanced at the young man sadistically. "That is right. I knew you were only using me, but there is something that I must tell you. In turn, I have used you. It would be foolish if I let the family of traitors do as they pleased in the Human World" the long-haired man revealed before holding the broken arrow for Uryu to see. "This is the sole reason for why I let you inside the Wandenreich, let alone made you my successor. It was all part of my plan to locate and destroy this precious arrow of your family. Your father was good in hiding its existence from me. But sooner or later, I knew you would come seeking revenge for the deaths of your mother and grandfather. And like all useful idiots hellbent on revenge, you took with your family's greatest secret to kill me with. A clever, but risky move, Uryu. Can't say I am not impressed" Yhwach explained on how Uryu himself had only been used and fooled in return.

Uryu was feeling more distressed as he got up on his knees. He was injured, yet he could carry on. A couple of the white-hooded Shinigamis charged towards him, only for them to suddenly feel something. They were suddenly given the same injuries as Uryu.

"Shit! What just fucking happened!?" one of the taller Shinigamis demanded as his right hip was bleeding seriously.

"This is your doing, isn't it!?" the other Shinigami demanded from the four-eyed man.

Uryu panted deeply as he looked up to face his opponents with a defiant smirk. "You forget I was granted a Schrift by partaking in Yhwach's ritual. The name of my power is the letter A – The Antithesis. With it, I can reverse anything that has happened to me. And since you two took so much pleasure in harming me…..you only get to feel that in return" the four-eyed man told them while trying to catch his breath.

Yhwach was not even impressed to hear what Uryu was saying. "Your power will not help you in any way. The fact that you relied on your powers to deal with them just now only demonstrates your weakness" Yhwach said before smiling in a delightful manner once again. "But know this Uryu. Thanks to you, this arrow and the stuff that is in it will no longer be my weakness! Using the Almighty, I managed to make sure that the silver blood clot that existed inside this arrowhead would never again weaken. As such, I have nothing else to fair!" he exclaimed out loudly before laughing.

Amidst all this commotion, Ichigo was in deep thought of what to do now. The arrival of several Shinigamis stunned him, and he could actually tell whose Spiritual Pressures they belonged to. However, the orange-haired man was rather focused on Yhwach. Right now, the Quincy Emperor was not using his powers, as he was busier laughing at Uryu's failures. So many thoughts swirled around his head, until a deep voice invaded his thoughts once again.

"What an utter embarrassment. To think that you would allow this man to make a fool out of you. What have you gained from such humiliation? Nothing! Nothing and nothing at all!" the devilish voice could be heard inside, Ichigo's mind, yet the orange-haired man did nothing to open his mouth. He knew that this was not his Hollow speaking. No, it was something else. "But do not falter just yet, Ichigo. Look at him now! He is now exposed. It is the time to make your move against him now! Will you let your mother's death go unavenged!? Will you die in shame without so much as having a tint of dignity left in you!? Unleash your fury upon Yhwach! Let him know that his victims must be avenged! Your mother's spirit commands it!" it demanded from him.

Ichigo was stunned, but this deep voice had reminded the young man about something important. To avenge his mother. Yes, there was no way he was going to die without so much as giving Yhwach a scratch. It was time for him, to take drastic measures, just as Uryu had done.

Without Yhwach even seeing it, Ichigo used his Blut to move around his body. It didn't take long before it began consuming everything around him, including Yhwach. "Blut Vene: Anhaben!" Ichigo exclaimed as he was now willing to use this ability on his hated enemy.

"Lord Yhwach! Look to your right!" one of the hooded Shinigamis called out to their liege.

Yhwach quickly took notice of his, and he looked to Ichigo. The emperor was still holding Ichigo by his face, yet he had not paid attention to the man he was holding in his grip. "What in the …." Yhwach demanded as he could feel his entire body getting taken over by Ichigo's Blut Vene. "HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE!? AND HOW CAN YOU USE THE BLUT VENE: ANHABEN!?" Yhwach wondered aloud as he felt the veins.

Uryu could see what his friend was doing and it stunned him to his fullest. "Ichigo…what are you…..WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?" he angrily yelled, not believing that Ichigo was willing to take a risky move.

Ichigo paid no attention to Uryu and what he was saying. He was completely focused on Yhwach, who was caught off guard by this move. The young man fixed his eyes of hatred upon the Quincy Emperor. "I told you…..I'm not going anywhere until you're dead!" the orange-haired man yelled as he watched his Blut getting spread across Yhwach. "If I will go to hell…..THEN I'LL TAKE YOU TO HELL WITH ME! ANYTHING TO WATCH YOU SUFFER AS I HAVE!" he yelled in determination.

Despite seeing this, Yhwach only grinned sadistically as he saw Ichigo's attempt. "You must be joking right now. Do you really think you can defeat me by only using Blut!?" the long-haired man asked and unleashed his coat of eyes all over him once again. "IMBECILE! YOUR BLUT IS MY BLUT! AS SUCH, I CAN USE IT TO RETRIVE MY POWERS FROM YOU!" he revealed and he actually started to suck in all the Blut from Ichigo, and with it his life source.

Ichigo was outraged. Once again, he had failed to make an attempt on Yhwach. The orange-haired man felt his life slipping away in such a haste. It was all over now. Ichigo used all his cards on the table. Now, defeat was imminent. The young man could even feel and see his power being sucked out of him and it felt like they were running away from his body.

"It's fading….the Quincy-power within me….and the Hollow-power that was mixed along with it…..they're both disappearing…fading away…..to pure white….." Ichigo could think as his eyes became pale as the snow itself. There was not a heartbeat left of him.

Uryu couldn't believe in what he was seeing. For the first time of his life, he was actually shedding tears over Ichigo. "ICHIGOOOOOOOOO!" Uryu yelled as Yhwach dropped him on the floor. He was lying there lifeless. It pained the four-eyed man to see this. In his rage, he turned his attention towards Yhwach. "You….you…..YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" Uryu yelled, only to be stabbed by one of the nearby Shinigamis to shut him up. He screamed in agony as his stomach was getting pierced by a Zanpakutou.

When watching Ichigo fall, Yhwach had been acting rather calmly at first. He glanced on Ichigo's lifeless body, realizing how he was not making a move. But that soon changed when the Quincy began musing to himself lowly before exploding into an evil laughter. "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Yhwach laughed like a maniac in what he had accomplished. He then released his Spiritual Pressure and sent it straight up towards the skies. It began forming itself like a black umbrella. "AT LAST! THE POWER OF THE SO-CALLED WARRIOR OF THREE WORLDS IS FINALLY MINE! I NO LONGER HAVE NEED TO FEAR YOU ANYMORE! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" the Quincy added, demonstrating his enormous and evil power that he was in command of.

The hooded Shinigamis all appeared around him, yet they were joined by more. They were about 13 or 15 members. All of them kneeled before Yhwach is if he was their king, or worse, their God. One of those, who appeared to be a leading figure in this secret order raised his Zanpakutou to hail him.

"Almighty Yhwach! Your wish has been fulfilled. One of the greatest threats to your plans is now dead. All hail the true Soul King!" he spoke with an elderly voice. And they all rose their weapons for him in return. "What will you do to celebrate your victory, my lord?" he then asked his liege.

Yhwach was still feeling so delighted in what he was hearing his servants ask him. As such, he kept empowering the black umbrella above his palace. "I have a great idea in how to celebrate this victory, my loyal knight. As a matter of fact, I am now starting to work on it. To demonstrate my power as the one, true Soul King, I will make an example out of these paltry Shinigamis and their wretched hive. Watch now, my sons and daughters! Gaze as the Sereitei vanishes before the unstoppable might of Wahrwelt's secret weapon! Activate….VERNICHTUNG!" he loudly declared.

* * *

 _Somewhere underneath the floating world of Wahrwelt itself_

What was the reason for Yhwach in activating this black umbrella of his? Well, this was the real reason. Underneath the floating world itself, the same spot where Silbern stood, lied a deadly weapon. This weapon was actually a giant ball of crystal nestled underneath the ice. It was teal-colored. Because of Yhwach's doing, it was began overpowering itself with the help of the high density of Reishi in the Royal Realm. There was no mistaking it. This was the secret weapon of the Wandenreich: Vernichtung.

After a few minutes of generating enough Reishi, the giant ball of crystal proceeded to fire a powerful beam down towards the ground. The powerful beam even managed to crush through the 72 barriers that usually protected the Royal Realm. Where was the beam headed for? After several minutes in dashing through the skies, it was raining down upon it's target: the Sereitei. That's right, Yhwach had activated the Vernichtung to finally destroy the home of the Shinigamis. When the people stationed at the place saw it, they all thought they were protected by the Shakonmaku. Unfortunately, it didn't. As such, the beam was free to land straight on the Sereitei, thereby blowing it to pieces. But prior to the beam being fired, the Shinigamis stationed at the Department of Research and Development had detected the incoming attack. As such, they had started a massive evacuation of the Sereitei. But such efforts were fruitless, as not everyone could be saved.

Would there be any survivors of this chaos? There would of course be a few survivors. But whom? That was yet to be determined. Nevertheless, this day marked the official downfall of the Sereitei. In the end, the Wandenreich had succeeded in destroying the home of the Shinigamis.

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Author's note: We're almost there! Only one chapter remains before I will take a break from writing on this story. We saw many things happen in this chapter, including the fight between Ichigo and Yhwach. And of course, it was Uryu who got involved at the end of the fight. Given that Kubo was mediocre in regards to Uryu's reason for joining the Wandenreich, I decided to add more flavor by including the fact that his grandfather also died by Yhwach's hands, after he took away his powers, the same as he had done with Masaki. What will happen with Uryu from now, you will find out in the next chapter. The next chapter will give you many shocking revelations, as well as a conclusion to the Court Guard's failed attempt to stop Yhwach. We will also see what happens with Ichigo. And Aizen…..he will also be mentioned in the next chapter. I also have some plans for him in the future. And about the Sereitei, seriously, something had to happen with it. It wouldn't be fair with the Wandenreich's home was the only place that got trashed. But until then, stay tuned for the next and exciting chapter and thank you for reading this story so far.**

 **Vergeltung – German for "Retribution": This is the name of the still silver arrow created by Ryuken Ishida. Considering what it was capable of, as well as the reason Ryuken made it, decided to give it a name.**

 **Vernichtung – German for "Annihalation" or "Extermination": This the name of the Wandenreich's secret weapon that exists underneath Wahrwelt itself. Given that Wahrwelt is located right above the Sereitei, this giant ball of crystal is the perfect weapon to use in destroying the home of the Shinigamis and shatter the morale of the 13 Court Guard Squads.**


	50. Injustice

**Author's note: This will be the final chapter before my break of Bleach. I have enjoyed writing this chapter so far and I think I couldn't be happier to have written it. It all started while I was writing the Thousand Year Blood War arc, which I thought the author would make it up for his shortcomings in the Lost Substitute Shinigami arc. But it didn't turn out as I had hoped for. Anyway, last chapter before hiatus coming up. WARNING: this chapter will reveal you so many spoilers about certain characters that you never thought you would see becoming evil. For those of you who haven't read the previous chapters up until now, I suggest you do that. But then again, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 50: Injustice**

 _At the ruins of the Sereitei, the Soul Society_

It had been inevitable. Using the Wandenreich's secret weapon, Yhwach had officially destroyed the Sereitei below Wahrwelt. There was little time to organize a mass evacuation. The moment the powerful beam hit the Shakonmaku, it shattered, and with it, the Sereitei's only defense. A large explosion could be seen outside, especially from the Rukon District. The many Souls who lived in these parts were horrified over what they saw happen to the place where their protectors dwelled. What remained of everything, from the 13 barracks to the Sokyoku Hill, was nothing but a giant crater formed deep in its place, along with other ruins of the buildings.

Who were among the survivors of this catastrophe? Among them was members of Squad 12, as they had first detected this Vernichtung being activated and headed towards them. They along with the Sereitei's four Gatekeepers: Jidanbo Ikkanzaka, Higonyudo, Danzomaru and Kaiwan, had been organizing this mass evacuation into the nearby districts. The locals were more than happy to help them, as they felt like needing protection from whatever kinds of threats the Wandenreich was capable of.

But sitting by himself on a stone watching the ruins was one of the scientists of Squad 12, as well as a Chief Operator in the Department of Research and Development: Rin Tsubokura. The usually timid and clumsy boy was crying, which was a rare thing for him to do. But he had a reason.

Right before him lied what remained of the Soul Society. It was nothing but a giant hole in the ground. Rin was so sad that he didn't even want to eat candy. The death of so many Shinigamis, both from Squad 12 and the others, was too devastating for him bear.

"It can't be…IT CAN'T BEEEEE!" Rin exclaimed while crying hysterically in what he saw.

The young boy wasn't alone in grieving for the destruction of the Sereitei and the loss of so many lives. Behind him, Vice-President Akon and other scientists such as Hiyosu, Torue and Kuna all had tears streaming from their eyes, yet they weren't crying out loud as Rin was.

"This is the worst day I have ever experienced in my life…and I have never seen Rin so sad…" Hiyosu, the Primary Giga Expert, said while lowering his head in shame. "Still….I can't help but to feel so ashamed of myself! If only I could've seen this earlier!" the tall Shinigami said before sobbing.

"We all feel that way, Hiyosu. But remember, we all did our best to evacuate as many as he could. None of us are to blame for what happened" Akon assured him, trying to wipe out his tears and stand firm. But it was no use, as the black-haired scientists was still feeling the sadness taking hold over him. Akon slowly faced up the skies to where the Royal Realm was located. "It's that heartless motherfucker Yhwach!" he expressed his open anger towards the Emperor of the Wandenreich.

Rin was still crying over what he saw, yet he was soon consoled by both Torue and Kuna. It was great to find some comfort in friends when this happened.

Akon tried to fight back his tears, yet he had to let them out. Nevertheless, he still tried to act reasonable in midst of this destruction. "I've sent pictures to Captain Kurotsuchi, Kisuke and the others…...hopefully they will realize the gravity of this situation….." the scientists revealed to his comrades, still feeling his morale dying slowly.

"Then we will have to leave it to them. Hopefully, they will come find us…assuming they survive this crusade, that is!" Hiyosu stated, although he was uncertain about their future now that everything was gone. But they soon decided to head back to the Rukon District and help the evacuation.

However, another survivor of the Sereitei's destruction was none other than the condemned criminal himself: Sosuke Aizen. The fallen Shinigami had taken notice of Yhwach unleashing his wrath upon the Sereitei. Still, it did not make him tremble with fear, as he simply used his phenomenal Kido-spells to avoid getting hit. Now that he had infused himself with the Hogyoku, the power of his Kido-spells had only increased. But instead of being stuck in the crater, Aizen was sent flying through the chaos. Surprisingly, he remained seated on his chair. But the bindings on him were not broken.

Observing the crater from the distance, Aizen found himself seated beneath a nearby tree in the woods. While feeling smug over his own survival, the brown-haired man was now slightly agitated over the fact that Yhwach had actually destroyed the Sereitei. That's right, while being an enemy of the 13 Court Guard Squads, we never wished to completely wipe off the Sereitei, and the Soul Society at large. No, he wanted to rule it as their God, nothing more.

"Damn you, Yhwach. You thought a mere blast like this would be the end of me? Your arrogance knows no bounds" Aizen noted to himself while thinking about the Emperor of the Wandenreich. However, a smirk soon crept across his face. "But then again, I could tell how you have struggled against Ichigo Kurosaki. Quite an embarrassment, I must say" he added to his thoughts. Aizen could tell that Ichigo had been defeated by Yhwach. His talent in locating and measuring Spiritual Pressures was astounding, even from far distances.

So far, Aizen was all alone, but it suited him just fine. Besides, he wouldn't have to be alone again for long. Sooner or later, Yhwach would come down to find him. He assumed the Quincy Emperor had discovered about him briefly assisting the Shinigamis against him. That would only incur his wrath.

"Mark my words, Yhwach. You will regret destroying what was supposed to be mine…..I will bring you ruin in return…..and you are next on my list….Kisuke Urahara" Aizen thought about the man he held a particular grudge against.

Now that Ichigo was gone, Aizen knew it would be fruitless pursuing vengeance against him. But he would do that against the one who had imprisoned him with the powerful Kido-spell. Over the last two years, Aizen's contempt for Urahara had only increased during his time in the Muken. He hated how someone as smart as him would accept the way the Soul Society worked, especially with regards to the Soul King. Nevertheless, all this contempt had actually started back from when they were children and "classmates" in Bansui Amatsuki's classes.

"I will wait here patiently for you to arrive. Until then, enjoy ruling the Soul Society as much as you can. It will be mine in the end" Aizen looked up as if he was speaking to Yhwach. Someday, he would come for him.

Also taking notice of the chaos was Kukaku Shiba. From the top of the Shiba cannon near her mansion, she had witnessed the entire chaos unfold through binoculars. It filled her with unease, for the second third time since this invasion had begun. Right now, she had begun observing the Jidanbo and the other gatekeepers trying to rally the surviving Shinigamis.

"Shit…GOD-FUCKING-DAMNIT!" Kukaku yelled out in anger and desperation at the same time. It resulted in her throwing away her binoculars. The Shiba clans gatekeepers: Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko were standing behind her. But once they saw their mistress' anger, they knew it would be best to back off and give her some space. "First the Sereitei gets taken over, then Hell itself is merged with the Soul Society and now the Sereitei has been completely wiped off the map!" the black-haired woman expressed her anger to what she was seeing.

"Lady Kukaku..…..surely there must be something we can do is it?" Koganehiko asked her.

"Absolutely. There has to be a way!" Shiroganehiko joined his twin brother in encouraging their leader.

While she felt incredibly distressed, Kukaku knew there was no way she could give up now. In fact, she understood what the destruction of the Sereitei meant for the denizens of the Soul Society. What Yhwach had just done was a demonstration to all those who would defy his rulership. Indeed. By now, Kukaku realized that the 13 Court Guard Squad's attempt to stop Yhwach was fruitless. Therefore, they would need to escape from Wahrwelt as soon as possible.

Looking up, the black-haired woman thought about not only Ganju and Ichigo, but also Isshin as well. The reason she did that was for a particular reason. "Just bring them both back alive…uncle. It's all I ask of you" she thought about Isshin. With that being taken care of, Kukaku decided to jump off the cannon and both Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko followed her suit. Putting on her white coat, she faced the gatekeepers with a determined expression on her face. "Koganehiko. Shiroganehiko. I need to do some reconnaissance work here in the Soul Society. So, I'm gonna go and ask for Jidanbo's help. I have a feeling that there will be more events taking place in this realm. In the meantime, I want you two to stay behind at the mansion. And if one of our acquaintances arrives, then just let them in. Sooner or later, a refugee crisis will take place in the Soul Society" she told the twins.

Both gatekeepers saluted before her in return. "YES, MA'AM!" the two said in unison.

Kukaku smirked in seeing how their loyalty and proceeded to run towards the Rukon District. What would she hope to accomplish with this reconnaissance work of hers? Whatever it was, Kukaku had a right to do such things. The Soul Society everybody knew was no more. A new one had arisen in wake of the Sereitei's destruction.

* * *

 _In the upper heights of Silbern, Wahrwelt, the Royal Realm, Soul Society_

The friends of Ichigo Kurosaki had been dealing with these gigantic statues that were blocking their way to the top of the palace, or more specifically the throne room. The statues were enormous and there were even flying ones that resembled griffins. Therefore, they found themselves in a headache, and just when they felt Ichigo could not do this alone. But as they had been battling to defend themselves from these constructs, the group was stunned to see the arrival of Isshin Kurosaki and Ryuken Ishida. The two fathers assisted them with ending these statues. Afterwards, they started a conversation, although it went rather hasty.

"Sorry we're late, kids! Ryuken and I just had to plan before coming here! But then again, you all did great against these giant statues. I salute you all!" Isshin told them with his cheerful smile, yet Ryuken only gave him a disapproving glance in return.

But the group of friends were stunned to see both Isshin and Ryuken being in Wahrwelt in the first place. Ganju walked up to Isshin. "Uncle…what the hell are you doing here?" he asked the middle-aged man, who was actually his uncle.

Isshin quickly exclaimed in happiness over seeing this robust man. "Ah, good to see ya again, Ganju! Boy, have you grown since last time we met. Kukaku told me you were off training while I was visiting the Shiba mansion. Just make sure you stay behind safe during the fight, okay?" he then asked Ganju cheekily, in a same manner he did with his children.

Ganju dropped a sweat in seeing this. "You've really no idea what I'm talking about, do ya?" he wondered, but snapped once he realized something. "Hey! Are you suggesting that I'm still the same cowardly boy as I was before!? Come on! I'm a grown-up man, for crying out loud!" the long-haired man insisted.

The Shinigami only laughed off his outbursts. "Easy there, nephew! Can't you take a joke? I can see why Kukaku is annoyed of your density" Isshin said while continuing laughing, much to Ganju's annoyance. He only crossed his arms and looked away, pretending he was not listening.

"So, Mr. Kurosaki is actually Ganju's uncle? If that's true, then that technically makes Ichigo, Yuzu and Karin his cousins, doesn't it?" Ururu wondered, the teenage girl surprised to learn about these blood relations.

Jinta only glanced at this with no enthusiasm. "That carrot top sure has one, messed-up family" the teenage boy said, yet paused when realizing something. "Except for you, Yuzu. You're so cute and friendly. No way you're anything like these doofuses" Jinta said gleefully while thinking about his longtime crush.

Ururu only facepalmed in hearing this from the teenager. "You and that head of yours…" she remarked.

As surprised as everyone was to learn about Isshin's relation to Ganju, they were more surprised by seeing Ryuken standing there. He was dressed in his Quincy-outfit and the group of friends wondered about whether he had come to help them or assist them.

"You're…Uryu's father…" Chad spoke up, to which the white-haired man nodded his head weakly.

"Mr. Ishida…." Orihime uttered out his name in a formal manner. "What are you doing here?" she asked him, still feeling cautious about his loyalties.

The four-eyed man let out a sigh before replying. "There is no need for such formalities, Orihime Inoue. Ryuken will be just fine" he told her gently before facing the entire group. "Now all of you may think that I've come here to stop you from going against Yhwach. But the answer to that is no. I haven't come here to help Uryu with this suicide mission of his. In truth, I have come here to stop him and take him out of this mess" the Quincy revealed to everyone in the group.

"What are you saying?" Tessai asked, the tall man admitting he was curious to know.

"I wish we could spend time informing you about Uryu's motives, but there is no time left. Right now, my son along with Ichigo are taking a risky gamble that will only become their undoing" Ryuken told him.

"He's got a point" Isshin spoke up in support of his friend.

"But at least tell us what it means. Ichigo just ran away from us to pursue Yhwach. He may be in trouble as we speak" Nelliel begged the two fathers.

It was at that moment Isshin understood why his son's friends were being so agitated. Had he actually left them behind to go after Yhwach on his own? The Shinigami knew they would have to move fast in order to catch onto him. "We'll fill you in along the way. But right now, it would best if we…" Isshin was interrupted in his talk with Nelliel once he and the rest of the group could feel a dark shadow envelop over them. Looking up, the group of friends could see what appeared to be a dark umbrella reaching for the skies. Whatever it was, it terrified the group.

"H-HOLY SHIT! WHAT IS THAT!?" Jinta asked out loud, feeling very insecure.

"This Spiritual Pressure…...it's fucking monstrous!" Ganju cursed by sensing this Spiritual Pressure that came from this black umbrella.

"Whatever that thing is, there is no question in my mind that this Spiritual Pressure belongs to Yhwach!" Ryuken expressed his slight fear over this power while sweating intensively. "And for some reason, I can't sense Ichigo's Spiritual Pressure…..as well as Uryu's….." he added to his analysis.

"That is his Spiritual Pressure!?" Chad asked, the tall man feeling very tense and slightly insecure about this power coming from the top of the palace.

Isshin immediately felt a chill in his spine. "No…..don't tell me….." the Shinigami suddenly rushed towards the opened doorway and run up the stairs. "That boy….HE BETTER NOT BE DEAD!" the middle-aged man yelled out in distress.

"ISSHIN, WAIT!" Tessai called out to him, but it was no use. "DAMN IT…..WE GO AFTER HIM!" the tanned man told his friends, and they all did as he said.

"Agreed! There is no telling what awaits us on the top!" Ryuken shared the same sentiments with Tessai as he ran beside him.

As they ran up the stairway that would lead them to the throne room, Chad, Orihime, Ganju and Nelliel all wondered about what had happened up there. Had Ichigo won? Or did he lose? So many questions swirled inside their heads, yet there was one thing they had in common, they were all concerned about Ichigo's fixation on revenge.

"Just what have you gotten yourself into, Ichigo?" Orihime wondered, remembering the words he had said to her and the others before taking off without them. "Is this what you truly wanted?" she added to her thoughts.

Reaching the Silbern's courtyard, the group of friends discovered that the top of the palace no longer had a ceiling, thus leaving everything completely exposed. No longer being wanting to delay it, the group walked up the stairs, in hopes of finding Ichigo and if Ryuken's assumption were correct, Uryu. All they needed to do was to reach the place where this black umbrella had its root. Once they got on the top, they could see the ruins of the throne room, as well as Yhwach lording over a weakened Uryu. And yet, it wasn't the most shocking view for the Isshin and Ichigo's friends. They saw Ichigo lying on the floor lifeless.

"ICHIGOOOOO!" Isshin cried out, the proud father rushing to his son's side. Orihime, Chad, Nelliel and the others followed suit. "ICHIGO! SAY SOMETHING! PLEASE!" the father felt distress, probably for the first time in his life.

Yhwach stopped torturing Uryu and focused his attention on the group that had arrived. He fixed his oval-like eyes upon them. "Ah, the infamous saviors have finally arrived. But I am afraid you are too late" the Quincy Emperor told them before letting go of Uryu. He focused his attention on Ryuken, who had just began aiming his Heilig Bogen at him. Yhwach chuckled to himself. "I bid you welcome, Ryuken Ishida. Welcome to our true world" he extending his greetings towards him.

Ryuken glared at him in return. "Stay where you are! And leave my son alone!" he threatened Yhwach, although the long-haired man simply grinned cockily at his threats. Still, it didn't stop Ryuken from getting tough with Yhwach. "Grin at me all you want, I can still harm you!" he added to his warning.

"With a mere Heilig Bogen? Your threats are hollow. Your son already wasted his only weapon that you created. Surely, it must have taken a toll in creating it. But have no fear, even if you did have another still silver arrowhead, it wouldn't have effect on me! Because I have managed to master my weakness to it! Good luck finding my weak spot, so-called Last Quincy" Yhwach said while addressing Ryuken by his title, one that he shared with his son. But Yhwach soon shifted focus to those who had gathered around Ichigo. "Why don't you just go and see what I have done to him. Pehaps then you will understand how no one can defeat me" he suggested to Ryuken in a smug manner.

The four-eyed man found himself sweating intensively, given that he could no longer feel the Spiritual Pressure of Ichigo. It also made Ryuken wonder about whether he had actually done it. Even so, Ryuken tried not to lose focus of his son, who was still in a weakened state.

"Damn boy! Once this is over, I'll give you more than an earful!" the white-haired man noted in his thoughts as he glanced at his son with disapproving eyes.

Uryu himself had been surprised to see his father arrive in Wahrwelt. "Ryuken…..as well as Ichigo's father…..what are you two doing here?" he wondered, trying to regain his consciousness from all this pain he had endured from Yhwach.

Isshin was filled with grief in seeing this. "Ichigo…..he's not breathing!" he said as tears slowly streamed from his eyes. "HE'S NOT BREATHING, GODDAMNIT!" he cursed in anger and despair at the same time.

"Not if I can help it! Santen Kesshun!" Orihime exclaimed and activated her powers. The orange-haired woman hoped that her ability could bring some life back into Ichigo's body. But after 20 seconds, it was no use. "Why…WHY DOESN'T MY SANTEN KESSHUN WORK!?" Orihime cried, her voice filled with despair.

"Just try harder, Orihime! Don't give up yet!" Nelliel encouraged her, yet the Arrancar herself was also beginning to feel some tints of despair on the inside. "Ichigo….no…." Nelliel said lowly, her eyes on the verge of shedding tears.

"Why doesn't it work!?" Chad asked Orihime, yet the woman was trying as hard as she could.

"She's doing the best she can, so stop badgering her!" Ganju snapped at him while looking at Ichigo. Surprisingly, he was more worried about him than ever before. "Come on, Ichigo. Stay alive! Don't you dare die on me! I don't wanna lose another family member! I promised sis that I wouldn't let you die!" he thought, knowing fully well that Ichigo was his cousin. Yes, he could not bear losing another relative, especially after what happened with Kaien.

While they were desperate to rescue Ichigo, Isshin and Tessai turned their attention to Yhwach, who was only smiling smugly at them in return. Isshin clenched his fists, his right hand nearing his Zanpakutou. It was apparent that the father was furious.

"You son of a bitch…" Isshin cursed lowly, his eyes never leaving sight of the Quincy Emperor. "WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE TO MY SON!?" he angrily demanded an answer out of him.

Yhwach chuckled. "What I have done is painfully obvious, Isshin Shiba. Or perhaps I should call you Isshin Kurosaki since you married into that family by becoming Masaki's supposed husband" he told the middle-aged man with a hint of mockery in his voice.

Isshin was burning with rage on the inside, yet he didn't unleash it out in the open. "I don't wanna hear her name from your filthy mouth!" he snapped at him in rage. "So quit screwing around and tell me the damn answer already!" he then demanded out of him.

"I simply reclaimed the powers that were never his to begin with. As such, he will not longer be able to fight anymore, unless he relies on his fists. With his powers gone, so is his life source" the long-haired man revealed to them. By saying this, he could see that Ichigo's friends were in despair and sadness over hearing this. However, Yhwach only enjoyed seeing their suffering. Therefore, he decided to torture them more mentally. "And of course, I knew that you would find easy ways to restore his life back. So, I made some adjustments" he revealed to the group.

"Adjustments?" Ururu questioned lowly, wondering what the Quincy Emperor was trying to say.

"What do you mean by that!?" Tessai barked firmly, not afraid to stand firm against a powerful enemy such as Yhwach.

The Quincy grinned. "Before the Invasion of the Soul Society even took place, I made a secret deal with Hell itself….or the Diyu Empire to be more precise. I negotiated with Hell's well-renowned Eternal Emperor: Wang Yanluo. Together, we reached an agreement. I would deliver him Shigekuni Yamamoto's Bankai: Zanka no Tachi. And in return…...Yanluo would keep Ichigo's soul in Hell for all eternity. As such, he can no longer come back to life! His soul is bound by Hell! That poor fool will now spend a life of eternal damnation, all thanks to his foolish desire for revenge! And no one, not even the powers of a weak-minded Interminable such as her can save him!" Yhwach exclaimed as he told everyone about what he had really done to Ichigo.

Both Ryuken and Isshin were stunned to hear this. "Hell…..so that explains why those Togabitos were invading Karakura Town…a new power has emerged in the realm of the unforgiven" Ryuken noted to himself. However, he soon refocused his attention on Yhwach, even preparing an Heilig Pfiel for him in the process. "Even so, do you expect this Wang Yanluo to become allies with you? That is a foolish prediction for someone as powerful and wise as you, Yhwach. It only demonstrates the enormous flaws in your arrogance" he told him.

Yhwach only shrugged off what he said. "It is unwise of you to speak to the Soul King with such disrespect. You and that family of yours have always been a thorn in my side" he said before taking a brief glance at Uryu. "At least your son had more guts than you to infiltrate the Wandenreich and make an attempt on me. But I am not surprised he would. Given that I informed him about what I would do with Ichigo, it's only natural that he would then try to help that simpleton away from me. Sadly, he failed his objectives" the Quincy remarked and let out a deep chuckle once again.

"Wipe that smirk off your face, Yhwach!" everyone became stunned once they could see a familiar group appear among the ruins of the throne room. Isshin and the others were surprised to see who it was. It was the 13 Court Guard Squads and their Vizard allies. The one who was leading them was of course Head-Captain Shunsui Kyoraku. The pink-clad Shinigami was facing him in a serious manner. "There's no place to hide for you anymore. We have finally come to end your reign of terror. So come at us with all you got! We can handle it!" Shunsui spoke up in a surprisingly serious manner.

Yhwach only frowned deeply in seeing them. "More saviors? Perfect. This only keeps getting more interesting" the Quincy Emperor told himself.

Renj, Rukia, Shinji and Hanataro all snapped once they could see Ichigo lying lifeless on the ground. They quickly rushed towards him, praying that there was still signs of hope in it.

"ICHIGO!" Rukia yelled, the young woman becoming desperate in what she was seeing. She looked at Orihime and could see the despair in her face. "Orihime…..have you tried using Santen Kesshun….." Rukia was interrupted by Chad speaking.

"She has, but it's useless…Ichigo's soul has been taken away. As such, we can no longer revive him!" the tall man said, trying to hold back a few tears.

"His soul is taken away!?" Renji asked before turning his angry reaction towards Yhwach. "You fucking bastard…YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!" he yelled at him.

"Don't act so surprised, Abarai. We overheard everything that was being said" Shinji reminded him before taking a glance at Ichigo. "I can't feel him breathe….." the Captain of Squad 5 added to his observation of the orange-haired man's body.

Hanataro cried in seeing how Ichigo was lying there lifeless. The timid Shinigami desperately tried to use his healing skills in order to save him. But it was futile. Ichigo was now dead. "I can't believe it…..Ichigo's dead…." the young medic sobbed, only to be consoled by Ganju, who was also having tears falling from his eyes.

Urahara and Yoruichi also saw what Ichigo had become and Tessai lowered his head before them in shame. "I'm sorry…..I should've paid better attention to his stupidity. My negligence caused this!" Tessai said, the tall man trying to fight back some of the tears that had begun to erupt out of him.

"Don't carry all this burden by yourself, Tessai. Ichigo was in control of his own actions. And as such….it caused him his life" Yoruichi assured her friend, not wanting to make Tessai have zero confidence in himself. "And besides, I think I also was careless with regards to this" the purple-haired woman admitted, also wanting to share the blame.

Urahara glanced at Ichigo's body. He could see the pale eyes on him and it only confirmed the fact he was dead. "So that's what this was all about? In exchange of Yamamoto's Bankai…the Diyu Empire would keep Ichigo's spirit in Hell. How could they have possibly accomplished a dark bargain such as that!?" he wondered while observing Ichigo lying there lifeless.

The Shinigami captains all gathered before Yhwach, yet he was not intimidated by seeing this small army confronting him. He only mused to himself in face of this. "Heh. I see that each and every one of you made it to the top. Then that means the Sternitters abandoned their posts, as I ordered them to" the long-haired man revealed to his enemies.

"Flattery will not save you from us, Yhwach. Your actions have cost many innocent lives. And worst of all, you murdered Head-Captain Yamamoto and Lieutenant Sasakibe. As such, we will not rest until you have been brought to justice" Byakuya firmly told him.

"What kind of leader asks his troops to let the enemy army pass, anyway? I don't know what your strategy is, but from my standpoint, its flawed" Mayuri said what he thought about Yhwach's strategy. This was also seen as an attempt to make fun of it.

"You think you're a badass fighter, is that it?" Kenpachi asked Yhwach before brandishing his Zanpakutou for his enemy to see. "How about we find out right now? It's the way warriors do" the Captain of Squad 11 dared Yhwach to come at him.

"Incompetent fools. If any of you had any sense, you would know better than to defy the one, true Soul King. The Soul Society is already mine. Your precious Royal Guard is finished. Your reserve Soul King lies here defeated before my feet! All that exists of authority in this realm is me!" the Quincy Emperor exclaimed while demonstrating his pride as a ruler.

The moment Yhwach said that, he was being confronted by more angry face, not just those of Isshin and Tessai. Chad, Orihime, Nelliel and even Ganju, Jinta and Ururu all directed their resentment and anger towards the Quincy Emperor. They even drew out with their weapons.

"You can carry on being a smartass as much as you like, Yhwach! We're still gonna end you!" Isshin called out angrily.

"You'll pay for what you have done!" Nelliel expressed her deep resentment towards Yhwach, even drawing out her Zanpakutou.

"I won't hold back against you…...especially after what you have done to Ichigo!" Rukia declared.

Yhwach was still feeling high and mighty of himself. For him, it was surprising in how his enemies continued to think they could defeat him, even after seeing what had happened with Ichigo. But that was only good. Because the Quincy Emperor knew just the perfect way to reduce these Shinigamis to despair and agony.

"If you all think that I am alone in recreating the Soul Society, then you have sadly mistaken" Yhwach declared before 18 silhouettes of shadow appeared on the ground around him. "Truth be told, I never expected every Shinigami to accept me as their liege so easily. However, while you have been struggling with coming here, I have taken the liberty to form a new order of knights. One that will serve me well alongside my current army. This order will help me restore the fear that the 13 Court Guard Squads were known to possess. Behold, soldiers of the Court Guard! Behold the glory of my newborn order. the Sonneritters!" he revealed the name of this secret order of Shinigamis he had created in wake of his takeover of the Soul Society.

The soldiers of the Court Guard were stunned to see this. 18 people had appeared in the destroyed throne room. While they wore outfits similar to Sternritters and other Quincies, such as white clothing and capes, they still had Spiritual Pressures to those of Shinigamis, not to mention their Zanpakutous. How could these warriors have forsaken the Court Guard for the Wandenreich?

"What the hell…THEY'RE ALL SHINIGAMIS!" Renji expressed his outrage in what he was sensing from each of these individuals.

"The Sonneritters…" Shunsui spoke up in astonishment. "Damn..….I never expected to see this…and those Spiritual Pressures…I recognize them!" he added to his discovery.

"I do that too…." Urahara admitted, him also taking notice of their Spiritual Pressures. "Some of these belongs to our friends…...but that can only mean one thing…...they have switched over to Yhwach's side!" the blonde-haired man revealed, surprised by this stunning revelation.

They all began removing their white hoods, thus revealing their identities to the Shinigamis of the Court Guard. They were shocked to see who it was that had switched allegiances. It was unbelievable for them to bear.

"Captain Kyoraku…..what is going on here!?" Nanao asked her superior, given that she was standing beside him.

Those Shinigamis people knew were Toshiro Hitsugaya and Rangiku Matsumoto from Squad 10, Rojuro "Rose" Otoribashi and Izuru Kira from Squad 3, Kensei Mugurama, Shuhei Hisagi and Mashiro Kuno from Squad 9, Sajin Komamura and Tetsuzaemon Iba from Squad 7, Yachiru Kusajishi from Squad 11, Sui-Feng from Squad 2 and last but not least: Jushiro Ukitake from Squad 13. While Ukitake still had his green eyes, his hair was completely black. It was stunning, as everyone had always known the gentle man to have black hair.

But these weren't the only Shinigamis that could be seen wearing white outfits. Shunsui and the captains, among them Byakuya, immediately recognized these people, as they had all actually served the 13 Court Guard Squads once in their lives. "You are…...Ginrei Kuchiki, former Captain of Squad 6, Tokinada Tsunayashiro, the current Head of the Tsunayashiro clan, Seinosuke Yamada, former Lieutenant of Squad 4, Souya Azashiro, former Captain of Squad 11, Gosuke Kiganjo, former Captain of Squad 11 and….Madoka Ise….from Squad 8" Shunsui spoke up, while feeling dreaded over seeing his deceased sister-in-law standing there.

The Shinigamis in the Court Guard each had so many questions to these so-called Sonneritters. As such, they began asking questions to the ones they were closest to as friends or perhaps family.

"It can't be…" Momo's eyes widened in shock in seeing Toshiro and Rangiku standing there. "Lil' Shiro….and Rangiku…." the Lieutenant of Squad 5 was filled with disbelief.

Toshiro glanced over to his childhood friend, his eyes becoming surprisingly empty as he did it. "You can call me that name if you want. To me, it means nothing" he told her, his voice different than what Momo was used to hear him in. She was shocked in what Toshiro just said to him.

"Toshiro….Rangiku….what is the meaning of this….." Isshin asked his two former subordinates, given that Isshin himself was once the Captain of Squad 10. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?" the middle-aged man demanded an answer out of them.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it…Captain Shiba…...or maybe I should say Captain Kurosaki in your case!" Toshiro addressed his former superior.

"Whatever his surname is, it matters nothing. That man's dead to us, anyway" Rangiku informed him.

Isshin was stunned. Never before had he seen Rangiku act this cold towards anyone, even on her worst day. She was always this bright and cheerful woman. But now, she was acting as if something had traumatized her. "Rangiku…" the former Captain of Squad 10 uttered lowly to himself.

"Don't act as if you are surprised to see us here. You thought we would simply die in the battlefield?" Toshiro told him and the others, even forming a slight smirk with his lips. "Fools, no way we would die and not get to serve our true master: Lord Yhwach" the white-haired boy added.

Momo was completely stunned in what she was hearing him say. "True master…" she said, her voice shivering due to seeing her childhood friend gradually showing his true colors. "JUST WHAT ARE YOU SAYING, TOSHIRO!?" the girl asked out in despair, yet both Toshiro and Rangiku remained nonchalant towards her.

Three other of these white-hooded Shinigamis turned out to be Vizards. They were Kensei, Rose and Mashiro. To see them standing there shocked Shinji, Hiyori and the other Vizards.

"You gotta be shitting me! JUST WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS!?" Shinji loudly asked as he looked at his fellow Vizards. "You three better explain yourselves! How can you do this!?" the Captain of Squad 5 added, feeling very insecure over seeing his friends on the other side of the battlefield.

"Yeah, since when the hell did you decide to change sides all of a sudden!?" Hiyori barked, the young girl equally as confused as Shinji was. "Have you forgotten all the messed-up things we've been through together!? Just give us a damn answer, already!" the blonde-haired girl snapped at her friends.

While Rose and Mashiro were calm, Kensei simply narrowed his eyes at his fellow Vizards. "Switch sides? Who ever said we did that!? I would rather call this finding out the truth!" the grey-haired man told Shinji and Hiyori, yet neither of them got a clue of what he was saying.

"Kensei is not liying" Rose spoke up, his voice as elegant as ever. "We all have done something not any of you could possibly ever imagine. We have found out the truth about it all…about the Court Guard…..about Yamamoto and his lies…..and about our holy messiah: Lord Yhwach" the blonde-haired man informed his Vizard friends.

"I swear, you two sound like…batshit crazy right now!" Love remarked in hearing what Rose and Kensei had said. "I mean, did dying change you or something?" he asked them once again.

While Rose merely glanced at him with a frown, Kensei's eyes narrowed with anger. "You better watch your own ass, Love! Death is just another test! Therefore, it hasn't changed us one bit!" he pointed out to Love, yet he still didn't comprehend.

"This is impossible…..when did they become this…..cruel?" Hachi asked his fellow Vizards, the tall man still not getting used to seeing the two captains like this.

"Not just them, they all do!" Lisa stated her opinion before facing Mashiro. "Hey Mashiro! What is the meaning of this!? Are you turning against your own friends, now!?" the four-eyed woman snapped at her.

Mashiro had taken notice of Lisa calling her name, so she looked at her. "Oh, you're here too, Lisa? I didn't see you there given how you're always so quiet and busy with your mangas" she said, yet it only infuriated Lisa on the inside.

"Damn it, Mashiro! Stop pretending like everything is a joke! It pisses me off!" the four-eyed woman told her, yet Mashiro was still acting so carefree and dimwitted.

Renji, Momo and Rukia couldn't believe that some of the lieutenants had joined with Yhwach. They had all been classmates with Izuru at the Shin'o Academy. Furthermore, Shuhei had once been their supervisor during a field lesson. But now, they were all on the enemy's side.

"I don't believe it! Hisagi! Iba! And even Izuru!" Rukia exclaimed in disbelief in seeing these lieutenants wearing Quincy-like outfits.

"IZURU! WHY THE HELL ARE YOU ON THEIR SIDE!?" Renji barked at the blonde-haired man. "HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THAT YOU ALMOST DIED TO THEM DURING THEIR FIRST INVASION!?" he added to his question with outrage, which Renji apparently had a right thing to do

Izuru only glanced at the red-haired man with nothing but emptiness. "My loyalties are not for you to decide, Renji. I have found my true call in serving the Soul Society. I suggest you, and the others do the same, if you want to survive" he replied, his voice as monotone as ever.

"I have also changed sides. But despite this, we still know what we stand for" Shuhei's serious voice could be heard in the background. "The Soul Society is nothing but a fucked-up place for crooked nobles and foolish idealists! The way it functions only pisses me off! Why should we, who risk our lives for the sake of an illegitimate assembly of nobles, when we could serve a higher entity such as the Soul King!?" the black-haired man yelled to show his frustrations.

Renji and his friends all widened in surprise as they heard Shuhei's words. They didn't know why, but he started to resemble someone in terms of resentment towards the Soul Society's system. And that someone was his former captain: Kaname Tousen. Could it be that Shuhei has now begun following in the same path as him? The lieutenants really wanted to know the answer.

"We're all through being toyed with as foot soldiers!" Tetsuzaemon boasted gruffly, as he was always known to have done. "The nobles, the judges, and even the Royal Guard, they have never ventured outside of their precious homes. They haven't even seen a Hollow before, let alone fought one with their lives on the line! There's no honor in protecting the greedy ones!" he added to his declaration.

Ikkaku and Yumichika couldn't believe in what they were hearing the man with the sunglasses say. They knew Tetsuzaemon from when he was a member of Squad 11. When did he become so…...political? "Tch, some warrior you are! Forsaking your duty to the Court Guard for this bullshit! I mean, what happened to that honor you valued so much, Iba!?" the baldheaded man rebuked Tetsuzaemon.

"Tetsuzaemon has not forsaken his honor, Ikkaku Madarame" Komamura told him firmly, his expression calm, yet hardened at the same time. The wolfman, who had previously lost his ability to walk on two legs, had finally regained his original form. As such, he was still a wolfman, yet walked on two legs. "He, as well as me, have still preserved it as Shinigamis and defenders of the Soul Society. But that honor is not to be wasted on following a foolish and deceptive leader such as Yamamoto!" Komamura spoke up, surprising everyone by speaking ill of Yamamoto, given that he always revered his leadership.

"What!? What are you saying!?" Yumichika asked, not getting what the former captain was trying to say. "Excuse me, Captain Komamura, but when was the last time you spoke negatively about Yamamoto? I mean, this is probably the first time you do" he then questioned him.

Komamura growled in return. "That's none of your damn business, Yumichika Ayasegawa! The quarrel between me and him is just between us and us alone! Someone like you will never understand it!" the wolfman barked, still trying to control his rage.

The revelations of Sui-Feng and Yachiru Kusajishi joining this new order of knights had stunned both Yoruichi and Kenpachi, respectively. Neither of them could think about the reason why they would forsake their admirers and chose to become their enemy instead.

"EXPLAIN YOURSELF, SUI-FENG! WHY THE HELL ARE YOU WITH THE WANDENREICH!? HAVE YOU REALLY FALLEN THAT FAR AS A CAPTAIN!?" the purple-haired woman demanded answers out of her predecessor as Captain of Squad 2.

Sui-Feng soon gritted her teeth in rage as she heard this. "Don't speak to me as if I'm still your subordinate! You have no right to lecture me, given how you foolishly decided to spend the rest of your lives as a damn exile!" the blue-haired woman spat at her. "EVEN TO THIS DAY, YOU STILL TREAT AS IF I'M NOT WORTHY OF BEING THE COMMANDER OF THE STEALTH FORCE! BUT GUESS WHAT, YOUR APPROVAL MEANS NOTHING TO ME!" she continued her verbal assault towards Yoruichi.

"B-But captain…why are you…..." Marechiyo was interrupted when Sui-Feng snapped at him.

"Why are you even still alive, Omaeda!? I had hoped you would die before even reaching Silbern! The fact that the Sternritters have failed to kill you only astounds me!" Sui-Feng revealed, thus piercing through her lieutenant like a spear.

"C-Captain….." the stout man stammered sadly in hearing those harsh words coming from his former superior. Never before had he heard Sui-Feng saying those words to him.

Even Yoruichi couldn't believe in what her protégé had said. "What happened to you, Sui-Feng? Has your pride corrupted your senses?" she wondered, realizing that at this rate, Sui-Feng was no longer worthy of being in command of the Stealth Force. But Sui-Feng herself could care less what Yoruchi thought.

"Yachiru…..I've been looking all over for you ever since that meteor rained down upon the Sereitei…..but I never expected you to meet you in circumstances like this one…." Kenpachi snapped in surprise while seeing the little girl standing there along with the enemies. "Just what have you done since you left me to go on your own…..ANSWER ME, YACHIRU!….." before Kenpachi could continue with more demands, he noticed something strange in the little girl's expression.

For some reason, Yachiru was acting rather cold and indifferent. Her eyes were as threatening as that of a warrior's. Kenpachi had seen those eyes before, but where? His memories slowly began returning to his head. That's right, it was during the time he fought against Yachiru Unohana as a young boy. The look in the little girl's eyes….it was the same as he had seen with Unohana!

"Yachiru….." Kenpachi spoke up, not sure whether he was referring to the little girl before him or Unohana.

"The time has come, Kenny. Now that you have finally become the Kenpachi as you desired, it is time for you chose your successor. Someone has to surpass you in combat. And that…will be me! I will prove to you how I don't need to fear Nozarashi, let alone your Spiritual Pressure" the pink-haired girl said, her usual childish and happy personality now gone. She was speaking in a mature manner, a rare thing for someone at her age.

Kenpachi's only eye began widening in realization. "A successor…but why you..….." the aggressive man began recalling his recent fight against Unohana, as well as the Sternritter Gremmy Thoumeaux. "No….it can't be happening….is it because that….." Kenpachi remembered how he was often viewed to be the strongest warrior in the Soul Society.

Byakuya had his attention on one man, and that was Ginrei. The Captain of Squad 6 couldn't believe in what he was seeing. This was an elderly man he knew very well, given the fact that they even shared the same blood. The elderly man only glanced at Byakuya with nothing but disappointment.

"Grandfather…." Byakuya uttered out lowly towards Ginrei Kuchiki. "How…how are you…still alive? Grandfather…answer me!" he added while sounding slightly distressed.

So far, Ginrei had given him eyes of disappointment. "Hmmm…a simpleton such as you are unworthy of being called my grandson! You failed to uphold the clan's honor by marrying that street rat, Hisana! And you let her sister into the clan as well, let alone not execute her when you had the chance! You are a disgrace!" Ginrei berated his grandson before taking a glance at Orihime, whom he narrowed his eyes at. "And you even let that Interminable fool you right underneath your nose! How could you have not realized that she was the direct descendant of the Dèesse? You have grown lazier, boy!" he remarked as he glanced at the orange-haired woman.

Orihime snapped in slight shock in hearing this, yet she stood firm and only glared at him angrily. Given that he was Byakuya's grandfather, it was only natural that he would possess this attitude towards Interminables. But she glanced at Byakuya, seeing how very conflicted the Captain of Squad 6 was emotionally.

"Grandfather…" Byakuya was too conflicted to even listen in what the old man was telling him. Back then, Byakuya had vehemently refused to believe that the hooded man he was fighting against near the alleyway was Ginrei Kuchiki. But now, after almost forgetting about that episode, it all came back to haunt him. "You were a leader. An inspiration. And a hero in my eyes…but why are you….serving Yhwach?" the Captain of Squad 6 stammered as he observed the elderly man glare at him.

"Did I not tell you during our last encounter? A new Soul Society is on the horizon and I intend on seeing it grow. Under the guidance of our beloved Soul King, we will overcome our fears and struggles. The fact that you ask me this only demonstrates how stupider you have grown over the years, Byakuya. It taxes me" Ginrei spoke up, still carrying venom in his voice.

Rukia couldn't believe that this hateful man was in fact Byakuya's grandfather. From what he had told her, Ginrei was a man of dignity and honor. But to hear him spew such hateul thoughts only made her whether her adoptive brother was lying or not. "So this is why Byakuya has been acting so secret ever since that fight…all along…..it was his grandfather!" Rukia noted on her thoughts while observing the conflict between them.

Hanataro also had the same reaction in seeing his older brother standing on the enemy's side. "Brother….why…" the young medic asked him.

Despite this, Seinosuke could only be seen smiling at his younger brother. It was ironic, given that he had now switched his allegiances to Yhwach. "Don't take this personal, Hanataro. Considering that me and Tokinada are well-aquianted with one another, it was natural that I would follow him in joining the Soul King's side. But despite this, you will always be my little brother. You do realize that, don't you?" he asked him in his usual brotherly voice.

Hanataro was confused. Why was he suddenly behaving this way towards him? "Seinosuke….." Hanataro uttered out his name lowly, tears slowly streaming from his eyes.

Kenpachi along with Ikkaku and Yumichika noticed how both Souya and Gosuke were staring at them, especially towards Kenpachi. Souya was a gentle yet mysterious individual. "So, this is your successor as Kenpachi? Despite his limited knowledge, his fighting prowess is impressive. I see now why Unohana lost to him. He really has potential" the calm-mannered man spoke with Gosuke, who only huffed in return.

"Bah! I only think he got a lucky shot!" he replied gruffly as he glanced at Kenpachi.

"Captain…...these men…they're…." Yumichika was surprised in seeing who they were.

"Yeah, they're both celebrities in Squad 11…...the calm one is Souya Azashiro, the 8th Kenpachi, I'll admit I know little of him" Kenpachi spoke up before turning his eye on the tall black-skinned man with the piercings underneath his mouth. "But I know that guy very well. He was my predecessor as Captain of Squad 11, as well as the 10th Kenpachi: Gosuke Kiganjo" he revealed.

Gosuke only grinned cockily while facing him. "Well, what do you know. It's my former protégé: Mr. Ken. I see you have gotten better since the last time I saw you" he told him with sarcasm in his voice. "You thought that I would die to the likes of you!? Hell no! No way I wasn't gonna let THAT be the end of my story!" he former Shinigami captain expressed his arrogance towards Kenpachi.

"Don't get so cocky! It ain't my fault you fell before me in combat during that day. And stop calling me Mr. Ken! It's so damn annoying!" Kenpachi reminded him before turning his attention towards Souya. "And you. Why are you roaming free all of a sudden? I was told you were imprisoned beneath the Muken for the rest of your lives" he said to him.

Souya only smiled smugly in return. "I was indeed. However, I was released by the Soul King's command. He recognized my true abilities and contributions to the Soul Society" he told Kenpachi, who was still listening to this warily. "Now, I serve only Lord Yhwach and will do anything in my power to help him remake this poor excuse for a community. Together, we will bring order to all corners of our glorious empire" he added to his explanation, yet Kenpachi, Yumichika and Ikkaku were all unsure of what to make of it.

Meanwhile, Shunsui was standing face to face with Madoka, alongside Nanao of course. The four-eyed woman was stunned to see her mother standing there, yet her eyes were nothing like she remembered them to be. Instead of love and kindness, these eyes were filled with resentment and bitterness.

"Madoka….." Shunsui said lowly, still rembering his sister-in-law when she was alive.

"Mom….." Nanao said lowly, her head filled with confusions. "Why are you…..no….how are you….." she didn't know what to ask of her.

Stunningly, Madoka ignored her daughter's questions and directed her attention to Shunsui instead. So far, nothing was said between them, yet Shunsui could tell that Madoka was upset with him. Nanao soon found herself crying, given how

"So I hear you have become the head-captain now. I'm not surprised you would, given how you easily became one of Yamamoto's bootlickers. Always the mandated schoolboy, I suppose" Madoka said, her voice surprisingly colder than what Shunsui and Nanao were used to. But she was not yet finished with speaking to her former brother-in-law. "And you even have enough guts to wear my kimono, especially after what happened with me! I'm disappointed in you, Shunsui" she then told him

"For God's sake, Madoka! This isn't you! The real you would never allow herself to be manipulated by someone as patriarchal as Yhwach! He's only fooling you!" Shunsui pleaded to the four-eyed woman, but she didn't seem to be listening to him any longer.

"CENTRAL 46 CONDEMNED ME TO DEATH WITH NO JUSTIFICATION! WHY DID MY REFUSAL TO NOT USE THAT DAMN SWORD MAKE ME A CRIMINAL!?" Madoka yelled out in frustration towards him. "LORD YHWACH HAS SHOWN US ALL THE LIGHT, SHUNSUI! I SUGGEST YOU AND NANAO ALLOW HIM TO DO THAT WITH YOU!" she added, tears of anger falling from her eyes.

The head-captain and his lieutenant were both taken aback by hearing the sorrow and resentment in Madoka's voice. Why did she speak to them like this? They were her brother-in-law and daughter respectively. Shunsui figured Yhwach would have something to do with it, or perhaps...…Ukitake.

Yes, the Shinigami captains froze in seeing the Captain of Squad 13, who had sacrificed himself to save the world, stand there dressed like a Sternritter. But now, his hair was black and the expression on his face was dark and cold. The ones who were perhaps most stung by this revelation were Rukia, Sentaro and Kiyone, all members of Squad 13.

"Captain Ukitake…..you're still alive…." Sentaro stammered with unease.

"But what happened to you…and your hair…what happened to your hair!?" Kiyone wondered aloud.

Ukitake, as a matter of fact, began facing his former subordinates. "I told you back in the Sereitei, didn't I? We each need to choose a path that will determined our fates. It is also the desire to protect the future. And here, I have chosen mine" the black-haired man told them, reminding his subordinates about the words he had shared with them during the Kamikake her underwent. However, Ukitake was not yet finished with his words. "Everything that has happened led me to this very point. It was my destiny to piece together the true and rightful Soul King. Therefore, I partook that ritual to not only prevent the worlds from being destroyed…..but also to help remake the Soul King. Right now, the Soul Society will need it more than ever. That is why, we of the Sonneritters have embraced Lord Yhwach as our holy and great messiah. Never will we take up arms against our Soul King" Ukitake delivered this speech that send shockwaves trough the Shinigamis.

But by listening to this speech, the Shinigamis of the Court Guard had only confirmed something very disturbing. Jushiro Ukitake was perhaps not the man everyone thought him to be. However, could they have predicted this betrayal earlier? He had indeed been carrying the Soul King's Right Hand inside of him since he was three years old.

"Captain Ukitake…how….how could you…" Rukia spoke up, the young girl feeling very emotionally damaged in seeing the man she had admired and followed in her career as a Shinigami switching allegiances to the enemy. "Thousands looked to you for guidance! You were the hope in the Shinigamis' eyes! But now you throw it all away for whatever nonsense you believe in!?" she then raised her voice at him.

Ukitake only narrowed his green eyes at her. "I still consider myself a being of guidance, Rukia. In the eyes of the great Soul King himself, a person such as me is needed. This is a time when we can no longer rely on Yamamoto and his foolish idealism. It has almost cost us the Soul Society itself. As such it calls for a change in leadership!" he told Rukia before facing the rest of the Court Guard. "The Court Guard itself has not been disbanded as you all may think. Rather, it has been reformed as the Sonneritters. No longer will it answer to Central 46. We answer only to our great messiah himself: Lord Yhwach! Such is our fate. Without him, everything will die" he went on explaining why he and the Sonneritters were fighting for what they believed in.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Are you saying that we must accept Yhwach as our leader?" Shunsui asked him warily. "Not gonna happen! No way in hell. Our duty is to the Soul Society, not him!" the pink-clad Shinigami gave Ukitake an answer, causing him to only glance at Shunsui disapprovingly.

"You are all fools for defying me" the voice came from Yhwach, who had began showing himself for his enemies once again. "As far as I know, I am the Soul Society! Without me, you will all die! So, I give you all an ultimatum! Join the Sonneritters and fight for a true God…or die…like your precious Substitute Shinigami. What do you choose, 13 Court Guard Squads? I trust you have better judgement than fighting spirits" the Quincy Emperor gave them this ultimatum, probably in order to gain more followers.

The free Shinigamis felt very demoralized now, given that those they had considered friends and allies had sworn allegiance to Yhwach. They had simply declared the Wandenreich the victors of this invasion and accepted the Quincy Emperor as their new ruler. It was an insult to the pride of the 13 Court Guard Squads. But why would they forsake it? The captains and lieutenants had so many questions, yet they didn't have time to speculate. Right now, it would be best if they simply gave Yhwach their answer.

"I said it before. And I say it again: WE WILL NEVER SURRENDER TO YOU!" Shunsui loudly declared, even taking off his hat to demonstrate his defiance towards Yhwach.

"Damn straight! I'm a warrior! So no way I'm teaming up with the likes of you!" Kenpachi joined in on the speech.

"As tempting as it may sound, it simply isn't in my nature to serve false Gods. That's perfection and I detest it with all my heart!" Mayuri spoke up his mind, surprising everyone with this speech of his.

"He's got a point!" Shinji said, facing Yhwach with his usual cocky expression. "And you can shove that ultimatum of yours up your wrinkly ass! It ain't even worth shit!" the Vizard expressed his opposition to this.

"After what you did to my son…..THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL I WILL JOIN YOU!" Isshin yelled out in anger.

Despite seeing their defiance, Yhwach didn't necessarily seem surprised. In fact, it only made him smile smugly in return. "I see that you are as stubborn as ever. But that is only good to me" the man with the moustache said and he began activating his true powers by covering himself with the cloak and the many eyes. "IT ONLY CONFIMRS THAT IN ORDER TO MAKE YOU SERVE ME, I WILL HAVE TO RESSURECT YOU! AND TO SHOW YOU TRUE DESPAIR, ALLOW ME TO GIVE YOU THE TRUE FATE OF THE SEREITEI! THEN, YOU ALL WILL REGRET TURNING AGAINST YOUR ONE, TRUE SOUL KING!" he loudly exclaimed as he unleashed his terrible Spiritual Pressure for his enemy to feel.

In the meantime, Yhwach's Sternritter and Quincy-followers had arrived on the scene as well. Jugram Haschwalth had reappeared along with other Sternritters, including Uryu's Schutzstaffel consisting of Cang Du, Driscoll Berci, Bernice Gabrielli, Jerome Guibatz and BG9. Gerard Valkyrie, Askin Nakk Le Vaar, Nianzol Weizol and Shaz Domino were also present in the area. In addition, an entire army of Quincies, Shinigamis and constucts loyal to the Wandenreich had appeared in the destroyed throne room. Right now, they were attempting to surround the Court Guard. This did not end well for them.

"Captain…what do we do….." Nanao asked her superior, who was sweating intensively.

Shunsui knew that this fight was already lost. The Wandenreich was in control of the Soul Society, the Sereitei was destroyed and now, many Shinigamis had already declared Yhwach to be their leader. At this rate, continuing fighting was fruitless. All that really mattered…..was survival.

"EVERYONE! RUN AWAY AS FAST AS YOU CAN! WHATEVER YOU DO, STAY ALIVE! THIS PLACE IS NO LONGER SAFE FOR US! DON'T DIE, EVEN IF IT KILLS YOU!" Shunsui was desperate in his call for help, yet everyone understood what it meant. As such, they began running away from this chaos as fast as they could.

Haschwalth bowed his head towards his liege in a formal manner. "I apologize for our late arrival, Your Majesty. We just needed to make sure everyone was gathered and ready to hunt down the intruders" the blonde-haired man informed him before turning his attention on the fleeing Shinigamis. "The intruders are getting away. Maybe we should pursue them" he then suggested to the emperor.

Yhwach paid little heed to what was being said, yet he accepted Haschwalth's apology and suggestion. "It matters not. With everyone gathered here, it is time to end this invasion. Furthermore, we have shattered their morale and hope. They will not escape my wrath!" he said before beginning to levitate above the floor so that he was in the air. From the looks of it, it seemed as if he wanted to make a declaration. "ATTENTION ALL SONNERITTERS, STERNRITTERS, SOLDATS, BEWACHEN AND OTHER INFANTRY! THIS IS YOUR EMPEROR SPEAKING! I COMMAND YOU THAT EVERY BEING WHO REFUSES MY LEADERSHIP, WHETHER IT BE QUINCY, SHINIGAMI OR ARRANCAR, BE ELIMINATED! SUCH IS THE WILL OF THE SOUL KING! DO IT BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY!" Yhwach loudly declared to all his followers. Without hesitating, they began pursuing the fleeing Shinigamis.

It was a desperate scene to behold. Throughout the imposing palace, the group of heroes all struggled to survive as they were being chased like rats. The only question that remained was in how they would leave Wahrwelt alive. The thought of it only stressed them out. Right now, they were now stuck in a labyrinth of pain and death. They didn't have time to stand and even cry over what they had just witnessed. If they weren't on the move, then they would die.

"EVERYONE FOLLOW ME! I'LL LEAD YOU TO THE PLACE I PUT THE NEDDLE IN! WE'LL ESCAPE THIS PLACE WITH THE HELP OF THE GARGANTA! BUT WE BETTER DO IT FAST!" Yoruichi called on everyone who was with her and began leading them through the narrow ways.

Eventually, those lucky group reached to the exact same spot where Yoruichi had put that nail in. A Garganta opened, yet the Shinigamis had to move fast. The entire Wandenreich was behind them and they would rest until they brough the Soul King's wrath upon them. With quick wits, the group managed to enter the Garganta succsessfully. Once inside, they found the black box which Yukio and Riruka were steering.

Isshin looked at his lifeless son, tears falling from his eyes as he could see how hopeless it was. "Ichigo...I'm sorry..." those were the words the father had for his son.

At the same time the Shinigamis were making their, Gerard was surprisingly carrying with him Uryu on his shoulder. Why was he doing that instead of executing him? The Sternritter proceeded to run fast with the help of his Reishi Wings.

"Fear not, Uryu Ishida. I will not let you die in a state such as this. No, you deserve better. Your skills have earned my respect. Perhaps you can learn something more from me" he told Uryu, who was still stunned to see that Gerard still treated him like a comrade. Could he perhaps also be one of the dissenting voices against Yhwach? Uryu had so many questions, yet he felt himself getting weaker by the minute. His fight against Yhwach had only tired him out. As such, Uryu soon fell into sleep.

Gerard landed on a spot where Kana Kido was waiting for him. The blonde-haired scientist had been standing there in face of all this call to hunt down enemies and traitors alike. She received Uryu's body while talking to the Sternritter. "Were you followed?" she asked him.

The blonde-haired man shook his head as a no. "No. Even now, Shaz and Uryu's Schutzstaffel are leading some of His Majesty's forces away from your location. But you best hurry before some of the Sonneritters supsect something" Gerard told her, even smiling at Uryu's unconscious body. "One day, I will come back to find you. But until then, stay alive while you can. That is all I ask of you" Gerard said before he took off flying.

Kana realized that she could not stand here any longer so she carried Uryu into the building, soon being helped by both Reinhardt and Hugo. All these scientists had escaped getting persucuted by Haschwalth due to Yhwach's call. But now that he was aware of their loyalty to Uryu, they would need to find someplace else to hide from Yhwach. At this rate, he was now powerful more than ever.

As Yhwach felt himself delightful over seeing his enemies flee in terror, he used his powers to rebuild his destroyed home. The throne room and everything that had been destroyed in this invasion by the Shinigamis were repaired as if it was nothing.

"It's almost time. Soon, the Soul Society will have a new world attached to it…...as the barriers between the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo shatters!" Yhwach exclaimed before laughing out loud for everyone to hear. "TREMBLE BEFORE ME, MORTALS! TREMBLE AS YOUR TRUE SOUL KING RETURNS TO GOVERNING YOUR WORLD!" he loudly declared, wanting to make sure that everyone knew about his rule.

* * *

 _Somewhere in the Soul Society's open fields_

In the areas that was fertile for farming, changed began to happen for the Souls that were dwelling on these fields. At first, the ground began shaking, as if an earthquake had appeared. But the Souls were in for a surprise once they could notice something happen to the environment. Large dunes of sand appeared on the hills and behind them, the sky darkened. A bright crescent moon could be seen, despite the fact that it as day in the Soul Society. The Souls were soon treated to the horrible surprise, when a pack of Hollows began trespassing on the fields, thus going after the peasants. Given that a giant desert, a black sky and Hollows had appeared in the Soul Society all of a sudden could only mean one thing.

Hueco Mundo had been integrated into the Soul Society. The barriers that had long since separated the two realms from one another were gone. This meant that Hollows could now enter the Soul Society as they pleased. And of course, this was Yhwach's doing. He had previously done that to Hell. Now, he did it with the realm of the Hollows. But there was more to this transformation.

Someone had been appearing in the opened landscape for the few Souls to see. The skies above them begun to rumble with thunder. A powerful entity was had now arrived in the Soul Society. And that was none other than the Emperor of the Imperio De Hierro himself: Augustus Zod Allowin. Why was he suddenly making his move out of his realm? The ancient man directed her eyes towards the distance, or more specifically the Sereitei. He was expecting someone there, but not just Yhwach and ruins of the Sereitei.

"You thought you could hide from me...SOSUKE AIZEN!? MY COMING WILL HERALD YOUR END!" he bellowed as he quickly vanished from his spot by using Sonido.

But Allowin was not the only powerful entity to had begun his march through the Soul Society. Tearing down woods was Wang Yanluo, the Eternal Emperor of the Diyu Empire. Since Hueco Mundo had been intergrated into the Soul Society, the hellish creature had taken notice of powerful Spiritual Pressures. This pleased the Togabito, as he knew what it meant.

"THE RAGE AND BLOOD I SENSE DELIGHTS ME! I WILL COME TO THANK YOU IN PERSON FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE, YHWACH!" Yanluo exclaimed and he vanished from his spot to move towards the direction of the now destroyed Sereitei

This transformation and what happened next shocked Kukaku Shiba, who was on her reconnaissance mission alongside Jidanbo Ikkanzaka. They watched as what was once a fertile field of hills, had now become an endless desert filled with Hollows.

"This is impossible…WHAT JUST HAPPANED!?" Jidanbo loudly asked while feeling distressed. "WHY HAVE THESE HILLS BEEN REPLACED WITH DUNES OF SAND!? AND WHY ARE THESE BEINGS INSIDE THE SOUL SOCIETY!?" he added to his fears.

Kukaku herself was feeling the same way, yet she was calm due to smoking her pipe. "This is only the beginning, Jidanbo. The largest war since the Thousand Year Blood War many eons ago…..has only begun….the tide of battle…..has arrived" the black-haired woman said, realizing what these transformations really meant for the Soul Society.

She was right. Three empires had now emerged in wake of the fall of the Sereitei: the Wandenreich, the Imperio de Hierro and the Diyu Empire. What would happen with the proud denizens of the Soul Society, was yet to be determined. But other than that, a new war was on the horizon.

 _To be continued for…a long time…_

* * *

 **Author's note: I just wanna thank you all for reading this story so far. I just wanted to remake something that Tite Kubo didn't complete. Don't get me wrong, I respect him as Bleach's creator, but I felt the canon story in Bleach was rushed. And that's understandable, given how Shueshia makes more money on One Piece and the author: Eiichiro Oda. But enough of that, some of the characters among them the Sonneritters have appeared in Bleach novels and databook alike. Given that Kubo have never really used them, I thought they would fit in well in this story. I will not spoil what will happen once the hiatus is over. That will be your explained in time. Meanwhile, I might as well correct some spelling errors and mistakes I have done in the previous chapters. But other than that, I plan to leave this story on a break for now. Until we meet again, ladies and gentlemen. Sayonara.**

 **Sonneritters – German for "Sun Knights": Since seizing control of the Soul Society, many of it's denizens has already begun to accept Yhwach as their Soul King, given his enormous powers. They even worship him as their God and messiah. But the strongest of Yhwach's Shinigami-loyalists is this newborn order of knights. Calling themselves the Sonneritters, these Shinigamis have renounced their ties to the Court Guard and Shigekuni Yamamoto's philosophy, believing he was nothing but a liar and a false hero. They are also dissatisfied by the fact that the Soul Society is ruled by a political organ such as Central 46 instead of the Soul King. As such, they have no regard for their former allies. Despite wearing Quincy-outfits, the Sonneritters still carry their own Zanpakutous and abilities, this time to serve their almighty god. When creating this order, I was inspired by the Jedis of the Dark Side in the Star Wars universe. I know that it may be difficult for some of you to find Shinigamis such as Toshiro, Ukitake and Yachiru becoming bad guys. But trust me, there is a reason for it. The nature of this order will be revealed in time.**

* * *

 **CEDITS**

 **(This is a list of my OC characters and which Seiyuus and voice actors they are having. I have also given them theme songs, something Kubo has done with his characters. I have begun finding more info about Seiyuus as well. Sadly, I don't have a list for the Wandenreich and other Shinigamis, but at least I have the Arrancars and the Togabitos. Enjoy!)**

 **IMPERIO DE HIERRO**

 **Augustus Zod Allowin**

 **Voiced by Tessho Genda and Alan Shearman**

 **Theme: I Stand Alone - Godsmack**

 **Diablo Gallante**

 **Voiced by Masanori Shinohara and Steve Blum**

 **Theme: Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd**

 **Luddenwig Van Gogh**

 **Voiced by Isshin Chiba and Crispin Freeman**

 **Theme: Forsaken - Dream Theatre**

 **Annabelle Luisenbarn**

 **Voiced by Mami Koyama and Barbara Goodson**

 **Theme: One Day In Your Life - Anastacia**

 **Oggrom Dorian**

 **Voiced by Hideaki Tezuka and Kevin Michael Richardson**

 **Theme: Blow Me Away - Breaking Benjamin**

 **Durann Lupinus**

 **Voiced by Kazuya Nakai and Scott McNeil**

 **Theme: My Land - Sonata Arctica**

 **Xerxxes Reraux**

 **Voiced by Eiji Hanawa and Phil LaMarr**

 **Theme: How You Remind Me - Nickleback**

 **Killaman Khan**

 **Voiced by Hochu Otsuka and Troy Baker**

 **Theme: Dreamer - Ozzy Osbourne**

 **Pieddot Picasso**

 **Voiced by Kappei Yamaguchi and Dino Andrade**

 **Theme: Breaking the Habit - Linkin Park**

 **Tirrador Webster**

 **Voiced by Showtaro Morikubo and Joshua Seth**

 **Theme: Like Toy Soldiers - Eminem**

 **Lyoness Mahlangu**

 **Voiced by Masafumi Kimura and Ogie Banks**

 **Theme: Africa - E-Type**

 **Arlettine Bracquemond**

 **Voiced by Masako Katsuki and Melodee Spevack**

 **Theme: Elle Elle L A - Kate Ryan**

 **Uvaanog Chelute**

 **Voiced by Shida Nakamura II and John DeMita**

 **Theme: Take Me With You - Phil Collins**

 **Appius Titus Caesar**

 **Voiced by Takehito Koyasu and Chris Cason**

 **Theme: Viva La Vida - Coldplay**

 **Borddum Chelute**

 **Voiced by Koichi Yamadera and Matthew Yang King**

 **Theme: Awake and Alive - Skillet**

 **Ozzy Namatjira**

 **Voiced by Mamoru Miyano and Gideon Emery**

 **Theme: Highway to Hell - AC/DC**

 **Lizzie Namatjira**

 **Voiced by Ayane Sakura and Kari Wahlgren**

 **Theme: Highway to Hell - AC/DC**

 **Violetta Bracquemond**

 **Voiced by Chiaki Omigawa and Melissa Fahn**

 **Theme: Leave - JoJo**

 **Ùnico Barcellos De Oliveira**

 **Voiced by Shunsuke Sakuya and Fred Tatasciore**

 **Theme: Smooth - Santana**

 **Belladonna Luisenbarn**

 **Voiced by Ryoka Yuzuki and Jennifer Hale**

 **Theme: Chocolate - Kylie Minogue**

 **Ssutze Briffa**

 **Voiced by Megumi Toyoguchi and Alicyn Packard**

 **Theme: My Happy Ending - Avril Lavigne**

 **Zeppelin Webster**

 **Voiced by Yuji Ueda and Matt Hill**

 **Theme: In Too Deep - Sum 41**

 **Ebbaline Da Navarro**

 **Voiced by Yuko Miyamura and Erin Fitzgerald**

 **Theme: Out of Touch: Uniting Nations**

 **Yzyurqq Goltzius**

 **Voiced by Hiroaki Hirata and Dameon Clarke**

 **Theme: A Beautiful Day - U2**

 **Muumin Reraux**

 **Voiced by Chie Nakamura and Debi Mae West**

 **Theme: Glamorous - Fergie**

 **Vladdenmich Vrubel**

 **Voiced by Koji Tsujitani and Richard Cansino**

 **Theme: Nikogo Ne Zhalko - Leningrad**

 **Christoff Bacquemond**

 **Voiced by Takeshi Kusao and Robbie Daymond**

 **Theme: Green Light - John Legend**

* * *

 **DIYU EMPIRE**

 **Wang Yanluo**

 **Voiced by Taketora and Clancy Brown**

 **Theme: Hard Rock Hallelujah - Lordi**

 **Jiutian Xuannü**

 **Voiced by Yuriko Yamaguchi and Mari Devon**

 **Theme: Bring Me Back To Life - Evanscence**

 **Guan Gong**

 **Voiced by Norio Wakamoto and Cam Clarke**

 **Theme: Chop Suey! - System of a Down**

 **Mao Khuan**

 **Voiced by Ryuzaburo Otomo and Gerald C. Rivers**

 **Theme: Before I Forget - Slipknot**

 **Cheng Nezha**

 **Voiced by Tomokazu Seki and Kaiji Tang**

 **Theme: Here Without You - 3 Doors Down**

 **Meng Fan**

 **Voiced by Nao Toyama and Debi Derryberry**

 **Theme: What's In It For Me - Amy Diamond**

 **Han Yao**

 **Voiced by Miina Tominaga and Jeannie Elias**

 **Theme: Dirty Harry - Gorillaz**

 **Chan Chu**

 **Voiced by Kozo Shioya and Kirk Thornton**

 **Theme: Stealth - Art of Trance**

 **Chiang Kai**

 **Voiced by Toshio Furukawa and Doug Stone**

 **Theme: Pain - Three Days Grace**

 **Jiang**

 **Voiced by Yuki Kaji and Vincent Tong**

 **Theme: Eye of the Tiger - Survivor**

 **Ying**

 **Voiced by Miki Ito and Kimberly Brooks**

 **Theme: I Begin To Wonder - Dannii Minougue**

 **Xiaodan**

 **Voiced by Maaya Sakamoto and Hynden Walch**

 **Theme: A Perfect Day - Miriam Stockley**

 **Ling**

 **Voiced by Mitsuo Iwata and Tom Gibis**

 **Theme: Dilemma - Nelly**

 **Daiyu**

 **Voiced by Ryoko Shiraishi and Grey DeLisle**

 **Theme: Goodies - Ciara**

 **Bohai**

 **Voiced by Kazuhiro Yamaji and Robbie Rist**

 **Theme: Jump - Van Halen**

 **Longwei**

 **Voiced by Tsutomu Isobe and Skip Stellerecht**

 **Theme: Heart of a Dragon - DragonForce**

 **Qiao**

 **Voiced by Kana Hanazawa and Tiffany Grant**

 **Theme: Fight For This Love - Cheryl Cole**

 **Zhen**

 **Voiced by Yuya Uchida and Henry Dittman**

 **Theme: All The Right Moves - OneRepublic**

 **Feng**

 **Voiced by Yoshito Yasuhara and Keith Ferguson**

 **Theme: The Reason - Hoobastank**

 **Zhong**

 **Voiced by Koki Uchiyama and Ezra Weisz**

 **Theme: Lazy Generation - The F-Ups**

 **Ping**

 **Voiced by Hidenari Ugaki and Jonathan Fahn**

 **Theme: Pigskin - Hollywood Undead**

 **Niu**

 **Voiced by Mahito Oba and David Kaye**

 **Theme: New Disease - Spineshank**


	51. Reincarnation of Agony

**Author's note: Now I am back to writing on this story. However, I am telling to some of you readers who are desperate to know when this chapter was coming out. I am just a normal human being, who only does this for fun. I'm not Tite Kubo whose job was mainly to sit and write down most of the story. I have a real life and some great aspirations that I want to acheive. But I will tell more of that in another chapter. When you saw the last scene of the previous chapter, you may have thought that this scene will continue to that part. The answer to that is no. That scene was only something I did in order to rush to the climax. For now, I will be taking things more slowly. This chapter will now be focused upon Ichigo. And where is he know? While his body his dead, his soul still lingers on. Enjoy this chapter, as it will mostly be focused on our orange-haired protagonist. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 51: Reincarnation of Agony**

 _The story so far…._

Several months after defeating the former Substitute Shinigami Kugo Ginjo and his Xcution, Ichigo Kurosaki returned to his role in becoming a trustworthy ally of the Soul Society in the Human World. But little did he know that this would only be the beginning of his own downfall and death. It was something Ichigo and his friends was not prepared for.

It all began when the high number of Hollows vanishing, thus affecting the balance of the world itself. One by one, these lost souls were killed without any slight of remorse. It didn't take long for the 13 Court Guard Squads to realize who could possibly be responsible for the disappearances. A mysterious empire calling themselves the Wandenreich, emerged out of hiding and declared war against the Soul Society and its people. What was even more shocking for the Court Guard was the fact that the Wandenreich were none other than Quincies. They had already conquered Hueco Mundo, enslaved many Arrancars to their cause while slaughtering some Hollows. Led by their ruthless emperor: Yhwach, the Wandenreich launched an invasion of the Sereitei, with their Sternritters leading the frontlines. They almost succeeding in decimating the Sereitei. But the invasion was halted by Ichigo's arrival. However, the invasion had managed to shatter the Shinigamis' morale, as Head-Captain Genryuusai Shigekuni Yamamoto had fallen before Yhwach himself. Furthermore, some of the captains had lost their Bankais as a result of a new invention the Quincies used. While they managed to find a way to regain them, it still wasn't enough to defeat the Wandenreich's growing threat. They even failed to prevent Yhwach from reaching the Royal Realm. Once up there, Yhwach and his devoted followers battled the Royal Guard, who proved to be a challenge for them. But even they could not stop the Quincies and Yhwach made his way to the Soul King's Palace.

But while the Soul Society had been focused on rebuilding and making preparations for the Wandenreich's second invasion, its leaders had failed to notice the rise of the other empires aside from the Wandenreich. In Hueco Mundo, the Imperio de Hierro had emerged to unite Arrancars and Hollows alike under the banner of its emperor: Augustus Zod Allowin. This empire had long desired vengeance against the Shinigamis and Quincies, yet chose not to directly involve themselves in the Wandenreich's second invasion. At the same time, Hell had used the disturbances in the world as an opportunity to expand itself. The Diyu Empire and its Eternal Emperor Wang Yanluo wished to break free of the chains of the world and exact vengeance upon those who had condemned them to dwell in such shameful existence. These Togabitos had managed to even enslave the Kushanadas, thus forcing them to do their dirty work.

While every person was striving to become powerful enough to defeat Yhwach, they all counted on Ichigo to be strong enough to defeat him. But the Substitute Shinigami had himself undergone some dramatic changes both physically and emotionally. He learned that his deceased mother Masaki Kurosaki was a Quincy, as well as how he was connected to Yhwach through blood. He also got to know the true reason why she died that rainy day. Fueled by hatred and vengeance, Ichigo vowed to not rest until Yhwach was murdered. He then started an immense training, as well as finding out the true nature of his Zanpakutou. In the end, Zangetsu was Ichigo and Ichigo was Zangetsu. But in the end, even he was no match for the Quincy Emperor, who in truth was the son of the Soul King himself. More importantly, many powerful Shinigamis had begun to accept Yhwach's rule of the Soul Society, even worshipping him as a messiah. These Shinigamis disavowed the Court Guard and its ideals encouraged by Yamamoto and began embracing Yhwach as their new Soul King. They were called the Sonneritters.

But the Court Guard were not the only force to oppose Yhwach. Rebel Sternritters joined ranks in order to dispose of him, yet they also failed. At this rate, everyone was convinced that Yhwach was an undefeatable God who would change the entire world and remake it in his own image. As for Ichigo, his soul was sent to realm of the unforgiven…Hell.

* * *

 _Inside a dark place, somewhere in Hell_

In this tiny space, all that could be seen was nothing but endless piles of skulls and bones. Chains were also hanging in the air. In a way, it almost resembled that of a predator's cavern, let alone a dungeon used to house prisoners. But amongst these skulls and bones lied an almost naked human being. It was a man. As soon as his eyes opened, they were filled with nothing but fear. His entire body trembled as he could feel the skulls lying around him. This man was none other than Ichigo Kurosaki, once the Substitute Shinigami. Ever since his his defeat at the hands of Yhwach…he had become nothing now. But why was he in such a dark and narrow space?

"UUUAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Ichigo screamed in fear as he rose up when realizing that there were skulls looking at him from both sides. It was horrendous, given that it was as if the small things were alive and could move. But as soon as he got up, he fell on his backside, crushing some skulls in the process. The young man was filled with terror inside of him. "W-what is all this…...where am I…what the…what the…WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE!?" he then asked loudly, his voice clearly bearing hints of despair.

The former Substitute Shinigami could barely recall where he previously was. He was in Silbern battling Yhwach with all his might, only to lose against him in shame. And when the Quincy Emperor began taking his power away from him…...he saw only pure white. That was what he had seen. Ichigo had expected this to be the afterlife. But instead…...he found the whiteness soon filled nothing but darkness. Why was he still even breathing? Was this a nightmare? Ichigo didn't believe it.

As he looked around, Ichigo could see how there were piles of skulls near him, and chains hanging above him. These things only made him filled with paranoia. This place had no tint of light and Ichigo knew nothing about where he even was. But he soon felt something strange on his chest and neck. What was it? Looking down his naked torso, Ichigo could see his entire body being enveloped in chains. In addition to that, a collar was hanging around the neck. These things caused him nothing but distress, as he had indeed seen them before.

"NO…it can't be…it can't be….IT CAN'T FUCKING BE!" Ichigo was screaming, realizing that he had become something so terrible, perhaps more so than a Hollow. He knew for a fact that he was not alive. But his thoughts were interrupted by a very familiar voice coming to him from a close distance. Ichigo knew who it belonged to.

"What's wrong, Ichigo Kurosaki. You okay?" Ichigo turned around with his fearful eyes to look at someone he had fought in the past. It was lean-built man with white hair chained against the wall of skulls. He was naked and was horribly burned across the right side of his body, extending all the way down past his abdomen. This was no ordinary man. He was a Togabito whom Ichigo had fought against in order to save his sister Yuzu, as well as the Humon World from a big threat. The man grinned at Ichigo. "Long time no see…...my fellow avenger" the man told her, acting in a very psychotic manner.

Ichigo's eyes soon narrowed into that of rage and resentment. "Kokuto…" he scowled when mentioning the name of the man who had almost succeeded in destroying him two years ago. His rage was now in full display, as Ichigo had not forgotten about the actions Kokuto had done, which had resulted in Yuzu almost dying. "You son of a bitch…IS THIS YOUR DOING!?" he angrily yelled towards the chained man.

Despite getting yelled at, Kokuto continued to grin at him in defiance, even laughing by seeing the distress building within Ichigo. "Damned fool…how could I've done that if I'm chained to this shitty place!? I don't even have the power to bring your spirit to Hell itself!" he spat, debunking Ichigo's accusation. Still, he looked at the orange-haired half-naked man in front of him smugly. "That being said…you're one of us now. Tell me, how does it feel to wear that collar and chain around your body? They really suit you, former Substitute Shinigami" he added, still acting so sanctimonious towards Ichigo.

"Don't fucking play with me, Kokuto! I'm not like or any of your ugly…." Ichigo's angry retort was stopped when he could see that not far from where Kokuto was, other Togabitos were seen chained against the wall. He immediately recognized some of them. They were Shuren, Gunjo, Garogai, Taikon and Murakumo. Ichigo and his friends had once fought these Togabitos during their trip to Hell. A couple of these Togabitso were laughing as if they had been driven into insanity. But Shuren was probably the only one still sane.

"This is all of your fault, Kokuto!" Shuren snapped at Kokuto, who didn't seem to take his words for real. "If you hadn't been acting like a selfish cocksucker as you were that day, we might have gotten the chance to walk free from this place! Now, we're all paying for your mistakes and stupidity!" he continued his verbal assault against Kokuto.

Kokuto fixed his maddening expression upon Shuren, his grin never fading away. "Why do you speak to me as if we were allies, Shuren!? You really thought that I was interested in saving your misbegotten friends!? I stabbed your sorry ass, for fuck's sake!" the demented man snapped at the purple-haired Togabito as if he regrets nothing. But Kokuto soon redirected his attention towards Ichigo. "That being said…...I have heard all about your exploits before you came here, Ichigo. I must commend you for your vengeance. Finally, you will now understand the pain of losing someone dear to you..…..and be sent to Hell for simply avenging that dear person. So in a way, you have finally become what I am! An avenger who will stop at nothing to see!" he told Ichigo and laughed so loud, hoping to mentally torture the orange-haired man's mind.

Ichigo felt himself losing his composure. "Stop with this bullshit…QUIT LAUGHING!" the naked man enveloped in chains roared, his eyes starting to feel the despair crawling inside them.

Kokuto, who was taking pleasure in this, decided to torment him more. In his mind, it was what Ichigo deserved after he had ruined his plans. "I don't take orders from a mere Human! After everything you have done to make my life miserable, as well as ruined my plans, I'm gonna make sure that you will suffer as I have! Therefore, I will continue to laugh at your pathetic existence as long as you're here!" the Togabito spat at Ichigo, not hiding his open resentment towards Ichigo.

But when Kokuto did that and was about to insult Ichigo once again, an enormous amount of Spiritual Pressure could be felt in the cavern. Ichigo felt himself forced onto the floor of skulls beneath him. Kokuto, Shuren and the other Togabitos screamed in pain. The chains around them tightened, which was explaining the agony they were feeling. Meanwhile, Ichigo was struggling to withstand this powerful Spiritual Pressure. He had not felt this kind of Spiritual Pressure since his fight against Yhwach. As he was forced onto the ground of bones, he could hear an eruptive voice that had plagued his mind once. But this time, it was becoming a reality, since it was loud enough for him, Kokuto and the other Togabitos to hear it.

"BE SILENT, MISERABLE NÓNG! YOU DARE TO EVEN LAUGH WHILE BEING PUNISHED FOR YOUR INSOLENCE!? I SHALL GIVE YOU ALL THE HELLISH PAIN YOU DESERVE FOR BEING A FAILURE!" the deep voice bellowed in the cavern.

Despite the condition he was in, Kokuto still had the strength to speak up his mind. "SHUT UP, YOU BASTARD! I WAS NEVER YOUR SERVANT! MY GOALS WERE MY OWN! THE ONLY REASON YOU SUCEEDED IN CONQUERING EVERYTHING IS BECAUSE OF…..AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH" the Togabito screamed as he felt the chains go into his naked body.

Shuren glared at Kokuto, feeling that he was at fault for the situation they were in. In his mind, he was more than willing to get his hands on the white-haired man for what he had done to betray him and his comrades. But to his own surprise, Taikon began speaking, as if he was pleading for something.

"Eternal Emperor…...please forgive us! We didn't mean to let you down! It's all because of Kokuto that our plans to bring Hell into the Human World failed!" the obese man pleaded, tears even streaming from his eyes.

Kokuto scowled with what Taikon was saying. "Shut it, fatass! You were in this as much as I…" he was interrupted when Shuren spoke up.

"Exactly! All the more reason why you should punish Kokuto more than us. Certainly, you understand that, don't you, Eternal Emperor!?" Shuren spoke up, even he feeling terrified of this entity that was bringing them fears.

Instead of replying, the Togabitos were rewarded more torture. As the Togabitos continued to feel agonizing pain, the voice came with a growl. But at the same time, it also sounded much lower "Ah, I see. At last, the offering has arrived in my domain. I have been awaiting your arrival, Ichigo Kurosaki" it sounded, taking an interest in Ichigo.

Ichigo looked around, his eyes starting to search for whoever that person was. But he couldn't see anyone clearly in the darkness. Moving around a little, the orange-haired man tried to find out who it was that had spoken to him.

"Who are you…...and how do you know my name!?" Ichigo asked, slightly starting to recall the voice he had heard when he was in Wahrwelt. In fact, he had even heard it during his last moments against Yhwach. Feeling agitated, Ichigo opened his mouth once more. "Quit playing dumb with me! I've heard your voice before! But who are you, really!? Answer me!" Ichigo demanded.

Instead of getting an answer, a deep chuckle could be heard throughout the caverns. "So, you still remember my voice? Impressive recollections you have, Substitute Shinigami. Or perhaps I should say former Substitute Shinigami in your case. Then again, you are no ordinary creature. So many powers dwelling within you. I even sense those of Hollows and Quincies" it spoke up.

Ichigo felt enraged. "You don't know a damn thing about me! Now, answer my goddamn question! Who the fuck are…" the orange-haired man stopped speaking when he could see something happening with Kokuto, Shuren and the other Togabitos hanging against the walls. Somehow, they got sucked into them. The reason, many arms grabbed them and forced these Togabitos to get assimilated into the walls. Seeing this terrified Ichigo.

"ETERNAL EMPEROR, PLEASE HAVE MERCY….." Gunjo was screaming, even a coldhearted Togabito such as him fearing what was happening to him.

"NO! I CAN'T END MY EXCISTENCE LIKE THIS….." Shuren yelled.

Kokuto took one last angry glance at Ichigo, his rage never fading away. "This isn't over, Ichigo Kurosaki! I'll fucking get you back for this! I'll find you and cut your body to pieces! Then I'll come for your sisters and gut them like rabbits! You will fear me! You will fear Kokuto…." Kokuto expressed his last words before disappearing into the wall.

Once the Togabitos were gone, the evil chuckle came once again, but this time, something happened in the environment Ichigo found himself in. The chains above Ichigo in the caverns began moving in a rapid pace. It made him feel cautious, yet he could soon see that the chains around his body was being affected by it.

"I have always been watching you, Human. From the day you stepped into this realm, I knew that you were a creature capable of accomplishing great things. You managed to save your wretched world from Hell's reemergence. But at the same time, your actions only opened a new chapter. The chapter where I would claim everything as my own!" the voice called out to Ichigo.

Before he knew it, Ichigo was lifted up from where he was standing. It caught him completely off-guard, as he couldn't see who it was that was doing this to him. Even so, Ichigo was taken through a narrow opening in the cavern. Quickly, he was out of the cavern, but Ichigo was given a grim view of where he really had been. Beneath him was a canyon of skulls, trees and other kind of desolate objects. But he could also see the skies above him. It was horrendous, as it was black and red clouds while having constant thunders emerging out from them. Ichigo had seen it before, during his first visit to Hell. To see this weather unsettled him greatly.

"No…...I really am in Hell…I really have been condemned…..but why? I'VE NEVER KILLED ANYONE!" Ichigo wondered as his despair grew stronger by the minute.

The voice invaded him once again, but this time, it was louder and closer. "You may have been in Hell before, Human. But it has changed. As has its people. The Kushanadas obey me now, the lesser Togabitos worship me, the Chains of Hell are under my command! That means I alone am the true ruler of Hell itself!" the voice came to him not close.

Looking up, Ichigo could see that he was being dragged to someone standing on a very tall pillar-like mountain, similar to the ones found in China. He was terrified by the appearance of this creature. It was a tall Togabito, yet his appearance was vastly different from average ones. He looked like a red-skinned Chinese demon with three eyes, a monstrous face and both hair and beard covered in flames. Sharp fangs sprouted out from his mouth. He wore black shoulder armor one each shoulder and it reached down to his chest, while wearing a kilt of armor under his toned stomach. But his strong and muscular torso were completely exposed, and it showed everyone a giant hole where chains were sprouting out, almost as if this was his navel. He wore black sandals and even his feet were showing signs of burning on the ground. From the looks of it, it was him who was holding the chains and dragging Ichigo up to him.

Ichigo was filled with fear, yet the creature simply laughed in response. "Welcome, Ichigo Kurosaki. Welcome to MY Hell!" he told his captive.

"Who…who….JUST WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!?" Ichigo yelled at the top of his lungs. But he soon felt pain as the chains around his body clenched themselves. This was due to his captor's actions. Still, Ichigo had the strength to listen what was being said to him.

"Do not speak to your master with such disrespect! I am Wang Yanluo, the Eternal Emperor of the Diyu Empire! And the true ruler of Hell!" the creature spoke up, finally introducing himself. Yanluo loosened the grip on the chains, this unable Ichigo to breathe. Still, he was now his hostage and prisoner. "You may have not committed a sin, but I can still hold you entrapped in my empire forever. When you fell before Yhwach, it enabled me to finally get in possession of your soul" Yanluo explained as he held Ichigo by his chains.

The orange-haired man's eyes widened in shock. "So, it was you…...you were the one who goaded me into taking such reckless moves! Bastard! How were you able to infiltrate my mind!?" Ichigo demanded an answer.

Yanluo smiled evilly. "I simply cannot ignore such powerful hatred! Simple mind such as yours or Kenpachi Zaraki's are easy to infiltrate! Each of you crave nothing but bloodlust or vengeance that only strengthens me! Your rage towards Yhwach is powerful! I have heard Masaki Kurosaki's screams" the entity then revealed, thus bringing back a horrible episode in Ichigo's life.

Hearing his mother being mentioned only fueled the fire within Ichigo. "You motherfucker…DON'T MENTION MY MOTHER TO ME, EVER….." Ichigo was trying to verbally assault his captor, he soon noticed something strange. His blood suddenly began floating towards Yanluo. "What the…WHAT IS THIS!? MY BLOOD IS GETTING DRAINED!" he demanded while being in shock in seeing this.

"Pathetic worm! I hold the over to bend hellfire and blood to my will! By only being near me, your blood is easily siphoned! You have no hope of withstanding it! No creature is!" the imposing Togabito informed Ichigo, deciding to let Ichigo know more about the reason he was in Hell. "It took only to regain the powers stolen from me by that misbegotten Shigekuni Yamamoto to consider bringing your soul to my domain. And now, here you are! That arrogant fool Yhwach made good on his promise!" Yanluo boasted pridefully.

Ichigo was in deep thought, as he remembered how Yhwach had murdered Yamamoto after stealing his Bankai. And truth be told, Yhwach had never even used it against Ichigo during their battle. Was it because he had given it to Yanluo? He was slowly beginning to see the picture.

"So Yhwach gave you Yamamoto's powers…..and in return…..you would bring my soul to Hell….for an eternity" Ichigo said those words with no emotion, except for sadness. "But that means I…I…." tears started to drift from his eyes endlessly.

Yanluo responded by laughing sadistically at the agony he was seeing in Ichigo. "A perfect ending for a creature once so promising. Banished to live in my realm for all eternity and to serve me. Quite a fate for you, Human" he said, and fixed his fiery eyes closer to Ichigo's. "That being said, you can only forget about ever trying to escape from me. I hold every leash on you. Henceforth, I shall make you the Diyu Empire's ultimate weapon. Your soul is mine!" he added and moved to the other side of the mountaintop while holding Ichigo. Apparently, the emperor no wished to show Ichigo where his home was going to be from now on. "Gaze upon this world, Ichigo. I alone hold every power in it. From now on, this will be your home…and your future" he added with a monstrous grin, realizing that his captive was indeed looking at the horrendous view.

Ichigo faced the landscape before him as he was filled with terror inside of him. He just wanted to scream in seeing all of this. But before he knew it, he was suddenly let go, by Yanluo himself. As such, he fell from the high mountain and down towards the desolate landscape. He screamed as Yanluo stood and laughed at his captive falling.

"Until we meet again, make yourself at home from now on, Ichigo Kurosaki. You will be my key to destroy Yhwach and Augustus Zod Allowin! The upcoming battle will determine this world's fate. And I intend on bringing justice of the unforgiven to this unfair world! Together with our hellish hatred, we will burn it to cinders and remake it in our image! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" those were the last words of Yanluo as Ichigo fell towards the ground.

Whether he heard everything Yanluo said or not was undetermined. Ichigo was already filled with so much emotions that he was conflicted. How did he end up getting himself into this endless nightmare? Ichigo couldn't find the answer he was seeking. He was stuck into the darkness. As a matter of fact, his eyes were closed as he knew that this fall alone would not kill him. He was in Hell after all. But what would become of him? And what about his friends? For now, Ichigo was at a crossroads.

* * *

 _Inside a room, a certain place in the Diyu Empire, Hell_

Ichigo was asleep. But not for long. Slowly, his closed eyes began moving. In time, they were opened, but he could see bright light instead of the darkness he had seen earlier. Ichigo eve began moving his arms. Unlike before, he felt not hard objects being placed around him. This only confirmed that he was no longer in a cavern filled with skulls and bones. But as he woke up, he heard a voice calling to him nearby.

"Wakey, wakey, Ichigo" the voice made Ichigo snap and he immediately rose up to see that there was someone in the room he was sleeping in. But Ichigo had been sleeping in a traditional Chinese bed, which stunned him to say at least. Even so, he was mostly concentrated on the three people before him. From the looks of it, they were all Togabitos. The first one was a baldheaded man with pointy airs, as well as having some earrings in them. He was dressed like typical Chinese thug or bruiser, with a black tank top and black pants. He also wore chains around his neck. That man simply waved his hand at Ichigo in laidback manner. "Whazzup, carrot-top? Slept well?" he asked him.

The other Togabito was a man had his light brown hair shaved. He had really big ears, almost like that of a monkey. His black outfit was that of a Chinese monk, with white belt and socks. "You've no idea much you've slept. We found you lying on the ground kissing it, so we thought about taking you to a place where you could rest. Gotta admit tough, Zhong was THIS close to taking a dump upon you!" he said, even looking at his friend while mocking him.

The Togabito named Zhong was furious with what he heard. "That's complete and utter bullshit, Ling! And you know that fully well!" Zhong spoke up while aggressively retorted to his friend.

The third Togabito was a female. She was a red-haired woman dressed like a Chinese princess. Her dress was black with white markings, while her hairpins were white. She seemed very youthful and beautiful for being a Togabito. Truth be told, this was the first time, Ichigo was seeing a female Togabito.

"We're humbled that you are awaken. We couldn't bring ourselves to leave you on the dusty ground, so we took you to this tavern" the woman politely told Ichigo.

The orange-haired man had started to get off the bed, yet he was still wary about these strangers before him. "Who are you?" he asked, realizing that he still had chains wrapped around his body.

Zhong faced him in a sneaky manner. "Who are we? Duh! We're Togabitos, of course! Can't you tell it by looking at our chains…..but then again, it may varies from one to another" he spoke, although he was a little confused at the end of his sentence.

"But we're not just any ordinary Togabitos. We're of the Fahai, the Eternal Emperor's favorite soldiers in his Yíngpán, which is of course his imperial army" Ling spoke up, although he was filling in too many details.

The woman shook her head slightly. "You two are giving him too much info. He may be confused" she told them and faced Ichigo with a pleasant expression. "It's nice to meet you, Ichigo Kurosaki. My name is Xiaodan, the Psychic Swallow" she introduced herself.

"The name's Zhong, the Void Rat" the sneaky man introduced himself.

"And I'm Ling, the Wood Monkey" Ling introduced himself.

While he was intrigued to hear their names, Ichigo couldn't help but to remain skeptical about the fact that they knew his name. "Hold on a minute. How do you know my…" Ichigo was then realizing the fact that these three were servants of Wang Yanluo. To moment he did that, his mind was filled with fear of that entity. "You're with….that monster?" Ichigo asked, feeling very uncomfortable right now.

Xiaodan felt concerned for him. "Boy, he seems very distressed" she remarked.

"Tch, can't say I blame him. Anyone who gets too close to the Eternal Emperor will have nightmares about him for the rest of their days" Ling responded before taking a glance at Ichigo. "Even so, I still don't get how someone like you can catch his interest. Why was he too fixated upon you that he even went to pick you up in the boneyard? I mean, that place is where the outcasts and disgraces are sent" he wondered aloud, mentioning the place where Ichigo had first arrived.

Zhong grinned smugly. "He probably does because he's interested in this bozo's name. Hey you, doesn't "Ichigo" mean strawberry or something in Japanese? Not that I'm a fan of that language, but I assume Yanluo brought you here so that you could pick strawberries for him!" he insulted Ichigo's name and laughed at him in the process.

When Ichigo heard that, he angrily darted his eye on Zhong. "You shut up! I'm nobody's servant!" the orange-haired snapped at the baldheaded man.

"Really? Well, your chains tell us otherwise" Zhong pointed out to him.

Ichigo, feeling enraged in what he heard charged directly towards Zhong. He couldn't sit idly and let someone like Zhong insult him with such manner. But as he ran, he suddenly slipped and fell on the floor. This was due to Zhong, who had used his void powers to place his foot before Ichigo, thus tripping him. Both Zhong and Ling laughed out loud in seeing this while Xiaodan viewed this with concern.

"You saw how he tripped? He was like: Woah!" Ling said while bowing raspberry at the end of the sentence, continuing to laugh with his comrade.

Ichigo gritted his teeth in anger by hearing this sort of mockery. But as he was trying to get up on his feet, he felt his entire body already getting exhausted. "Damn it! Why the hell is my power so weak!? I don't understand any of this!" Ichigo felt distressed as he got up.

Xiaodan faced Zhong with a dispassionate glance. "That was completely uncalled for, Zhong. You could have use used a different method" the red-haired woman told the baldheaded man.

He stopped laughing and scoffed at her statement. "Don't get your panties in a twist, Xiao. I was just trying to teach this fool a lesson and remind him where he stands in the food chain" Zhong pointed out while facing Ichigo.

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Ichigo snapped.

"He's right, strawberry-boy. There's no point in getting all aggressive towards us. At this rate, you're so weak that even the lowest of the Togabitos could best you. If Yanluo hadn't taken that much of a interest in you, we could've easily disposed of you as it was easy" Ling reminded the young man, supporting Zhong's statement.

As Ichigo stood and heard those words, he looked at the collar and chains around him. He now knew how he currently was in a great disadvantage. "They're right. Even now, I feel like I've grown weaker since I got to this place. But not only that…Zangetsu…..he's also gone…..as are the powers I inherited from mom. This means I'm completely powerless. How the hell am I gonna reclaim my powers now that I'm stuck here!?" Ichigo had his head filled with so many questions and given that he had no answers, it filled him with despair.

"Uh oh. Looks like our guest is breaking down in tears" Zhong spoke up, when realizing how Ichigo was on the verge of crying.

But before he could even let tears fall from his eyes Ling put a hand on Ichigo's shoulder. This made the orange-haired man surprised and he looked at the monkey-eared man dressed like a monk. "Quit quitting, ya lousy twerp! Instead of lamenting how you got here, how about you start seeing what Hell truly is with your own eyes?" he suggested to Ichigo.

In response, Ichigo gently shoved Ling away and moved towards the exit door. "Not a chance! I've already been to Hell before! I know what it looks like! Nothing but pain, suffering and fucked up people! No way I'm wasting time sightseeing!" he retorted and proceeded towards the door.

Zhong crossed his arms while snickering. "Judging a book by its cover, I see" he remarked, not pleased with seeing Ichigo's attitude.

"But are you planning on going outside half-naked?" that question from Xiaodan made Ichigo stop. The female Togabito was holding what appeared to be a set of clothes, which consisted of a black shirt with white stripes. The shirt also had a white slash strapped around the waist. "Honestly, the way you look now almost reminds me of the lesser Togabitos that are slaves. Why don't put these on. Trust me, they're much preferable than to walk around like this" Xiaodan told him.

As much as he wanted to refuse, Ichigo couldn't deny how it would be beneficial to put on some clothes. Without protesting, he grabbed the clothes and got dressed. While they didn't hide his collar, the clothes did in fact minimize the chains. The set of clothes was even accompanied by a pair of white gloves and shoes. At first, Ichigo thought it reminded him of clothes worn by Shinigamis. But suddenly, his mind snapped as old memories came back to haunt him. The clothes he currently wore was nearly identical to the one worn by Kokuto, except for the change of colors and the shirt having both sleeves.

Still, Ichigo knew that from now on, these would be his clothes while in Hell. "Alright. It's better than nothing" he noted while observing his clothes.

Ling rolled his eyes. "Oh please, you should consider yourself lucky that Xiaodan had some spare clothes. In the Diyu Empire, only few get to walk around with clothes like yours" he pointed out to Ichigo.

This caught Ichigo's attention and he eyed Ling warily. "The Diyu Empire? What are you talking about?" he asked him.

"It's the place you're in, genius! This may be a little tavern, but everything outside is under the domain of the Diyu Empire. That's just how things are!" Zhong pointed out to him.

Ichigo could see that the room he was standing in had a balcony, and he rushed to open the doors, hoping to get a clear view of where he was. The moment he stood on the balcony, the orange-haired man was given a terrifying view of where he was.

He was a village with buildings that looked awfully similar to Chinese ones. But what really caught his attention was the enormous mountains in the background, which looked identical to those in Guilin, China. But still, the skies above were darkened and filled with thunders rumbling. Somehow, this looked incredibly different from what Ichigo was used to with Hell.

"This can't be….is this really Hell?" Ichigo wondered, his eyes never leaving sight of the landscape he was seeing before him. "The last time I was in Hell…...none of these mountains even existed!" he added to his disbelief.

"Not what you expected, eh?" Zhong arrogantly asked Ichigo, with him, Ling and Xiaodan joining Ichigo on the balcony. "Well, believe it or not, this is what Hell looks like…...well, maybe not for you, that is" he added.

"But I don't understand! Where are the different levels of Hell? And the Kushanadas? How did they all vanish all of a sudden?" Ichigo was still unable to come to terms with what has happening with Hell.

"Everything here has changed. We Togabitos no longer serve under the Kushanadas. It was said that no Kushanada could ever be killed. But the Eternal Emperor and his allies proved that theory wrong. In time, they managed to enslave all Kushanadas. Now they are being used for all kinds of things in the Diyu Empire, including as labor force" Xiaodan explained everything to Ichigo, who was surprisingly listening to her. "After enslaving the Kushanadas, the Eternal Emperor proceeded to completely change Hell into his own image. He remade everything and abolished the different levels that Togabitos were used to dwell in" she continued informing Ichigo about how Hell became this unfamiliar place.

"This place here is called Huina. It's a fine village in this barren vale. A perfect place to chill if you catch my drift" Zhong explained the name of the village they were in.

Ichigo took those words to heart as he looked out to the landscape. But a part of him was feeling emotionally traumatized by the mention of Wang Yanluo. Even so, he still had enough courage to ask these Togabitos something.

"Who is Wang Yanluo? Is he even a Togabito?" Ichigo questioned them, admitting he wished to learn more about the so-called Eternal Emperor that he had briefly got to know.

"Sorry, man. But that's a question not even we of the Fahai know the answer to. That guy's origins…..is a mystery to all of us" Ling replied.

The orange-haired man nodded his head in understanding. "Alright. So you don't know. But does any of you at least know where he lives?" Ichigo then asked Ling and his comrades.

"He lives in the Diyu Empire's capital city: Youdu. Specifically, he lives in his palace: Shēnyuān" Xiaodan answered, yet she was not yet finished speaking. "However, I recommend you not to go there, Ichigo. That city is not only crawling with lesser Togabitos. It is there where the most powerful ones lives, including the Eternal Emperor's closest advisors: the Liántōng" the red-haired woman told Ichigo.

He was still listening, yet he decided that enough was enough. As such, he entered the room, only to exit it through the door. The three Togabitos followed suit, wondering why he was leaving all of a sudden. Ichigo walked down some stairs, noticing how this building's interior resembled that of what Chinese ones had. Still, he had to be careful. Regardless of these changes, Ichigo was still in Hell. Perhaps he had to see it for himself with his eyes. The moment Ichigo had reached the end of the stairs, he was speechless with what he was seeing.

Apparently, he had entered the tavern's main hall. It had everything, from a bar to many tables. Like the rest of the tavern, the main hall's interior was also Chinese-inspired. But what had really left Ichigo speechless was the ones infesting it. Many Togabitos sat by these tables, each of them coming in different sizes and appearances. Some of them wore similar clothes like Zhong, Ling and Xiaodan, while others were either dressed like they were scavengers or half-naked slaves. As Ichigo stood by himself and watched, all those Togabitos turned to look at him.

The way the Togabitos looked at him made Ichigo feel uncomfortable. The majority of these people seemed hostile towards him. He was expecting them to rise up from their seats and confront him like the petty criminals they were. Yet for some reason, the Togabitos didn't. As the orange-haired man slowly took a step forward, he was soon joined by the three Fahai monks. It was at that moment the Togabitos, who had previously faced at Ichigo suspiciously, resumed with what they were doing before he had come downstairs. This left him confused.

"Yo! What's the big idea walking away from us like that!?" Zhong demanded an answer out of Ichigo, yet he proceeded to continue walking towards the tavern's exit, much to Zhong's irritation. "Tch, talk about some lack of manners" he remarked.

But as Ichigo was on his way out, he was interrupted when someone called out to him. "Well, I see that your guest has awakened, esteemed monks" it came from none other than the bartender himself, who was a small and eccentric man with chains all around his neck. He was specifically addressing the three Togabitos, yet he took an interest to Ichigo as well. The orange-haired man approached the bartender. "Ah, can I help you with something, stranger?" he asked Ichigo.

Knowing that this Togabito could be spoken to without getting glared at, Ichigo decided to try. "Yes. I need to ask something of you. Is there anyplace I can get a weapon or something?" Ichigo asked.

The bartender took his time to think. "Oh goodness, I think this must be your first time visiting Hanui" he replied.

Ichigo was dumbstruck, yet the three members of he Fahai seemed to have the answer he was seeking. "He's right, tough-guy. This village isn't exactly the place where to find a weapon" Ling spoke up his mind.

This made Ichigo irritated at Ling. "Oh yeah, do you know where to find one, monkeyface?" he hit back, much to the Togabito's outrage.

"Monkeyface!? Oh, you're five seconds from getting your sorry ass schooled!" Ling spat out, yet he soon restrained his anger.

Zhong couldn't help but to snicker, given that he found Ichigo's statement hilarious. He even looked at Ling smugly. "Heh! How does it feel to get called what your animal aspect is, asshole!?" he taunted Ling, yet the shaved-haired man was not so quick to anger.

Xiaodan stepped beside Ichigo. "If you want to find a weapon, you should get out of this vale head to the town called Huangfeng. It's a town that lies outside this barren vale. If you just follow the lava river until it's end, you will surely….." as Xiaodan was explaining this, Ichigo had already taken off. He ran out of the tavern and into the village's street. Xiaodan snapped and tried to stop him. "WAIT! I HAVEN'T TOLD YOU WHERE THE WEAPONSMITH SPECIFICALLY…..." the red-haired woman was interrupted by a hand on her shoulder. It belonged to Ling.

"Just let him go, Xiao. There's no point in chasing after him. We made sure that he awoke from whatever trauma the Eternal Emperor caused him. What happens next to that punk now is for him to decide" Ling informed the woman, who was immediately reminded about her duties in the Fahai. "Besides, Yanluo frankly wants that guy to be left on his own. On that way, he may be able to gain his strength and become whatever the hell that perfect weapon is" he added to his observation of Ichigo disappearing into the village.

Xiaodan smiled when hearing this. "Yeah…...I guess you are right" she remarked, realizing the truth in Ling's words.

* * *

 _Somewhere outside the village of Hanui, Diyu Empire_

While Ichigo had been struggling to come to terms with where he had been. Someone had managed to observe him from a far distance in the nearby forest. That's right, despite the vale being desolate, the mountains did have some form of flora. Therefore, they were perfect places to use for lookout, especially the branches on the trees. And right now, three Togabitos had seen Ichigo while he was standing on the tavern's balcony. The female one was a pale-skinned and black-haired Togabito, who wore a black Chinese cape with some markings on it. She seemed to have a gothic appearance, as she even head eyeliners and mascara. But what was also noticeable was the couple of white snakes that hung around her neck like a scarf. In addition to that, this woman even had a snake's tongue and she hissed as well. Who was she.

"Well, what do you know? Looks like the poor Human the Eternal Emperor likes so much was in Hanui. Xiao, Zhong and Ling treated him well. But I can't help but to wonder where he will be going next. What do you think, Ping and Zhen?" the woman wondered while asking her fellow Togabitos, even addressing them by their names.

Ping was the light brown-skinned man with a wild, brown hairstyle orange eyes and a very round and obese body. This indicated that he was indeed fat and he even had a potato nose, as well as piercings on his pointy ears. It made him look like a pig. He wore a kilt of armor, with a large belt holding up by his stomach and black spiked gloves.

"Bah! Why are we even bothering taking an interest in that miserable creature!? After all, he's nothing but a mere Human. And Humans are weaklings!" Ping spoke up, not hiding his distaste for his female comrade taking an interest in Ichigo.

Zhen, the Togabito who stood beside Ping, only shook his head. He was a man wearing black outfit, and a bag akin to that of a wanderer. He held the staff of a monk, and even wore a straw hat. The straw hat made it impossible for anyone to see the Togabito's eyes, but his mouth and chin could be seen.

"I wouldn't underestimate this Ichigo Kurosaki if I were you, Ping. You know what he truly was. He was perhaps the most powerful military asset the Soul Society and the 13 Court Guard Squads had. But yet, even he was not strong enough to defeat Yhwach. And thus, he is here in Hell completely powerless" Zhen spoke up, trying to bring some senses into Ping. But the Togabito with the straw hat turned his attention towards the woman. "From what I can gather, he seems to be heading towards Huangfeng. Shall we play with him, Daiyu?" he asked the pale-skinned woman, who was playing with her snakes.

"Tempting, but no. Why would I fight someone who's incredibly weak and unable to even sense a Spiritual Pressure? Yes, that would be easily boring to me" Daiyu answered, yet a smug smile crept on her lips. "Still, I just have this feeling in my gut telling me to help him in getting stronger. Yes, perhaps that could be beneficial. After all, it is what the Eternal Emperor wants: to make Ichigo Kurosaki his ultimate weapon, similar to how the Soul Society did" she then remarked, thinking about a mischievous plan.

Ping snorted at her in return. "Oh please, as if that wimp will wanna date a demented woman such as…." Ping stopped once he could see Daiyu glaring daggers at him. "Okay. I was only being sarcastic towards ya!" he insisted to her, much to Daiyu's satisfaction.

"Now then" Zhen spoke up as he held onto his straw hat. "If we are so determined to go and see this boy becoming a weapon, why don't we go and observe it with our own eyes?" he suggested to his comrades.

Daiyu seemed very pleased with that question. "With pleasure, Zhen" she told him in return.

And so, the chapter of Hell began. the part where Ichigo, now trapped in a world of agony, needed to come to terms with this new life of his. But would he be stuck in this place forever? Something would never last forever.

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Author's note: That was the first chapter after taking a hiatus from the series. In this story, Hell and the Togabitos have a Chinese motif. And the culture of the Diyu Empire is inspired by Ancient China and its dynasties. Some of the places, villages and towns will have names similar to real-life locations in China. But bear in mind, that I plan on writing the chapters of this story in the pace I want to. No one else will get to decide what I will do. Now as for the next chapters, they will be focused on Ichigo, especially on how he copes with being sent to Hell. I haven't forgotten his vendetta towards Yhwach. That will be one of his main motivations for staying alive in Hell. I don't know how to begin with Ichigo's friends. But all I can tell is that Uryu is with his father Ryuken in Wahrwelt. Orihime and Chad are with the Shinigamis, but where they are specifically, I will not yet reveal. And of course, I want to give Yhwah almost much as the attention, but I also plan on delving into some of the Sonneritters, such as Toshiro, Kensei and Rose. I will write down their motivations for rejecting the Court Guard and accepting Yhwah as their Soul King. And as for Aizen, he will also have a role to play. But bear in mind that since there are more powerful characters like Yhwach, Wang Yanluo and Augustus Zod Allowin, Aizen is no longer the powerful villain. But I want him and Yhwach to have a duel. Until we meet again, thank you for reading this chapter.**

 **Now here is a new term that we learned while reading this chapter.**

 **Nóng – That's a Chinese (Mandarin) slur for people with lower status, specifically towards those born into poverty. Given that the Diyu Empire are driven by people who claim themselves to be of nobility, other Togabitos, like Kokuto and others, are considered to be nothing but peasants. As such, they are referred to as nóng.**


	52. A Better Life

**Author's note: This chapter will continue Ichigo's journey in Hell, as well as reveal something dramatic and awe-inspiring. When writing this chapter, I was inspired by a song from Dream Theatre, in which I named this chapter after. This chapter will focus on how Ichigo is struggling to come to terms with the fact that he is powerless in Hell. But on the other hand, I do not wish to make him completely weak. Anyway, enjoy this chapter that will continue Ichigo's existence in Hell. For those of you who haven't read the previous chapter, I advise you to do that. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 52: A Better Life**

 _In a valley, somewhere in the Diyu Empire, Hell_

Having just awakened to realize where he was, Ichigo had been forced to come to terms with the fact that he was now stuck in Hell. Being in small village called Huina, Ichigo had learned about a certain town that housed a weaponsmith who could potentially give him a weapon. Now that Ichigo was without a Zanpakutou, the young man needed anything he could get his hands on. As such, he had left Huina and was now on his way towards the town called Huangfeng. To get there, Ichigo just needed to follow the lava river until he reached its end. It was there he would find whoever that weaponsmith was.

Before leaving the village, Ichigo had managed to meet three peculiar Togabitos, who seemed vastly different from the ones he had encountered in the past. They were members of an order of monks called the Fahai, who were considered to be the top soldiers in the Diyu Empire's army, also known as the Yíngpán. While he hadn't even expressed his gratitude towards them for treating him, Ichigo still felt like he couldn't trust anyone in this forgotten realm. From now on, he was all alone.

Wandering the road while feeling the winds blowing above him, Ichigo could not help but to think of the situation he found himself in. He thought about everything he had done up until now, specifically his fight against Yhwach. And now he had learned the fact that the Quincy Emperor had struck a deal with the ruler of the Diyu Empire: Wang Yanluo. The demonic Togabito now held his soul to this realm. He could not escape. Deep down inside, Ichigo felt his hope vanish into thin air.

"All hope is lost…I almost feel…nothing" Ichigo thought, continuing to walk as if he had to. But even though he felt lost, Ichigo still harbored one thing: hatred towards Yhwach. "Bastard…you took everything from me…..." he then recalled the many atrocities the Quincy had done to him.

Ichigo looked at the collar that hung around his neck. Seeing this made Ichigo feel like he was captured. He still had nightmares of when Wang Yanluo pulled him up from the boneyard and held him as if he was a powerless doll. Ichigo tried his best to forget it all, but it was no use. As long as he was in Hell, nightmares would become a reality.

"All these feelings…they mean nothing to me now…but what about those people I care about…...Dad…...Yuzu…Karin…..Orihime….Chad….Rukia….Renji…." Ichigo kept thinking about the people he deeply cared about. But his list of friends was longer than that. Ichigo knew that, but at the moment, those people were the ones he kept thinking about.

Ichigo could see that he was now entering what appeared to be a bamboo forest. Still, the lava river ran through out, so there was no way Ichigo could go back. He had to proceed, hoping reach his destination as quick as possible. But then again, Ichigo had himself no idea how long this trip to Huangfeng would take.

As he walked, Ichigo could feel how different this environment was from the open field he had previously been in. While there was surprisingly flora from the bamboo trees, the ground itself was unfertile. Still, Ichigo did his best not to let his guard down.

"Damn it…I have this feeling in my gut telling me that I'm not alone here, yet I still can't sense any Spiritual Pressure…..." Ichigo cursed, feeling slightly distressed with the situation he was in right now.

Still, he proceeded to follow the road, making sure that he still could see the river of lava, given how thick this bamboo forest surprisingly was. Ichigo never looked back, since he kept facing forward.

But it was in that moment the orange-haired man could hear laughs coming to him from all directions. This made him stop, as well as looking around his surroundings. But he couldn't spot a soul in the bamboo forest.

"Who's there? Show yourselves!" Ichigo demanded from whoever those people were.

"Well, what do you know, fellas! This kid's got balls to be actin' all tough an' shit!" a male voice could be heard to Ichigo's left.

"It's obvious, he's completely distressed by now. I mean, I can even hear him breathing from my location" a female voice could be heard, and it came with a giggle.

"But like, doesn't that mean we have to like, make things scarier for him?" another male voice came, except for the fact that it sounded quite metrosexual.

"Shut up, queer! You're ruinin' everything!" the angry male voice came back this time insulting the one with the metrosexual voice.

"Don't tell me to like, shut up! And for the record, this realm is like, the most pro-LGBT in the world, silly goof!" the funny voice came again.

A sigh coming from the female voice could be heard. "Really, guys? You're gonna argue right when there's a target in front of us!?" the female voice called out to whoever her comrades were.

Ichigo scowled in irritation with what he was hearing. "What the hell's all this about?" he wondered, feeling more than willing to simply run away. "Screw this! I'm outta here!" he said and started running, not caring about this argument that was taking place.

But those who were watching Ichigo caught wind of him escaping. "You guys! He's getting away!" she called out to her partners.

"Hah! Not on our watch! Let's get him!" the male voice came back urging his comrades to go after Ichigo.

While Ichigo was running through the bamboo forest, he could see that there were few people following him from each side and behind him. From what the young man could tell, they were trying to corner him. Ichigo became frustrated.

"Bastards…what do you want from me!?" he asked loudly, wanting to know why these people were so bent on chasing after him.

"Why? Son, you can't expect us to let someone of high status such as you walk away from us!" the male voice came back to haunt Ichigo. "And right now, you're in our territory! Which means you ain't leavin' until we get everything we ask for!" the voice added.

Ichigo wanted to ask what that meant, but he was stopped once the three people suddenly appeared right before him, thus blocking the way. He stopped, gritting his teeth while watching what appeared to be three Togabitos. These ones however were dressed similar to Kokuto, Shuren and other Togabitos he had fought in the past. The one in the middle was a tall and muscular tan-skinned man with long, blonde mane and moustache. He was dressed in a white bodysuit, yet he wore a black cloak around it. The other was a man, except that he was smaller and scrawnier. He wore a white bodysuit, yet was also known to have chains wrapped around his entire body, almost like a v-string swimsuit. While the sides of his head were shaved, his top had some tints of black hair. He also wore silver earrings. The female member of the trio was a brown-skinned woman with her curly hair tied into hair rings. She was wearing a white bodysuit like some Togabitos were, except that her stomach and navel were exposed.

"Who the hell are you!?" Ichigo demanded an answer from them once again.

The leader in the middle grinned. "Oh, you know who we are. We're from the Zhù Triads. And you're in OUR home, as a matter of fact. The name's Banzai!" he introduced himself.

But his female comrade simply watched him with a raised eyebrow. "The "Zhù Triads", you say? Since when did we ever become a triad?" she asked him, feeling doubtful of what her leader did.

Banzai angrily glared at the young girl. "Shut yer trap, Fukuryu! I'm tryin' to tell this fool here that we mean business!" he berated the girl while addressing her by her name.

But their scrawny partner only groaned in irritation. "Dude, this is like, so out of our league!" he expressed his opinion with what he was seeing.

"And you Kagema, you also need to quit jabberin'! It's startin' to make my ears bleed!" Banzai told him and quickly looked back to Ichigo, grinning beneath his moustache as he did that. "Where were we? Oh right! The part where we ask while you comply! Now, hand over your valuables!" the blonde-haired Togabito demanded.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at them in return. "And what if I refuse?" he lowly responded.

The trio of Togabitos all laughed at how tough Ichigo was trying to act before them. They didn't know how someone like him could have the audacity to do this. Hoping to make him change his mind, they each drew out what appeared to be their weapons. Banzai carried what appeared to be a Chinese dao, Fukuryu had a bow and a quiver of arrows, and Kagemo had what appeared to be a chain whip.

"Trust me, pal. You really don't wanna know the answer to that" Banzai spoke up smugly, this time trying to really get under the skin of Ichigo. "So I'm gonna say this just one more time. Cough up your valuables, or else you…" the muscular man was interrupted by an angry Ichigo.

"I don't have any valuables!" Ichigo roared, thus shutting Banzai up. "Look, I don't know who you guys are or what you're after, but I have no beef with you! So do me a favor and leave me the hell alone!" the orange-haired man unleashed his rage towards the trio.

The Togabitos were slightly surprised by how tough Ichigo was acting. "Oh my gosh, this man really is a stubborn one" Kagema remarked as he moved his chain whip a little. "Like, what's your name, dude?" he then asked Ichigo.

"It's none of your damn business! Now move!" Ichigo said and he proceeded to launch himself upon the trio, resorting to only use his fists. Roaring, he charged towards them.

But before he could land an attack on either of them, the three Togabitos vanished before him. This forced Ichigo to stop, seeing that they had vanished several feet away from him. For some reason, this reminded Ichigo about the Shunpo the Shinigamis used and the Hirekiyaku used by Quincies. Was this a similar technique used by Togabitos? Most likely.

"They vanished so quickly…shit!" Ichigo cursed with what he saw.

But on the other hand, Banzai smirked as he watched Ichigo's reaction. "What's wrong? Never seen someone perform a Zouguò before? Heh, I bet you're not from around here!" he spoke up while brandishing his dao.

Fukuryu aimed her bow and arrow at Ichigo. "Isn't it the time we get serious now? Come on, it's obvious he won't be handing over his valuables so easily" the girl told her partners.

"Oh, you betcha! Now let's get this party started!" Banzai said and he proceeded to charge towards Ichigo, who was too slow to react. "Prepare to bleed, upper class scumbag!" he yelled as he swung his dao.

Before Ichigo even knew it, he could feel his left hip getting slashed and it was quite critical. He was bleeding and it affected his new clothes. "AARGHHH!" the orange-haired man held onto his injured hip, while being forced to his knees. "Damn it! Why does this injury cause so much pain inside me!?" he wondered.

Banzai turned around, grinning sadistically as he held the bleeding dao in his hand. "One slash and you're down to your knees already? Man, you're weak as hell!" he insulted Ichigo.

As Ichigo was trying to figure out how to get away, he failed to take notice of an incoming arrow to his right. It pierced straight into his right arm, causing the young man to experience more agony. He looked to that direction and realized that it was Fukuryu who had fired that arrow. She smiled at him mischievously.

"Oops, that arrow was meant for your head, but it hit your arm instead. I need to work on my archery skills" the Togabito girl remarked and she reached for another arrow on her quiver. "But this time, I won't miss!" Fukuryu added.

But the Human was in for another shocking experience of pain. Ichigo suddenly found his entire face tied by the chain whip belonging to Kagema. The chains tightened around him and Ichigo felt his entire face getting pierced. Blood was even running from his face.

Although he was doing something horrendous to Ichigo, Kagema simply watched him nonchalantly as if it didn't bother him at all. He even sighed as if he was bored. "You guys are like, so wasting your time! I'll just put this guy out of his misery myself!" he told them, having no remorse for his actions.

Ichigo yelled in pain as the chain whip began tightening itself around his head. He could feel the blood cover his eyes. But although he was in pain, Ichigo still had some thoughts within him. They were filled with so much anger and resentment. These thoughts kept begging Ichigo to unleash his anger and thus revealing his true power. He knew what he had to do now. In Hell, there was no other way than to survive…..or not.

"No…..I can't die…I won't die…I must not die…I DON'T WANNA DIE!" Ichigo yelled and something happened with his face. It was his Hollow mask manifesting itself, much to the surprise of not just the trio of Togabitos, but to Ichigo himself. "No…..NO…..HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE!?" he screamed, but it was already too late.

A burst of powerful red energy suddenly appeared in the bamboo forest and Banzai and his partners were sent a few meters away. They all eyed at this transformation in awe, given that they may have not seen the likes of this before. Soon, the bright crimson light disappeared and the Togabitos were shocked with what they were seeing.

"What in tarnation…..." Banzai wondered as he watched what had become of Ichigo.

Indeed, Ichigo had succumbed to his Inner Hollow, also known as Zangetsu. This form was the same he had been when he had battled Ulquirra Cifer in Hueco Mundo, as well as Kokuto in Hell. Even though two years had passed, Ichigo still looked the same in that form. Hs long, orange hair, his Hollow hole on his chest, as well as the two white horns hanging on his transformed skull.

Both Fukuryu and Kagema were trembling with fear in what they were seeing. "Umm, boss? I think we've made a mistake in provoking this fellow" Fukuryu expressed her worries.

"Yeah, I like, so agree with her!" Kagema said in agreement.

Banzai couldn't understand why his partners were so afraid. "Why are you getting your panties in a twist!? Its nothin' but a goddamn Hollow!" he berated them both.

Kagema was feeling really angered by Banzai's attitude. "Don't you get it!? This was the same thing that almost tore Kokuto to shreds! And the guy who's underneath it…Ichigo Kurosaki or whatever…he's a dangerous creature!" he exclaimed while hiding behind Banzai.

"Tch! You are both full of bullshit! No way this thing right here is some guy named Ichigo Kurosaki!" Banzai snapped and proceeded to charge towards Ichigo's Hollowfied form. "And I'm gonna prove it by stabbing this motherfucker!" he roared, preparing to attack.

Ichigo stood still, not moving a muscle as he did that. But before Banzai could even slash his target, Ichigo vanished. This stopped the Togabito and he wondered where he could have gone. Before he could figure it out, he felt himself getting pierced by Ichigo. All that he used was his right hand. The view was shocking for Fukuryu and Kagema to see.

"BOSS!" Fukuryu screamed and she decided the best thing to do was running away. "LET'S GET OUTTA HERE!" she then said while having tears in her eyes.

But Ichigo caught wind of her move. Tossing Banzai like he was a dead prey, the Hollowfied man sprinted towards the young Togabito and actually gored her with one of his horns like a bull. This only forced Fukuryu to freeze, seeing how she could feel the horn pierce through her body. She couldn't move.

Kagema was horrified by what he witnessed. "FUKURYUUUU!" he screamed and decided to use his chain whip in hopes of getting Fukuryu off Ichigo. "You let her go, you cold-hearted monster!" he exclaimed while swinging his weapon out of desperation.

The chain whip did in fact strike Ichigo, yet it did not injure him. Pulling himself out of Fukuryu's body, the Hollowfied man turned his attention towards the Togabito that had dared attacking him. When Kagema tried to swing his chain whip once again, Ichigo grabbed it and drew so that he was sent flying to him. With a powerful kick to Kagema's head, he was sent crashing through the bamboo trees.

Standing still, Ichigo let out a powerful howl that sent a shockwave throughout the bamboo forest, even bringing down some of the trees. Banzai and his partners were all devastated by how powerful Ichigo had become. The long-haired man had blood running from his lips, yet still possessed the ability to speak.

"Damn! I'd never imagined that this would ever happen! It looks like we really made ourselves to be the prey this time!" Banzai said, yet he and his fellow Togabitos soon noticed Ichigo preparing something with the help of his horns. It was something red and powerful. "You're shitting me! Is that a Cero he's preparin'!?" he loudly asked while being joined by both Fukuryu and Kagema.

"Who cares about what that is!? We must like, get outta here before he releases that thing upon us!" Kagema told his boss.

"Yeah! Screw searching for any valuables! If we stick here longer, we'll be dead!" Fukuryu joined in.

Knowing better than to let Ichigo be the death of them, the Zhù Triads immediately fled from Ichigo as quickly as they could. But could they escape him? He was now preparing to fire a powerful Cero that would reduce the entire bamboo forest into a barren wasteland. Ichigo was willing to do that…or was he?

Before the Hollowfied man could even fire his destructive beam upon the fleeing Togabitos, something surprisingly happened with his skull. It cracked! And there was not just a crack. More cracks appeared throughout the mask and body. One by one, pieces of the Hollowfication fell onto the ground, thus paving way for the unordinary. Ichigo was managing to break free of this level without getting assistance. He did that all by himself. Soon, the Cero that Ichigo had previously made disintegrated. Ichigo soon found himself return back to normal.

Once every sign of Hollowfication was gone, Ichigo fell onto his knees, breathing deeply as his entire body trembled with exhaustion. He faced the ground as he dug his fingers into it.

"What happened to me? I don't understand! Back in the Royal Realm…Yhwach completely sucked out my powers, including Zangetsu! Yet I still managed to Hollowfy unwillingly! What has gone wrong!?" Ichigo was thinking as he tried his best to recall what had just happened with him. As he got the picture, everything started to get more confusing to the young man. But at the same time, he came to realize something that had happened. "Could it be that…...Yhwach only took back my manifested Quincy powers? If not, why else would my Hollow power remain intact!?" Ichigo began realizing something related to his powers.

Slowly getting up to his feet, Ichigo tried to change focus. He wanted to continue the journey, yet the young man looked around to see where the Togabitos he had encountered had gone. They were completely out of his sights.

"Looks like I'm all alone now. Those Togabitos I encountered seem to have disappeared. But I couldn't have possibly killed them" he noted, only to realize that the wounds he had sustained was completely healed. "My hip, as well as my face and my right arm…...they're healed!" Ichigo was in disbelief with what he was seeing.

Realizing that there was nothing left for him to do in the bamboo forest, Ichigo continued on his way by following the nearby river of lava. Hopefully, he would reach wherever Huangfeng lied in this unknown realm. But as he wandered, a part of him felt worried about how his Inner Hollow was slowly starting to get into his head once again.

"I know how Hell itself can affect my Inner Hollow. But is it really trying to take control over me once again? No, I refuse to believe that. It sounds absurd" Ichigo thought as he kept walking, soon exiting the bamboo forest.

While Ichigo had left the bamboo forest, the Zhù Triads were still inside and licking their wounds. Banzai, Fukuryu and Kagema each tried to recover themselves from critical injuries they received from the Hollowfied Ichigo. Breathing deeply, they took their time to assess the episode they had gotten themselves into.

"Holy smokes, we were THIS close to being exterminated by a rogue Hollow!" Banzai said, although he kept coughing up some blood as he opened his mouth.

Fukuryu angrily glared at her boss in return. "And whose fault do you think that is, boss!? I'll give you a hint: he's got a big moustache, big size and a big ego!" the girl told him.

Hearing this made Banzai gasp slightly. "You're sayin' it's my fault!? Not a chance, Fukuryu!" the long-haired Togabito hit back.

"Wow, you're like, SO mature right now, Banzai! I mean, would it kill to show some humility at once!?" the metrosexual man complained about his leader's antics.

Resisting the agony, Banzai got up on his feet, barley taking steps as he tried to get a move on. His partners were completely dumbfounded by how their supposed "leader" had the strength to even do such.

"Well, best get back to Cháoxué to recuperate! First round is on me!" he told them.

Hearing this made both Fukuryu and Kagema happy and they followed their leader joyfully. "You really have no idea how I've been waiting for you to say that, right?" Hon spoke up, trying to act cool with Banzai, much to the annoyance of Kagema. But Banzai never responded, something which Fukuryu was completely cool with. "No response, huh? Perfect. I could use a break from listening to you yapping all day and night" the brown-skinned girl thought.

And so, the Zhù Triad retrteated deeper into the bamboo forest, although they were heading towards this mysterious place called Cháoxué. Where that place could be found, only they knew.

* * *

 _Outside a monastery, a town high on a mountain_

There were many towns and villages in the Diyu Empire, but there was one town in particular that was unique with regards to infrastructure. This town was called Shanheng, and it was built in a mountain. This mountain was perhaps not the highest, yet it was still tall enough to admire. But the reason why this town was famous was due to the location of the Fahai Monastery. It was a sight to behold, as the monastery closely resembled the real-life Tiger's Nest in Paro, Bhutan.

That only confirmed the fact that the town was the main hub of activity for the Fahai. In the monastery, they would often have summits whenever it was to discuss important matters related to the affairs of the Diyu Empire. Otherwise, they mostly spent their time in the capital city of Youdu.

In Shanheng, people were busy with whatever business they did. Shopkeepers were trying to lure customers to them, hoping that they would earn much for what was being sold. The majority of the people in this town were noblemen, which explained why they had enough money to buy from the shops.

However, two members of the Fahai were now observing the busy marketplace from the rooftop of a tower. The first one was a spikey grey-haired man with bright eyes dressed in a black and white traditional Chinese outfit. In some ways, this Togabito's characteristics resembled that of a big cat, specifically a tiger. The one sitting beside him was a young woman with long, brown hair and yellow eyes. She wore a black Chinese dress with white markings and wore white earrings. From the looks of it, it would seem the two Togabitos were having some kind of competition.

"Looks like I win this time, Ying" the man told his fellow member of the Fahai with a mischievous grin.

The woman named Ying only slumped her face in return. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Jiang! We both know that I made it to this stinking tower before you did" she hit back at her comrade, who seemed to take fun in this.

Rolling his eyes, the man named Jiang decided to let her win. "Alright. Then I take back what I said just now. You win this race" he conceded, although he did that out of playfulness.

"Glad to hear it" Ying responded gleefully.

The two Togabitos decided to sit down, so that they could be given the view of the vale beneath them. It was terrific…..by Togabito's standards, of course. As a matter of fact, they considered the crimson red sky with thunder as beauty. That was what they defined it.

"So, any news from the capital, so far? I mean, things have been quiet since all this Hell getting linked to the Soul Society occurred" Ying questioned as she looked out at the view.

Jiang looked at her in surprise, yet he decided he had to answer her, given how close they were as comrades. "Well, from what our scouts stationed on Màncháng says, everything is fine. No sign of enemies, Quincies or Arrancars. Still, this doesen't mean that the threat is far from over. You heard what happened with the Seretei, right?" he answered what he knew while reminding Ying about the important events had members of the Fahai had been informed of.

"Sure, I do. But I heard that there were some survivors that managed to make it out alive. Even so, the 13 Court Guard Squad's power and political influence has greatly diminished. From now on, the Wandenreich are the ones to control the Soul Society" Ying said, recalling what she had heard about the takeover of the Soul Society by the Quincies.

"Yes. And that means every denizens of the Soul Society are now worshipping and accepting Yhwach as their Soul King. Only a few rebels do exist. But they are completely leaderless" Jiang spoke up, aggreging with his fellow member of the Fahai. "Oh, that reminds me. What do you know about this Human the Eternal Emperor is so interested in?" the spikey-haired man then asked Ying.

Ying responded by shaking her head slightly. "Search me. But I do know that he himself came and looked for that Human in a boneyard. But where he could be now, I'm not so sure" she said while relaxing.

Jiang, who also felt the need to relax, laid beside Ying. The two friends were so close that some Togabitos often mistook them for a couple. However, neither Jiang nor Ying considered them as such. They preferred to be called good friends instead.

Now as they were relaxing, the loud sound coming from a drum could be heard in a nearby tower. Soon, they also heard what appeared to be a gong. The two friends knew what those instruments signalized.

Jiang stood up and looked down at the marketplace. "I don't believe it! It's been a while since Shanheng has been visited by one of the Liántōng! I wonder who it could be!" he exclaimed, feeling very excited to see who it was.

Ying, however, seemed less than enthusiastic about this. "Tch, great! And just when I thought we would get some relaxation for a while!" the brown-haired woman groaned as she stood up. "Whoever it is, this visit best not take long! I'm not in the mood for any discussion or whatever" she added to her opposition.

Her partner simply brushed off her complaints. "No need to fret, Ying. We'll find out as soon as we're there. Now let's head back to the Fahai Monestary and see who it is" Jiang told her and the two Togabitos vanished with the help of Zouguò.

The two friends found themselves standing in the monastery's entrance, waiting for their visitors to arrive. They could hear all the cheers and praises happening out in the town. But soon, they came closer to the monastery. Both members of the Fahai were stunned to see that there were actually two members of the Liántōng that had arrived on riding dark horses with crimson flames, which was reminiscent of nightmares. Behind them came soldiers of the Imperial Army, also known as the Yíngpán. The two hellish creatures stopped and their riders got off.

The first Togabito was a man with thick, black beard and dressed in red armor, as if he was a Chinese general. His skin was brown and he seemed quite tall. His weapon of choice was that of a halberd. The other one was a young man dressed in golden armor and having his black hair tied into a topknot. These people were indeed powerful, as their Spiritual Pressures were humongous.

Jiang and Ying were both kneeling before them, yet they did look up to greet them formally. "Hail, Guan Gong: the Eternal Emperor's Left Hand" Jiang spoke up.

"And hail to you, Cheng Nezha: the Eternal Emperor's Left Eye" Ying said, making sure that both Togabitos were greeted with the dignity they so deserved.

So far, neither Gong nor Nezha were smiling. Each of them wore deep frowns as if they were unsatisfied for some reason, which neither of the monks could grasp what it was.

"What is the meaning of this!? Why are you two the only ones to come forth and greet us? Explain yourselves, Jiang the Lightning Tiger and Ying the Wind Eagle" Gong asked them, although he was demanding an answer at the same time.

Only Jiang seemed to have the guts to answer. "I do not quite follow you, my lord. Could you perhaps be more…" Jiang was interrupted when Nezha stepped forward to talk.

"You know very well what he's asking. Whenever we come to visit this monastery, all members of the Fahai are obligated to be present and receive us. But it would seem to me that all of you have scattered around to do your own things as usual" Nezha explained sternly, his voice not filled with any pleasantries.

While Jiang remained calm in face of this, Ying had enough guts to speak her mind. "Well, excuse us for not being able to organize meetings given that the Eternal Emperor favors you above anything else!" she expressed her views of the group of Wang Yanluo's most trusted advisors.

Nezha stared at her with dispassion, yet Gong was filled with resentment in what he heard the young woman say. He even brandished his halberd, ready to attack her at any minute.

"Hold your tongue, woman. Otherwise, I will chop off your head!" the thick-bearded man warned the monk, having no remorse with the kind of language he was using when addressing his "subordinate".

Ying's eyes narrowed, and she even found herself gritting her teeth. Deep down inside, she knew that she had no chance against someone as powerful as Guan Gong. As brutish and impulsive as he could be, he was among the strongest in the Liántōng. But who the strongest among them was….Ying wasn't certain. But at the very least, the young woman knew Yanluo was more powerful. Hoping to not escalate the situation, Ying lowered her head once again.

"Forgive me, my lord. I humbly withdraw what I just said" Ying told the brutish man.

Despite hearing the apology, Gong was not satisfied. As a matter of fact, it only increased the aggressiveness and impatience that lived within him. "A mere apology is not enough! I demand more compensation!" Gong said, only to be blocked by the left hand of Nezha.

The young man with the golden armor shook his head at him, encouraging his accomplice not to make a scene, especially since their leader was potentially watching them. After all, there existed rumors that Yanluo was using all members of the Liántōng as his extra eyes and ears! Everything they did, he would know of. Therefore, it was safe to say that they were bound to the Eternal Emperor.

Reluctantly, Gong calmed himself. Nezha then returned his attention to the two monks before him. "Now then. Since not everyone of the Fahai are present, it would seem to me that your summit will have to wait" he told them, much to the curiosity of the two Togabitos.

"A summit? What do you mean, Lord Nezha?" Jiang asked him politely.

"By imperial edict, the Fahai are to have its own summit in the monastery. The Eternal Emperor has decided that the time to elect a leader of this order has come. He wants the Fahai to have a leader for the upcoming invasion. That is the message me and Gong came here to deliver" Nezha informed the two monks, who were stunned by this announcement.

"A leader?" Ying herself couldn't grasp what she was hearing.

"I….I didn't realize…." Jiang spoke up, his mind already filled with so many questions.

Gong grunted in response. "Well, now you folks know it. And that's why we want all members of the Fahai to gather and begin electing their leader. But instead, I now see that you're all running off doing nothing but being lazy! Now, I can really understand why the Eternal Emperor himself want a leader in your group. It's so disorganized!" the bearded man complained while feeling tired of explaining things.

As much as Ying and Jiang wanted to protest, they refrained from doing so. Yes, they knew better than to make someone like Guan Gong angry.

"Then me and Ying best head out and search for the remaining….." Jiang was stopped by Nezha.

"No need for you to waste time wandering off. We happen to have the perfect messengers" he told him and started whistling loudly while facing the reddened skies above them.

Above the entrance, a group of flying creatures that resembled gargoyles could be seen in the crimson skies. They had the same skulls as those of Kushanadas. The reason was because of the fact that these creatures were often called Flying Kushanadas. Like their humongous and flightless counterparts, the Flying Kushanadas used to punish Tohabitos and keep them in Hell for eternity. Yet along with many other creatures inhabiting this unforgiving realm, they pledged themselves to the Diyu Empire and its tyrannical ruler. Now, they served as scouts, messengers and aerial assault in the service of Yanluo.

"Find and locate every member of the Fahai in the Diyu Empire. Deliver them this message! Such is the will of the Eternal Emperor!" Nezha commanded the flying creatures and they immediately flew into different directions, hoping to find the missing monks.

Gong, who felt like there was nothing left for him and Nezha to do, went back to his horse and mounted it. His younger accomplice did the same thing. "Come, Nezha! There's nothing left for us to do in this blasted town. We best return back to Shēnyuān and inform the Eternal Emperor about everything" he told the young man, who didn't seem to give him much thought.

"He is probably already aware of it, that I am sure of" Nezha assured Gong, yet he took one last glance at the two monks before them. "You know what must be done. Make sure you have chosen a leader before the summit in Shēnyuān. We will let you know when the time is right. And when we come back here next time, all of the Fahai MUST be present. That is an order" the man in the golden armor said before he began the first move by riding his hellish horse into the town. Gong followed him suit, and they were followed by the soldiers.

Now that, they were both alone by themselves, Jiang and Ying decided to have their own talk with how they would proceed next with this summit in the Fahai Monastery. But first, Ying couldn't help but to openly express her distaste of the two men that had just visited them.

"Argh! Those two are nothing but a huge pain in my ass! If only I was powerful enough to beat some respect into them! And I still don't get how Xiaodan can have feelings for an arrogant jerk such as Cheng Nezha!" the female Togabito didn't hold back her ranting.

In response, Jiang couldn't help but to laugh. "Don't worry, you're the only one who feels this way. I mean, just look at Xuannü, Khuan and Kai. They also think of them as nothing but nuisances. And I bet even Yanluo himself does it too!" the spikey-haired man tried to reassure his friend.

Ying had to giggle in hearing this. "Perhaps you're right. Thanks for saying that, Jiang. I don't know what I would've done without you" she told him.

"Maybe you would've ended up being such a sourpuss throughout the ages" Jiang jokingly said, only to be met with a death glare by Ying. "Relax, I was only being sarcastic. I think you're fine just the way you are" he then complimented her, much to Ying's satisfaction.

* * *

 _Somewhere in the desolated areas of the Diyu Empire_

After experiencing a brief yet unfortunate episode in a bamboo forest, Ichigo had continued his journey to the town of Huangfeng. He was following the river of lava, just like he had been told back in Huina. But even though he was under no threat so far, Ichigo was still haunted by the recent episode in the bamboo forest. His Inner Hollow had taken over his body and almost succeeded in decimating the three Togabitos he had come into conflict with.

Due to the immense pressure in his head, Ichigo decided to sit for a while. He found what appeared to be a pillar standing alongside the road. Leaning against it, Ichigo soon let himself fall onto the ground. He was not tired or hungry, yet he felt the need to relax, given this traumatic moment he currently found himself in. Ichigo looked up to the skies. It remained unchanged. This only made him slightly loose hope in finding Huangfeng. He felt as if he had been walking around in circle.

"I don't know which way I'm going. But what can I do? In Hell…..I'm all by myself!" Ichigo lamented and faced his lap with despairing eyes. In fact, he felt himself growing tired and closed his eyes as a result. "I can't believe I'm saying this…..but I wish I could just close my eyes and open them…..so that everything would go away!" he silently pleaded, tears slowly starting to fall from his closed eyes.

"What's the matter, Ichigo? Why are you crying like some pussy?" this familiar voice made Ichigo open his eyes and he looked around to see who it was that had called out to him. To his surprise, he saw none. That could only mean one thing. This was the work of his Inner Hollow.

"Zangetsu…what are you…..." Ichigo asked, yet he was immediately given a response. And it came in the form of a chuckle.

"Now this is a surprise. It's probably the first time you refer to me as Zangetsu. How very quaint of you to say, Ichigo" his Inner Hollow spoke once again, as a means of being impressed by Ichigo.

"But I don't understand….back in the Royal Realm….when I remade my Zanpakutou…..I merged both you and Old Man Zangetsu into one entity. And during my fight against Yhwach…..he supposedly took my powers away from me…." Ichigo spoke up, the young man still unable to come to terms with this.

"You stupid, little punk. Didn't that old bastard ever tell you? He just wanted to get back your so-called powers, more specifically your Quincy-powers. Yhwach was never interested in acquiring me. As you may know, Hollows are nothing but poison to Quincy" the voice invaded Ichigo's thoughts once again, this time revealing something very interesting.

While he was listening to what was being said, Ichigo still felt a little lost. Even so, this was still his Zanpakutou spirit, so Ichigo could trust him…to an extent.

"So that means now that we're in Hell…...only you are what's left in me?" Ichigo noted, yet he still realized something terrible. "But wait a second! If you're still inside me, why isn't my Zanpakutou with me!?" the orange-haired man demanded an answer.

Once again, the laughter appeared before Ichigo. But something else did too. Looking up, he could see something approach him. It was Zangetsu, his Zanpakutou spirit. He looked virtually identical to Ichigo, yet he was having this smug and psychotic grin that never faded away. Ichigo froze, unable to even move a muscle. Something was not right here.

"Zangetsu…no…...I'm tired of this! Who are you really!?" Ichigo demanded an answer out of his Inner Hollow and he stopped, standing before Ichigo and facing him down. "You may be my Zanpakutou spirit…..but you still are of Hollow-roots. So just tell me, who exactly are you!? ANSWER ME!" the young man was filled with distress and confusion at the same time.

Zangetsu still grinned, yet he began moving his hand to his face slowly. "You wanna know? Well, I guess now that the cat's out of the bag….it wouldn't hurt to let you in on a secret. So tell me, Ichigo. Do you recall the story that your father told you? About this Hollow called White?" he asked Ichigo, yet the young man was now starting to realizing something terrible. Was it just his imagination or was his Inner Hollow's voice beginning to change? Either way, it filled Ichigo with nothing but chills down his spine. "You, your, and even that fool Otetsu Nimaiya all assumed that I was just a mere Hollow created by Sosuke Aizen based upon a Shinigami's soul….but that's nothing but blatant lies and deceits. My very existence predates to Aizen even being born!" he spoke, once again his voice changing.

Slowly, Zangetsu began to actually remove his face, as if it was nothing but paper. And it wasn't just this face. Even his white shihakusho was torn off, thus revealing something horrific. Out from the torn off face emerged what appeared to be a face of a young man with long light-colored hair that reached down to the middle of his back. While his face still had black eyes, he had two black markings running down his face. And not only that, his entire body was extremely similar to the form of the Hollow called White. He had two long, forward-pointing horns protruding from the sides of his head, and his Hollow-hole located in his upper chest. The only thing he missed was the white Hollow mask and two blades in place of his forearms. Needless to say, this resembled closely to an Arrancar in his Resurrección.

Ichigo was filled with disbelief, having never seen this creature in his life. Was this really it? Was this the true form of his Inner Hollow? The young man had fear planted in his eyes.

"I am not Zangetsu, nor am I White for that matter! My true and only name will always be the one I carried in my previous lifetime!" he spoke up, his voice having completely changed so that it didn't resemble Ichigo's at all.

"I don't understand…...WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!?" Ichigo asked loudly, still confused at all this.

In response, this Igoochi simply chuckled at Ichigo's distress. "Why, I am simply telling you the truth, Ichigo. You thought that I was just nothing but a reflection of you? Foolish boy! I have always been my own entity!" he berated the young man, yet he felt the need to reveal more details. "And now, I will make everything become clearer to you of who I really am! No more Zangetsu! No more White! From now on, it's…..…..Igoochi Koregaonkar…..one of the founders of the golden city of El Dorado…as we as one of its original paragons" he revealed himself, much to the shock of Ichigo.

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 **Author's note: That's it for now! When writing about Ichigos' struggle, I was inspired by Samurai Jack. That's what I thought would be a perfect setting with Ichigo in Hell. And given that I have done much to write about Hollows and Arrancars, I thought that Ichigo's Inner Hollow needed to have a true form. In some ways, this may be similar to how Allen Walker from D. Gray-man was the reincarnation of Nea D. Campbell. Even so, I will explain more about Igoochi soon. Not how that his first name is only a slight anagram of "Ichigo". When I wrote about the Zhù Triads, I was inspired by the three hyenas from the Lion King: Shenzi, Banzai and Ed. That's why one of them is named Banzai. I wanted them to represent the lowest of the Togabitos, including how miserable they are. Banzai is a stereotypical redneck, Kagema is a stereotypical metrosexual while Fukuryu is the most normal of all the three. Hopefully we will see more of them. Note that the word "Zhù" is Bamboo in Chinese. Anyway, in the next chapter, I may be thinking about writing about the Sonneritters, as well as the Wandenreich. That chapter might be similar to a scene from Star Wars or something. Even so, I will take my time to decide what I will write.**

 **Here are some of the new terms we learned in this chapter. And note: this type of Chinese is mostly Mandarin, so there won't be any confusions. So let's see what we have here.**

 **Cháoxué – Chinese for "Lair" and "Hideout": This place is supposedly where**

 **Here are the voice actors of Banzai, Hon and Kagema, as well as Igoochi. Since the Togabitos are funny ones. I haven't come up with their seiyuus, so I just have to stick with the English ones. Anyway, here they are.**

 **Banzai – John DiMaggio**

 **Fukuryu – Jessica DiCicco**

 **Kagema – Chris Edgerly**

 **Igoochi Koregaonkar – Justin Gross**


End file.
